GeForce 8800 GTS vs Radeon HD 8550G

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GTS

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8550G

2012Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 8800 GTS vs Radeon HD 8550G Performance Spectrum

About G3D Mark

G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs Radeon HD 8550G FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs Radeon HD 8550G: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GeForce 8800 GTS

2008

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550G across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 321 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2008 hardware with 321 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 798% HIGHER MSRP
    $449 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.9 vs 8.3 G3D/$ ($449 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8550G

2012

Why buy it

  • 0.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $399 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • Delivers 813.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 8.3 vs 0.9 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $449 MSRP).
  • 59.7% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 321 MB).
  • Draws 130W instead of 150W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8550G is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.7% in PassMark G3D (414 vs 407), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 8800 GTS is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8550G makes the most sense to buy today. It is $399 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $449, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 813.4% (8.3 vs 0.9), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8550G is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 8800 GTS has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 8800 GTS vs Radeon HD 8550G Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

NVIDIA

GeForce 8800 GTS

The GeForce 8800 GTS is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 15 2008. It features the G9x architecture. The core clock speed is 500 MHz. It has 224 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 407 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 8550G

The Radeon HD 8550G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 414 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 8800 GTS scores 407 and the Radeon HD 8550G reaches 414 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 8800 GTS is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8550G uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550G).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSRadeon HD 8550G
G3D Mark Score
407
414+2%
Architecture
G9x
GCN 1.0
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
224
1024+357%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 8800 GTS gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8550G leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSRadeon HD 8550G
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce 8800 GTS has 321 MB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8550G carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 8550G gives you 59.7% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 8800 GTS and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550G.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSRadeon HD 8550G
VRAM Capacity
0.313 GB
0.5 GB+60%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 8800 GTS draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8550G's 130W — a 14.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8550G is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8550G). Power connectors: Legacy vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSRadeon HD 8550G
TDP
150W
130W-13%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
1x 6-pin
Length
229mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
95°C
Perf/Watt
2.7
3.2+19%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 8800 GTS came in at $449, while the Radeon HD 8550G launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8550G was 88.9% cheaper ($399 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.9 (GeForce 8800 GTS) vs 8.3 (Radeon HD 8550G) — the Radeon HD 8550G offers 822.2% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8550G (2012 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 8800 GTSRadeon HD 8550G
MSRP
$449
$50-89%
Performance per Dollar
0.9
8.3+822%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Pitcairn
Release
July 15 2008
March 5 2012
Ranking
#825
#503

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