GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ vs Radeon HD 8550D

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

2008Core: 500 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

2012Boost: 1000 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ vs Radeon HD 8550D 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 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ vs Radeon HD 8550D 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 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ vs Radeon HD 8550D: 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 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

2008

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 358% HIGHER MSRP
    $229 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.5 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
  • 15.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 130W.

Radeon HD 8550D

2012

Why buy it

  • 1.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $179 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • Delivers 354.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 2.5 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
  • 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 8550D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ instead at 571 vs 567, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ 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 8550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $179 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 354.8% (11.3 vs 2.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8550D is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ vs Radeon HD 8550D Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+

The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ 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: 571 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

The Radeon HD 8550D 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: 567 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ scores 571 and the Radeon HD 8550D reaches 567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ is built on G9x while the Radeon HD 8550D uses GCN 1.0, both on 65 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 224 (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550D).

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+Radeon HD 8550D
G3D Mark Score
571
567
Architecture
G9x
GCN 1.0
Process Node
65 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
224
1024+357%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 8550D leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+Radeon HD 8550D
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550D.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+Radeon HD 8550D
VRAM Capacity
0.5 GB
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
Unknown
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ draws 150W versus the Radeon HD 8550D's 130W — a 14.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8550D is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8550D). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+Radeon HD 8550D
TDP
150W
130W-13%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
267mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
Temp (Load)
80°C
Perf/Watt
3.8
4.4+16%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+ came in at $229, while the Radeon HD 8550D launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8550D was 78.2% cheaper ($179 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.5 (GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+) vs 11.3 (Radeon HD 8550D) — the Radeon HD 8550D offers 352% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8550D (2012 vs 2008).

FeatureGeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+Radeon HD 8550D
MSRP
$229
$50-78%
Performance per Dollar
2.5
11.3+352%
Codename
NB9E-GTX
Pitcairn
Release
July 15 2008
March 5 2012
Ranking
#825
#503

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