GeForce FX 5900ZT vs RADEON 9550

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar RADEON 9550

#1

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

MSRP: $399|Avg: $280

26867%

#2

GeForce RTX 5060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

25811%

#3

Radeon RX 5600 XT

MSRP: $279|Avg: $180

25511%

#4

Radeon RX 9060

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

25467%

#5

GeForce RTX 5050

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

25415%

#6

GeForce RTX 3050 OEM

MSRP: $249|Avg: $150

25270%

#7

Arc A580

MSRP: $179|Avg: $179

24952%

#8

Radeon RX 9060 XT

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

24859%

#9

Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

24630%

#10

Radeon RX 7600

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

24563%

#11

Radeon RX 6600

MSRP: $329|Avg: $180

24267%

#12

GeForce RTX 4060

MSRP: $299|Avg: $299

24215%

#13

Arc B570

MSRP: $219|Avg: $219

23778%

#14

Arc B580

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

23763%

#348

Radeon R5 430 OEM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $13

29630%

#363

RADEON 9550

MSRP: $129|Avg: $30

100%

#364

Radeon X1600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $49

93%

#365

GeForce FX 5700LE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

#366

GeForce PCX 5750

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

85%

#367

GeForce FX 5700

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

78%

#368

RADEON X800 XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $20

74%

#369

RADEON X800 XL

MSRP: $349|Avg: $15

74%

#370

RADEON 9600 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $15

67%

#371

RADEON X800 PRO

MSRP: $399|Avg: $15

59%

#372

GeForce FX 5200LE

MSRP: $43|Avg: $25

59%

#373

GeForce FX 5200SE

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

44%

#374

GeForce FX 5200

MSRP: $70|Avg: $25

41%

#375

RADEON 9800 XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $30

41%

#376

GeForce PCX 5300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

37%

#377

GeForce FX 5900

MSRP: $399|Avg: $20

33%

#378

GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

MSRP: $199|Avg: $20

33%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The RADEON 9550 is significantly newer (2017 vs 2011). The RADEON 9550 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce FX 5900ZT lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The RADEON 9550 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 6.1% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (256 MB vs 128 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce FX 5900ZT.

Insight	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9550
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-6.1%)	✅Leading raw performance (+6.1%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+100%)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	—

💎 Value Proposition

While current pricing data is unavailable, the RADEON 9550 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.

Performance Check

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

GeForce FX 5900ZT Benchmark Check

RADEON 9550 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce FX 5900ZT and RADEON 9550

GeForce FX 5900ZT

The GeForce FX 5900ZT is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 24 2011. It features the Rankine architecture. The core clock speed is 607 MHz. It has 1024 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 365W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 33 points. Launch price was $699.

RADEON 9550

The RADEON 9550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 35 points. Launch price was $79.

⚡

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce FX 5900ZT scores 33 versus the RADEON 9550's 35 — the RADEON 9550 leads by 6.1%. The GeForce FX 5900ZT is built on Rankine while the RADEON 9550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 512 (RADEON 9550). Raw compute: 1.244 TFLOPS ×2 (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON 9550).

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9550
G3D Mark Score	33	35+6%
Architecture	Rankine	GCN 4.0
Process Node	40 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1024 ×2+100%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.244 TFLOPS ×2+3%	1.211 TFLOPS
ROPs	48 ×2+200%	16
TMUs	64 ×2+100%	32
L1 Cache	1 MB+669%	0.13 MB
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9550
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 1.0 (Software)
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	Standard	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce FX 5900ZT comes with 128 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON 9550 has 256 MB. The RADEON 9550 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit. L2 Cache: 768 KB (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 256 KB (RADEON 9550) — the GeForce FX 5900ZT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9550
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit+100%	64-bit
L2 Cache	768 KB+200%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce FX 5900ZT draws 365W versus the RADEON 9550's 50W — a 151.8% difference. The RADEON 9550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 350W (RADEON 9550). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	GeForce FX 5900ZT	RADEON 9550
TDP	365W	50W-86%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	218mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	70	—
Perf/Watt	0.1	0.7+600%

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce FX 5900ZT launched at $0 MSRP and currently averages $0, while the RADEON 9550 launched at $129 and now averages $30. The GeForce FX 5900ZT costs 100+% less ($30 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): Infinity (GeForce FX 5900ZT) vs 1.2 (RADEON 9550) — the GeForce FX 5900ZT offers Infinity% better value. The RADEON 9550 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2011).