GeForce GT 550M vs Radeon R5 420
GeForce GT 550M
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Radeon R5 420
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Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
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. The GeForce GT 550M is positioned at rank 125 and the Radeon R5 420 is on rank 175, so the GeForce GT 550M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GT 550M
Performance Per Dollar Radeon R5 420
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon R5 420 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 2.5% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GT 550M offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-2.5%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+2.5%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2013 / Kepler (2012−2018)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2017 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | Normal Efficiency | Normal Efficiency |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon R5 420 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon R5 420 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $30), it costs 33% less, resulting in a 53.7% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+53.7%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($30) | ✅More affordable ($20) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GT 550M and Radeon R5 420
GeForce GT 550M
The GeForce GT 550M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 25 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 980 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 561 points.
Radeon R5 420
The Radeon R5 420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $79.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GT 550M scores 561 and the Radeon R5 420 reaches 575 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GT 550M is built on Kepler while the Radeon R5 420 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce GT 550M) vs 384 (Radeon R5 420). Raw compute: 0.7526 TFLOPS (GeForce GT 550M) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 420).
| Feature | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 561 | 575+2% |
| Architecture | Kepler | GCN 4.0 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 14 nm |
| Shading Units | 384 | 384 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.7526 TFLOPS | 0.9085 TFLOPS+21% |
| ROPs | 16 | 16 |
| TMUs | 32+33% | 24 |
| L1 Cache | 32 KB | 96 KB+200% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 GT 550M comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 420 has 512 MB. The GeForce GT 550M offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GT 550M) vs 512 KB (Radeon R5 420) — the Radeon R5 420 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB+100% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 512 KB+100% |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GT 550M draws 50W versus the Radeon R5 420's 50W — a 0% difference. The Radeon R5 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GT 550M) vs 350W (Radeon R5 420). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None.
| Feature | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W | 50W |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | PCIe-powered | None |
| Length | 0mm | — |
| Height | 0mm | — |
| Slots | 0 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 85°C | — |
| Perf/Watt | 11.2 | 11.5+3% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon R5 420 costs 33.3% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 18.7 (GeForce GT 550M) vs 28.8 (Radeon R5 420) — the Radeon R5 420 offers 54% better value. The Radeon R5 420 is the newer GPU (2017 vs 2013).
| Feature | GeForce GT 550M | Radeon R5 420 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $80 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $30 | $20-33% |
| Performance per Dollar | 18.7 | 28.8+54% |
| Codename | GK107 | Lexa |
| Release | June 25 2013 | April 20 2017 |
| Ranking | #726 | #773 |
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