GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550D

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 GTS 250 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 GTS 250 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 GTS 250

2010

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 106W instead of 130W, a 24W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2010 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
158% HIGHER MSRP
$129 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.4 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8550D

2012

Why buy it

✅48.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $79 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
✅Delivers 157.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌22.6% higher power demand at 130W vs 106W.

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 48.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTS 250 instead at 569 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 GTS 250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $79 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 157.1% (11.3 vs 4.4), 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 GTS 250 has the stronger long-term case.

GeForce GTS 250 vs Radeon HD 8550D Technical Specifications

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

GeForce GTS 250

The GeForce GTS 250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in September 13 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 783 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 106W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 569 points. Launch price was $129.

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 GTS 250 scores 569 and the Radeon HD 8550D reaches 567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTS 250 is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 8550D uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550D). Raw compute: 0.6013 TFLOPS (GeForce GTS 250) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8550D).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550D
G3D Mark Score	569	567
Architecture	Fermi	GCN 1.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	192	1024+433%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6013 TFLOPS	1.761 TFLOPS+193%
ROPs	16	32+100%
TMUs	32	64+100%
L1 Cache	256 KB	256 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTS 250 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.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	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)

The GeForce GTS 250 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8550D carries 512 MB. GeForce GTS 250 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTS 250 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550D. L2 Cache: 256 KB (GeForce GTS 250) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 8550D) — the Radeon HD 8550D has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550D
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 GTS 250 draws 106W versus the Radeon HD 8550D's 130W — a 20.3% difference. The GeForce GTS 250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (GeForce GTS 250) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8550D). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550D
TDP	106W-18%	130W
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	229mm	—
Height	111mm	—
Slots	2	—
Temp (Load)	90°C	—
Perf/Watt	5.4+23%	4.4

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTS 250 came in at $129, while the Radeon HD 8550D launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8550D was 61.2% cheaper ($79 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.4 (GeForce GTS 250) vs 11.3 (Radeon HD 8550D) — the Radeon HD 8550D offers 156.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8550D (2012 vs 2010).

Feature	GeForce GTS 250	Radeon HD 8550D
MSRP	$129	$50-61%
Performance per Dollar	4.4	11.3+157%
Codename	GF106	Pitcairn
Release	September 13 2010	March 5 2012
Ranking	#791	#503

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