GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon RX 550

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

2019Core: 1485 MHzBoost: 1665 MHz
GTX family
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon RX 550 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 GTX 1650 vs Radeon RX 550 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 GTX 1650 vs Radeon RX 550: 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 GTX 1650

2019

Why buy it

  • 186.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 56% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 52.8 vs 33.8 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs $79 MSRP).
  • Radeon RX 550 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 1650 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Older hardware, 4 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 50% higher power demand at 75W vs 50W.
  • 47.7% longer card at 229mm vs 155mm.

Radeon RX 550

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $70 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Draws 50W instead of 75W, a 25W reduction.
  • Measures 155mm instead of 229mm, a 74mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce GTX 1650 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2017 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 52.8 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce GTX 1650 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 186.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 194.3% in PassMark G3D (7,869 vs 2,674), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce GTX 1650 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 12nm process instead of 14nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2017. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 1650 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $70 more expensive on MSRP at $149 vs $79, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 56% (52.8 vs 33.8), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce GTX 1650 vs Radeon RX 550 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 1650

The GeForce GTX 1650 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in April 23 2019. It features the Turing architecture. The core clock ranges from 1485 MHz to 1665 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 12 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,869 points. Launch price was $149.

AMD

Radeon RX 550

The Radeon RX 550 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: 2,674 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 7,869 versus the Radeon RX 550's 2,674 — the GeForce GTX 1650 leads by 194.3%. The GeForce GTX 1650 is built on Turing while the Radeon RX 550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 12 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 896 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 512 (Radeon RX 550). Raw compute: 2.984 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 550). Boost clocks: 1665 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
G3D Mark Score
7,869+194%
2,674
Architecture
Turing
GCN 4.0
Process Node
12 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
896+75%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.984 TFLOPS+146%
1.211 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1665 MHz+41%
1183 MHz
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
56+75%
32
L1 Cache
896 KB+600%
128 KB
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 550 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GeForce GTX 1650 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce GTX 1650 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX 550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bandwidth: 128 GB/s (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 112 GB/s (Radeon RX 550) — a 14.3% advantage for the GeForce GTX 1650. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the GeForce GTX 1650 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 550. L2 Cache: 1 MB (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce GTX 1650 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
VRAM Capacity
4 GB
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
128 GB/s+14%
112 GB/s
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 12_0 (Radeon RX 550). Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
DirectX
12
12_0
Max Displays
3
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 5th gen (Volta) (GeForce GTX 1650) vs VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 550). Decoder: NVDEC 4th gen vs UVD 6.3. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs H.264,H.265 (Radeon RX 550).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
Encoder
NVENC 5th gen (Volta)
VCE 3.4
Decoder
NVDEC 4th gen
UVD 6.3
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP8,VP9
H.264,H.265
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 1650 draws 75W versus the Radeon RX 550's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon RX 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 300W (Radeon RX 550). Power connectors: None vs None. Card length: 229mm vs 155mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots.

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
TDP
75W
50W-33%
Recommended PSU
300W
300W
Power Connector
None
None
Length
229mm
155mm
Height
111mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
70°C
Perf/Watt
104.9+96%
53.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 1650 came in at $149, while the Radeon RX 550 launched at $79. On MSRP, Radeon RX 550 was 47% cheaper ($70 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 52.8 (GeForce GTX 1650) vs 33.8 (Radeon RX 550) — the GeForce GTX 1650 offers 56.2% better value. The newer card here is GeForce GTX 1650 (2019 vs 2017).

FeatureGeForce GTX 1650Radeon RX 550
MSRP
$149
$79-47%
Performance per Dollar
52.8+56%
33.8
Codename
TU117
Lexa
Release
April 23 2019
April 20 2017
Ranking
#323
#617

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