CPU
GPU
GeForce GTX 260M
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 5550
Popular choices:
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 GTX 260M is positioned at rank 134 and the Radeon HD 5550 is on rank 224, so the GeForce GTX 260M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar GeForce GTX 260M
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 5550
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 5550 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.5% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (2 GB vs 1 GB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the GeForce GTX 260M.
| Insight | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.5%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+0.5%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2008 / Tesla 2.0 (2007−2013)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| 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 HD 5550 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.
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 260M and Radeon HD 5550
GeForce GTX 260M
The GeForce GTX 260M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in June 16 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 576 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 182W. Manufactured using 65 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 382 points. Launch price was $449.
Radeon HD 5550
The Radeon HD 5550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 384 points. Launch price was $299.
Graphics Performance
The GeForce GTX 260M scores 382 and the Radeon HD 5550 reaches 384 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.5% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 260M is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 5550 uses TeraScale 2, both on 65 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5550). Raw compute: 0.4769 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5550).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 382 | 384 |
| Architecture | Tesla 2.0 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 65 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 192 | 1440+650% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.4769 TFLOPS | 2.088 TFLOPS+338% |
| ROPs | 28 | 32+14% |
| TMUs | 64 | 72+13% |
| L2 Cache | 224 KB | 512 KB+129% |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 2.1 (Compatible) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | FSR 3 (Compatible) | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | Standard | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The GeForce GTX 260M comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5550 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 5550 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 224 KB (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 5550) — the Radeon HD 5550 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 224 KB | 512 KB+129% |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 11.1 (10_0) (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 5550). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 11.1 (10_0) | 11.2 (11_0) |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.4+33% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 3+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: PureVideo HD VP2 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs None (Radeon HD 5550). Decoder: PureVideo HD VP2 vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (GeForce GTX 260M) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5550).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | PureVideo HD VP2 | None |
| Decoder | PureVideo HD VP2 | UVD 2.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The GeForce GTX 260M draws 182W versus the Radeon HD 5550's 151W — a 18.6% difference. The Radeon HD 5550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce GTX 260M) vs 200W (Radeon HD 5550). Power connectors: None vs None. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 70.
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 182W | 151W-17% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 200W-43% |
| Power Connector | None | None |
| Length | — | 168mm |
| Height | — | 69mm |
| Slots | 0-100% | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 85°C | 70-18% |
| Perf/Watt | 2.1 | 2.5+19% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 5550 is the newer GPU (2009 vs 2008).
| Feature | GeForce GTX 260M | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | — | $75 |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $75 |
| Codename | GT200 | Cypress |
| Release | June 16 2008 | September 30 2009 |
| Ranking | #821 | #682 |
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