GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs Radeon HD 6790

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

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon HD 6790 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 0.6% higher G3D Mark score. However, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-0.6%)	✅Leading raw performance (+0.6%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / Fermi 2.0 (2010−2014))	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+200%)	❌ Less VRAM capacity
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti holds the technical lead. Priced at $25 (vs $149), it costs 83% less, resulting in a 492.6% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+492.6%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($25)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($149)

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 GTX 550 Ti Benchmark Check

Radeon HD 6790 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of GeForce GTX 550 Ti and Radeon HD 6790

GeForce GTX 550 Ti

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in March 15 2011. It features the Fermi 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 900 MHz. It has 192 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 116W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,558 points. Launch price was $149.

Radeon HD 6790

The Radeon HD 6790 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 840 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,567 points. Launch price was $149.

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Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 1,558 and the Radeon HD 6790 reaches 1,567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Radeon HD 6790 uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 800 (Radeon HD 6790). Raw compute: 0.6912 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 1.344 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
G3D Mark Score	1,558	1,567
Architecture	Fermi 2.0	TeraScale 2
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	192	800+317%
Compute (TFLOPS)	0.6912 TFLOPS	1.344 TFLOPS+94%
ROPs	24+50%	16
TMUs	32	40+25%
L1 Cache	256 KB+60%	160 KB
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
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 550 Ti comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6790 has 1 GB. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti offers 200% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 384 KB (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 512 KB (Radeon HD 6790) — the Radeon HD 6790 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
VRAM Capacity	3 GB+200%	1 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	384 KB	512 KB+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4 (Radeon HD 6790).

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
Encoder	—	None
Decoder	—	UVD 3.0
Codecs	H.264	H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2,MPEG-4

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti draws 116W versus the Radeon HD 6790's 150W — a 25.6% difference. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 450W (Radeon HD 6790). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 2x 6-pin.

Feature	GeForce GTX 550 Ti	Radeon HD 6790
TDP	116W-23%	150W
Recommended PSU	400W-11%	450W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	2x 6-pin
Length	—	240mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	80
Perf/Watt	13.4+29%	10.4

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti launched at $149 MSRP and currently averages $25, while the Radeon HD 6790 launched at $149 and now averages $149. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti costs 83.2% less ($124 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 62.3 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 10.5 (Radeon HD 6790) — the GeForce GTX 550 Ti offers 493.3% better value.