GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs Radeon RX Vega 8

NVIDIA

GeForce GTX 550 Ti

2011Core: 900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX Vega 8

2018Core: 720 MHzBoost: 1190 MHz
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GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs Radeon RX Vega 8 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 550 Ti vs Radeon RX Vega 8 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 550 Ti vs Radeon RX Vega 8: 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 550 Ti

2011

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 10.5 vs 0 G3D/$ ($149 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (3 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon RX Vega 8 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce GTX 550 Ti is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega 8 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2011 hardware with 3 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 673.3% higher power demand at 116W vs 15W.

Radeon RX Vega 8

2018

Why buy it

  • 35.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Draws 15W instead of 116W, a 101W reduction.
  • More future proof: GCN 5.0 (2017−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 3 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2018 hardware with Unknown 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 0 vs 10.5 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $149 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX Vega 8 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 35.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce GTX 550 Ti instead at 1,558 vs 1,540, 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 GTX 550 Ti is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 3 GB vs Unknown of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce GTX 550 Ti makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon RX Vega 8 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce GTX 550 Ti vs Radeon RX Vega 8 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

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.

AMD

Radeon RX Vega 8

The Radeon RX Vega 8 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in February 1 2018. It features the GCN 5.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 720 MHz to 1190 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 1,540 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 1,558 and the Radeon RX Vega 8 reaches 1,540 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce GTX 550 Ti is built on Fermi 2.0 while the Radeon RX Vega 8 uses GCN 5.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 192 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega 8).

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
G3D Mark Score
1,558+1%
1,540
Architecture
Fermi 2.0
GCN 5.0
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
192
512+167%
ROPs
24+200%
8
TMUs
32
32

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega 8 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
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 GTX 550 Ti has 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega 8 carries 0 MB. GeForce GTX 550 Ti 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 GTX 550 Ti and System on the Radeon RX Vega 8.

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
VRAM Capacity
3 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
Unknown
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🎬

Media & Encoding

Supported codecs: H.264 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega 8).

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
Encoder
VCN 1.0
Decoder
VCN 1.0
Codecs
H.264
H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce GTX 550 Ti draws 116W versus the Radeon RX Vega 8's 15W — a 154.2% difference. The Radeon RX Vega 8 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 400W (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega 8). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs Integrated.

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
TDP
116W
15W-87%
Recommended PSU
400W
1W-100%
Power Connector
1x 6-pin
Integrated
Temp (Load)
85°C
Perf/Watt
13.4
102.7+666%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti came in at $149, while the Radeon RX Vega 8 launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega 8 was 100+% cheaper ($149 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 10.5 (GeForce GTX 550 Ti) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega 8) — the Radeon RX Vega 8 offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega 8 (2018 vs 2011).

FeatureGeForce GTX 550 TiRadeon RX Vega 8
MSRP
$149
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
10.5
Infinity
Codename
GF116
Vega
Release
March 15 2011
February 1 2018
Ranking
#761
#372

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