GeForce MX250 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U

NVIDIA

GeForce MX250

2019Core: 937 MHzBoost: 1038 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U

2020Boost: 2100 MHz
Similar parts
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GeForce MX250 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U 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 MX250 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U 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 MX250 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U: 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 MX250

2019

Why buy it

  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 15.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • 100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs Unknown).
  • Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is already obsolete for modern gaming, so GeForce MX250 is the less risky modern option long term.
  • Draws 10W instead of 15W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2019 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U

2020

Why buy it

  • 73.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2020 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 15.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 50% higher power demand at 15W vs 10W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 73.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward GeForce MX250 instead at 2,375 vs 2,356, 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 MX250 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 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 MX250 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GeForce MX250 vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce MX250

The GeForce MX250 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in February 20 2019. It features the Pascal architecture. The core clock ranges from 937 MHz to 1038 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 10W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,375 points.

AMD

Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U

The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,356 points.

Graphics Performance

The GeForce MX250 scores 2,375 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U reaches 2,356 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GeForce MX250 is built on Pascal while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U uses Vega, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 384 (GeForce MX250) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Boost clocks: 1038 MHz vs 2100 MHz.

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
G3D Mark Score
2,375
2,356
Architecture
Pascal
Vega
Process Node
14 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
384
512+33%
Boost Clock
1038 MHz
2100 MHz+102%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The GeForce MX250 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
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 MX250 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U carries 0 MB. GeForce MX250 gives you 100+% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the GeForce MX250 and System on the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U.

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
Shared System RAM
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
48 GB/s
System
Bus Width
64-bit
System
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (12_1) (GeForce MX250) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
DirectX
12 (12_1)
12 (12_1)
Vulkan
1.2
1.3+8%
OpenGL
4.6
4.6
Max Displays
3
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: None (GeForce MX250) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Decoder: NVDEC 3rd Gen vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265,VP9 (GeForce MX250) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U).

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
Encoder
None
VCE 4.0
Decoder
NVDEC 3rd Gen
UVD 7.0
Codecs
H.264,H.265,VP9
H.264,H.265,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce MX250 draws 10W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U's 15W — a 40% difference. The GeForce MX250 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GeForce MX250) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Power connectors: Mobile vs Integrated. Card length: 0mm vs 0mm, occupying 0 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 75 vs 80.

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
TDP
10W-33%
15W
Recommended PSU
350W
1W-100%
Power Connector
Mobile
Integrated
Length
0mm
0mm
Height
0mm
0mm
Slots
0
0
Temp (Load)
75-6%
80
Perf/Watt
237.5+51%
157.1
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce MX250 came in at $150, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U was 100+% cheaper ($150 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 15.8 (GeForce MX250) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U) — the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U (2020 vs 2019).

FeatureGeForce MX250Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
MSRP
$150
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
15.8
Infinity
Codename
GP108B
Vega
Release
February 20 2019
January 7 2020
Ranking
#643
#545

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