GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 5550

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

2023Core: 1830 MHzBoost: 2460 MHz
RTX family
·······
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 5550

2009Core: 725 MHz
Similar parts
·······

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 5550 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 RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 5550 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 RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 5550: 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 RTX 4060

2023

Why buy it

  • 1599.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 1176.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 65.4 vs 5.1 G3D/$ ($299 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Better long-term bet: Ada Lovelace (2022−2024) on 5nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 42.9% longer card at 240mm vs 168mm.

Radeon HD 5550

2009

Why buy it

  • Costs $224 less on MSRP ($75 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • Measures 168mm instead of 240mm, a 72mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than GeForce RTX 4060 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2009 hardware with 2 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 5.1 vs 65.4 G3D/$ ($75 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 1599.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 4990.6% in PassMark G3D (19,548 vs 384), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
GeForce RTX 4060 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 8 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, native frame generation with DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon HD 5550 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 5nm process instead of 40nm, and 24 vs 0 ray-tracing units. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
GeForce RTX 4060 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $224 more expensive on MSRP at $299 vs $75, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1176.9% (65.4 vs 5.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

GeForce RTX 4060 vs Radeon HD 5550 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GeForce RTX 4060

The GeForce RTX 4060 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 18 2023. It features the Ada Lovelace architecture. The core clock ranges from 1830 MHz to 2460 MHz. It has 3072 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 115W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 24 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 19,548 points. Launch price was $299.

AMD

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

In G3D Mark, the GeForce RTX 4060 scores 19,548 versus the Radeon HD 5550's 384 — the GeForce RTX 4060 leads by 4990.6%. The GeForce RTX 4060 is built on Ada Lovelace while the Radeon HD 5550 uses TeraScale 2, both on 5 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 3,072 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5550). Raw compute: 15.11 TFLOPS (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5550).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
G3D Mark Score
19,548+4991%
384
Architecture
Ada Lovelace
TeraScale 2
Process Node
5 nm
40 nm
Shading Units
3072+113%
1440
Compute (TFLOPS)
15.11 TFLOPS+624%
2.088 TFLOPS
ROPs
48+50%
32
TMUs
96+33%
72
L1 Cache
3 MB+2043%
0.14 MB
L2 Cache
24 MB+4700%
0.5 MB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the GeForce RTX 4060 is support for DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon HD 5550 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.The GeForce RTX 4060 gets NVIDIA DLSS, which still tends to look cleaner in motion. The Radeon HD 5550 leans on FSR, which is flexible and widely supported, but usually a bit rougher at the same settings.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
Upscaling Tech
DLSS 3.5 Super Resolution
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
DLSS 3.5 + Frame Generation
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
Yes (DLSS 3.5)
No
Low Latency
NVIDIA Reflex
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GeForce RTX 4060 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5550 carries 2 GB. GeForce RTX 4060 gives you 300% 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 RTX 4060 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 5550. L2 Cache: 24 MB (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 0.5 MB (Radeon HD 5550) — the GeForce RTX 4060 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+300%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR6
GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth
272 GB/s
Unknown
Bus Width
128-bit
128-bit
L2 Cache
24 MB+4700%
0.5 MB
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 Ultimate (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 5550). Vulkan: 1.3 vs N/A. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 3.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
DirectX
12 Ultimate+7%
11.2 (11_0)
Vulkan
1.3
N/A
OpenGL
4.6+5%
4.4
Max Displays
4+33%
3
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: NVENC 8th gen (GeForce RTX 4060) vs None (Radeon HD 5550). Decoder: NVDEC 5th gen vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5550).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
Encoder
NVENC 8th gen
None
Decoder
NVDEC 5th gen
UVD 2.2
Codecs
H.264,H.265/HEVC,AV1
H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GeForce RTX 4060 draws 115W versus the Radeon HD 5550's 151W — a 27.1% difference. The GeForce RTX 4060 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 550W (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 200W (Radeon HD 5550). Power connectors: 8-pin vs None. Card length: 240mm vs 168mm, occupying 2 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 73°C vs 70.

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
TDP
115W-24%
151W
Recommended PSU
550W
200W-64%
Power Connector
8-pin
None
Length
240mm
168mm
Height
111mm
69mm
Slots
2
1-50%
Temp (Load)
73°C
70-4%
Perf/Watt
170.0+6700%
2.5
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GeForce RTX 4060 came in at $299, while the Radeon HD 5550 launched at $75. On MSRP, Radeon HD 5550 was 74.9% cheaper ($224 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 65.4 (GeForce RTX 4060) vs 5.1 (Radeon HD 5550) — the GeForce RTX 4060 offers 1182.4% better value. The newer card here is GeForce RTX 4060 (2023 vs 2009).

FeatureGeForce RTX 4060Radeon HD 5550
MSRP
$299
$75-75%
Performance per Dollar
65.4+1182%
5.1
Codename
AD107
Cypress
Release
May 18 2023
September 30 2009
Ranking
#84
#682

Affiliate Disclosure

ChipVERSUS is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through our links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support our work in providing comprehensive PC building guides and tools.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.