GRID K2 vs Radeon RX 550

GRID K2

2013Core: 745 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon RX 550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
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GRID K2 vs Radeon RX 550 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.

GRID K2 vs Radeon RX 550: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

GRID K2

2013

Why buy it

  • Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2013 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 6481% HIGHER MSRP
    $5,199 MSRPvs$79 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 33.8 G3D/$ ($5,199 MSRP vs $79 MSRP).

Radeon RX 550

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $5,120 less on MSRP ($79 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
  • Delivers 6329.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 33.8 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($79 MSRP vs $5,199 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • GRID K2 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 550 is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

  • 2017 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
GRID K2 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.4% in PassMark G3D (2,737 vs 2,674), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Radeon RX 550 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 4 GB vs 2 GB of VRAM, the newer feature stack, with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) and FSR Frame Generation (2023), while GRID K2 is limited to no meaningful modern upscaling stack and no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2017 generation instead of 2013. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 550 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5,120 cheaper on MSRP at $79 vs $5,199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 6329.5% (33.8 vs 0.5), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. GRID K2 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

GRID K2 vs Radeon RX 550 Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

GRID K2

The GRID K2 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in May 11 2013. It features the Kepler architecture. The core clock speed is 745 MHz. It has 1536 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 225W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,737 points. Launch price was $5,199.

AMD

Radeon RX 550

The Radeon RX 550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,674 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

The GRID K2 scores 2,737 and the Radeon RX 550 reaches 2,674 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The GRID K2 is built on Kepler while the Radeon RX 550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (GRID K2) vs 512 (Radeon RX 550). Raw compute: 2.289 TFLOPS ×2 (GRID K2) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 550).

FeatureGRID K2Radeon RX 550
G3D Mark Score
2,737+2%
2,674
Architecture
Kepler
GCN 4.0
Process Node
28 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
1536 ×2+200%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
2.289 TFLOPS ×2+89%
1.211 TFLOPS
ROPs
32 ×2+100%
16
TMUs
128 ×2+300%
32
L1 Cache
128 KB
128 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 550 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The GRID K2 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

FeatureGRID K2Radeon RX 550
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The GRID K2 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 550 carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 550 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 GRID K2 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 550.

FeatureGRID K2Radeon RX 550
VRAM Capacity
2 GB
4 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The GRID K2 draws 225W versus the Radeon RX 550's 50W — a 127.3% difference. The Radeon RX 550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (GRID K2) vs 300W (Radeon RX 550). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs None.

FeatureGRID K2Radeon RX 550
TDP
225W
50W-78%
Recommended PSU
350W
300W-14%
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
None
Length
155mm
Slots
2
Perf/Watt
12.2
53.5+339%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the GRID K2 came in at $5199, while the Radeon RX 550 launched at $79. On MSRP, Radeon RX 550 was 98.5% cheaper ($5120 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.5 (GRID K2) vs 33.8 (Radeon RX 550) — the Radeon RX 550 offers 6660% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 550 (2017 vs 2013).

FeatureGRID K2Radeon RX 550
MSRP
$5199
$79-98%
Performance per Dollar
0.5
33.8+6660%
Codename
GK104
Lexa
Release
May 11 2013
April 20 2017
Ranking
#611
#617

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