MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 vs RADEON 9550

AMD

MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700

2010Core: 700 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

RADEON 9550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
Similar parts
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MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 vs RADEON 9550 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.

MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 vs RADEON 9550: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700

2010

Why buy it

  • +11.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
  • Costs $80 less on MSRP ($49 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
  • Delivers 193.4% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($49 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 256 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2010 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

RADEON 9550

2017

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (256 MB vs 128 MB).
  • More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark G3D performance (35 vs 39).
  • 2017 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 163.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $129 MSRPvs$49 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.3 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $49 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 11.4% in PassMark G3D (39 vs 35), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $80 cheaper on MSRP at $49 vs $129, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 193.4% (0.8 vs 0.3), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 vs RADEON 9550 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700

The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2010. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 700 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 39 points.

AMD

RADEON 9550

The RADEON 9550 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: 35 points. Launch price was $79.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 scores 39 versus the RADEON 9550's 35 — the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 leads by 11.4%. The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 is built on TeraScale 2 while the RADEON 9550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 40 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 800 (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700) vs 512 (RADEON 9550). Raw compute: 1.12 TFLOPS (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON 9550).

FeatureMOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700RADEON 9550
G3D Mark Score
39+11%
35
Architecture
TeraScale 2
GCN 4.0
Process Node
40 nm
14 nm
Shading Units
800+56%
512
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.12 TFLOPS
1.211 TFLOPS+8%
ROPs
16
16
TMUs
40+25%
32
L1 Cache
80 KB
128 KB+60%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureMOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700RADEON 9550
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 has 128 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON 9550 carries 256 MB. RADEON 9550 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 MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 and 64-bit on the RADEON 9550.

FeatureMOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700RADEON 9550
VRAM Capacity
0.125 GB
0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
128-bit+100%
64-bit
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 draws 50W versus the RADEON 9550's 50W — a 0% difference. The RADEON 9550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700) vs 350W (RADEON 9550). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs Legacy.

FeatureMOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700RADEON 9550
TDP
50W
50W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
Legacy
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
0.8+14%
0.7
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 came in at $49, while the RADEON 9550 launched at $129. On MSRP, MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 was 62% cheaper ($80 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700) vs 0.3 (RADEON 9550) — the MOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700 offers 166.7% better value. The newer card here is RADEON 9550 (2017 vs 2010).

FeatureMOBILITY RADEON 9600/9700RADEON 9550
MSRP
$49-62%
$129
Performance per Dollar
0.8+167%
0.3
Codename
Broadway
Lexa
Release
January 7 2010
April 20 2017
Ranking
#846
#668

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