Quadro 500M vs Radeon HD 8550D

NVIDIA

Quadro 500M

2010Core: 405 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

2012Boost: 1000 MHz

Quadro 500M vs Radeon HD 8550D 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.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon HD 8550D 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.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon HD 8550D: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Quadro 500M

2010

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
  • Draws 100W instead of 130W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2010 hardware with 1 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 0 vs 11.3 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Radeon HD 8550D

2012

Why buy it

  • 6.0% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
  • More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 30% higher power demand at 130W vs 100W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon HD 8550D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.0% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Quadro 500M instead at 571 vs 567, 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?
Quadro 500M is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon HD 8550D makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8550D is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro 500M has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro 500M vs Radeon HD 8550D Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro 500M

The Quadro 500M is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in July 27 2010. It features the Fermi architecture. The core clock speed is 405 MHz. It has 320 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 571 points.

AMD

Radeon HD 8550D

The Radeon HD 8550D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 567 points. Launch price was $249.

Graphics Performance

The Quadro 500M scores 571 and the Radeon HD 8550D reaches 567 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Quadro 500M is built on Fermi while the Radeon HD 8550D uses GCN 1.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 320 (Quadro 500M) vs 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550D). Raw compute: 0.5184 TFLOPS (Quadro 500M) vs 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8550D).

FeatureQuadro 500MRadeon HD 8550D
G3D Mark Score
571
567
Architecture
Fermi
GCN 1.0
Process Node
40 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
320
1024+220%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.5184 TFLOPS
1.761 TFLOPS+240%
ROPs
32
32
TMUs
40
64+60%
L1 Cache
640 KB+150%
256 KB
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro 500MRadeon HD 8550D
Upscaling Tech
Upscaling support
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
Standard
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Quadro 500M has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8550D carries 512 MB. Quadro 500M 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 Quadro 500M and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550D.

FeatureQuadro 500MRadeon HD 8550D
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
512 KB
512 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro 500M draws 100W versus the Radeon HD 8550D's 130W — a 26.1% difference. The Quadro 500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro 500M) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8550D). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQuadro 500MRadeon HD 8550D
TDP
100W-23%
130W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Perf/Watt
5.7+30%
4.4
💰

Value Analysis

The newer card here is Radeon HD 8550D (2012 vs 2010).

FeatureQuadro 500MRadeon HD 8550D
MSRP
$50
Codename
GF100
Pitcairn
Release
July 27 2010
March 5 2012
Ranking
#675
#503

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