Quadro FX 5500 vs Radeon HD 8280E

NVIDIA

Quadro FX 5500

2008Core: 610 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Radeon HD 8280E

2013Core: 725 MHzBoost: 775 MHz
Similar parts
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Quadro FX 5500 vs Radeon HD 8280E 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 FX 5500 vs Radeon HD 8280E 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 FX 5500 vs Radeon HD 8280E: 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 FX 5500

2008

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8280E across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2008 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
  • 1899.3% HIGHER MSRP
    $2,999 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 1.7 G3D/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
  • 278% higher power demand at 189W vs 50W.

Radeon HD 8280E

2013

Why buy it

  • 0.8% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Costs $2,849 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
  • Delivers 2015% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 1.7 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($150 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 189W, a 139W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2013 hardware with 512 MB 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?
Radeon HD 8280E is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 0.8% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 5.8% in PassMark G3D (256 vs 242), so the answer here is pretty clean.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
Quadro FX 5500 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 8280E makes the most sense to buy today. It is $2,849 cheaper on MSRP at $150 vs $2,999, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 2015% (1.7 vs 0.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 8280E is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Quadro FX 5500 has the stronger long-term case.

Quadro FX 5500 vs Radeon HD 8280E Technical Specifications

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

NVIDIA

Quadro FX 5500

The Quadro FX 5500 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in November 11 2008. It features the Tesla 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 610 MHz. It has 240 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 189W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 242 points. Launch price was $3,499.

AMD

Radeon HD 8280E

The Radeon HD 8280E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 1 2013. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 725 MHz to 775 MHz. It has 640 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 256 points.

Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Quadro FX 5500 scores 242 versus the Radeon HD 8280E's 256 — the Radeon HD 8280E leads by 5.8%. The Quadro FX 5500 is built on Tesla 2.0 while the Radeon HD 8280E uses GCN 1.0, both on 55 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 240 (Quadro FX 5500) vs 640 (Radeon HD 8280E). Raw compute: 0.6221 TFLOPS (Quadro FX 5500) vs 0.992 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8280E).

FeatureQuadro FX 5500Radeon HD 8280E
G3D Mark Score
242
256+6%
Architecture
Tesla 2.0
GCN 1.0
Process Node
55 nm
28 nm
Shading Units
240
640+167%
Compute (TFLOPS)
0.6221 TFLOPS
0.992 TFLOPS+59%
ROPs
32+100%
16
TMUs
80+100%
40
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureQuadro FX 5500Radeon HD 8280E
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 FX 5500 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 8280E carries 512 MB. Quadro FX 5500 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 FX 5500 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8280E.

FeatureQuadro FX 5500Radeon HD 8280E
VRAM Capacity
1 GB+100%
0.5 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
128-bit+100%
L2 Cache
256 KB
256 KB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Quadro FX 5500 draws 189W versus the Radeon HD 8280E's 50W — a 116.3% difference. The Radeon HD 8280E is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Quadro FX 5500) vs 350W (Radeon HD 8280E). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 1x 6-pin.

FeatureQuadro FX 5500Radeon HD 8280E
TDP
189W
50W-74%
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
PCIe-powered
1x 6-pin
Length
1mm
Slots
0
Perf/Watt
1.3
5.1+292%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Quadro FX 5500 came in at $2999, while the Radeon HD 8280E launched at $150. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8280E was 95% cheaper ($2849 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (Quadro FX 5500) vs 1.7 (Radeon HD 8280E) — the Radeon HD 8280E offers 1600% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 8280E (2013 vs 2008).

FeatureQuadro FX 5500Radeon HD 8280E
MSRP
$2999
$150-95%
Performance per Dollar
0.1
1.7+1600%
Codename
GT200B
Venus
Release
November 11 2008
April 1 2013
Ranking
#815
#745

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