RADEON 9500 vs RADEON 9550

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.

RADEON 9500 vs RADEON 9550 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.

RADEON 9500 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.

RADEON 9500

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 256 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2015 hardware with 128 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
38.8% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.2 vs 0.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌90% higher power demand at 95W vs 50W.

RADEON 9550

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.9% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.3 vs 0.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (256 MB vs 128 MB).
✅Draws 50W instead of 95W, a 45W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌2017 hardware with 256 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 9500 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 2.9% in PassMark G3D (36 vs 35), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

RADEON 9500 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?

RADEON 9550 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $129 vs $179, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 34.9% (0.3 vs 0.2), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, RADEON 9550 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RADEON 9500 has the stronger long-term case.

RADEON 9500 vs RADEON 9550 Technical Specifications

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

RADEON 9500

The RADEON 9500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 29 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 735 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 95W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 36 points.

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

The RADEON 9500 scores 36 and the RADEON 9550 reaches 35 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.9% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RADEON 9500 is built on GCN 3.0 while the RADEON 9550 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 2,048 (RADEON 9500) vs 512 (RADEON 9550). Raw compute: 4.096 TFLOPS (RADEON 9500) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON 9550). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

Feature	RADEON 9500	RADEON 9550
G3D Mark Score	36+3%	35
Architecture	GCN 3.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	2048+300%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.096 TFLOPS+238%	1.211 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1183 MHz+18%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	128+300%	32
L1 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	RADEON 9500	RADEON 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 RADEON 9500 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 64-bit on the RADEON 9500 and 64-bit on the RADEON 9550. L2 Cache: 512 KB (RADEON 9500) vs 256 KB (RADEON 9550) — the RADEON 9500 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	RADEON 9500	RADEON 9550
VRAM Capacity	0.125 GB	0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB+100%	256 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9500 draws 95W versus the RADEON 9550's 50W — a 62.1% difference. The RADEON 9550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9500) vs 350W (RADEON 9550). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

Feature	RADEON 9500	RADEON 9550
TDP	95W	50W-47%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Perf/Watt	0.4	0.7+75%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the RADEON 9500 came in at $179, while the RADEON 9550 launched at $129. On MSRP, RADEON 9550 was 27.9% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.2 (RADEON 9500) vs 0.3 (RADEON 9550) — the RADEON 9550 offers 50% better value. The newer card here is RADEON 9550 (2017 vs 2015).

Feature	RADEON 9500	RADEON 9550
MSRP	$179	$129-28%
Performance per Dollar	0.2	0.3+50%
Codename	Amethyst	Lexa
Release	September 29 2015	April 20 2017
Ranking	#420	#668

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