RADEON 9600SE vs RADEON A9800XT

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 9600SE vs RADEON A9800XT 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 9600SE vs RADEON A9800XT: 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 9600SE

2025

Why buy it

✅+17.4% higher PassMark G3D performance.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.4 vs 0 G3D/$ ($65 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅Better long-term bet: RDNA 3.5 (2024−2025) on 4nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
✅Draws 55W instead of 250W, a 195W reduction.
✅Measures 168mm instead of 220mm, a 52mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer clear downsides in this head-to-head, aside from the usual pricing and availability swings.

RADEON A9800XT

2015

Why buy it

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

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark G3D performance (23 vs 27).
❌2015 hardware with 512 MB 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 0.4 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $65 MSRP).
❌354.5% higher power demand at 250W vs 55W.
❌31% longer card at 220mm vs 168mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

RADEON 9600SE is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 17.4% in PassMark G3D (27 vs 23), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.

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

RADEON 9600SE is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 28nm, 40 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2015. That gives it the more rounded hardware package for newer games.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

RADEON 9600SE makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

RADEON 9600SE vs RADEON A9800XT Technical Specifications

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

RADEON 9600SE

The RADEON 9600SE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 6 2025. It features the RDNA 3.5 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1295 MHz to 2900 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 55W. Manufactured using 4 nm process technology. It features 40 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 27 points.

RADEON A9800XT

The RADEON A9800XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 19 2015. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 970 MHz. It has 2048 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 250W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 23 points. Launch price was $229.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the RADEON 9600SE scores 27 versus the RADEON A9800XT's 23 — the RADEON 9600SE leads by 17.4%. The RADEON 9600SE is built on RDNA 3.5 while the RADEON A9800XT uses GCN 3.0, both on 4 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (RADEON 9600SE) vs 2,048 (RADEON A9800XT). Raw compute: 14.85 TFLOPS (RADEON 9600SE) vs 3.973 TFLOPS (RADEON A9800XT). Boost clocks: 2900 MHz vs 970 MHz.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
G3D Mark Score	27+17%	23
Architecture	RDNA 3.5	GCN 3.0
Process Node	4 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560+25%	2048
Compute (TFLOPS)	14.85 TFLOPS+274%	3.973 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	2900 MHz+199%	970 MHz
ROPs	64+100%	32
TMUs	160+25%	128
L2 Cache	8 MB+1500%	0.5 MB

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the RADEON 9600SE and 64-bit on the RADEON A9800XT. L2 Cache: 8 MB (RADEON 9600SE) vs 0.5 MB (RADEON A9800XT) — the RADEON 9600SE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Bus Width	64-bit	64-bit
L2 Cache	8 MB+1500%	0.5 MB

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 9.0 (RADEON 9600SE) vs 9_0 (RADEON A9800XT). Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 2.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
DirectX	9.0	9_0
Max Displays	2	2

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Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9600SE draws 55W versus the RADEON A9800XT's 250W — a 127.9% difference. The RADEON 9600SE is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9600SE) vs 350W (RADEON A9800XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy. Card length: 168mm vs 220mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots.

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
TDP	55W-78%	250W
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	Legacy	Legacy
Length	168mm	220mm
Height	111mm	—
Slots	1	1
Temp (Load)	60	—
Perf/Watt	0.5+400%	0.1

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Value Analysis

At launch, the RADEON 9600SE came in at $65, while the RADEON A9800XT launched at $0. On MSRP, RADEON A9800XT was 100+% cheaper ($65 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.4 (RADEON 9600SE) vs Infinity (RADEON A9800XT) — the RADEON A9800XT offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is RADEON 9600SE (2025 vs 2015).

Feature	RADEON 9600SE	RADEON A9800XT
MSRP	$65	$0-100%
Performance per Dollar	0.4	Infinity
Codename	Strix Halo	Antigua
Release	January 6 2025	November 19 2015
Ranking	#98	#394

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