RADEON 9800 vs RADEON 9800 XT

AMD

RADEON 9800

2025Core: 1295 MHzBoost: 2900 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

RADEON 9800 XT

2022Core: 1387 MHzBoost: 2394 MHz
Similar parts
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RADEON 9800 vs RADEON 9800 XT 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.

RADEON 9800 vs RADEON 9800 XT 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 9800 vs RADEON 9800 XT: 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 9800

2025

Why buy it

  • Costs $100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 27.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $499 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 300W, a 245W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 128 MB vs 256 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

RADEON 9800 XT

2022

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (256 MB vs 128 MB).

Trade-offs

  • RADEON 9800 is the safer long-term pick here because the hardware is newer and the feature stack is stronger.
  • 25.1% HIGHER MSRP
    $499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.1 vs 0.1 G3D/$ ($499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
  • 445.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RADEON 9800 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 1.8% in PassMark G3D (58 vs 57), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RADEON 9800 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 4nm process instead of 5nm and a newer 2025 generation instead of 2022. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
RADEON 9800 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 27.3% (0.1 vs 0.1), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

RADEON 9800 vs RADEON 9800 XT Technical Specifications

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

AMD

RADEON 9800

The RADEON 9800 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: 58 points.

AMD

RADEON 9800 XT

The RADEON 9800 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 3 2022. It features the RDNA 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1387 MHz to 2394 MHz. It has 5376 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 5 nm process technology. It features 84 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 57 points. Launch price was $899.

Graphics Performance

The RADEON 9800 scores 58 and the RADEON 9800 XT reaches 57 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RADEON 9800 is built on RDNA 3.5 while the RADEON 9800 XT uses RDNA 3.0, both on 4 nm vs 5 nm. Shader units: 2,560 (RADEON 9800) vs 5,376 (RADEON 9800 XT). Raw compute: 14.85 TFLOPS (RADEON 9800) vs 51.48 TFLOPS (RADEON 9800 XT). Boost clocks: 2900 MHz vs 2394 MHz. Ray tracing: 40 RT cores (RADEON 9800) vs 84 (RADEON 9800 XT).

FeatureRADEON 9800RADEON 9800 XT
G3D Mark Score
58+2%
57
Architecture
RDNA 3.5
RDNA 3.0
Process Node
4 nm
5 nm
Shading Units
2560
5376+110%
Compute (TFLOPS)
14.85 TFLOPS
51.48 TFLOPS+247%
Boost Clock
2900 MHz+21%
2394 MHz
ROPs
64
192+200%
TMUs
160
336+110%
L2 Cache
8 MB+33%
6 MB
Ray Tracing Cores
40
84+110%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRADEON 9800RADEON 9800 XT
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 9800 has 128 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON 9800 XT carries 256 MB. RADEON 9800 XT 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 9800 and 64-bit on the RADEON 9800 XT. L2 Cache: 8 MB (RADEON 9800) vs 6 MB (RADEON 9800 XT) — the RADEON 9800 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRADEON 9800RADEON 9800 XT
VRAM Capacity
0.125 GB
0.25 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
8 MB+33%
6 MB
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON 9800 draws 55W versus the RADEON 9800 XT's 300W — a 138% difference. The RADEON 9800 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON 9800) vs 350W (RADEON 9800 XT). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

FeatureRADEON 9800RADEON 9800 XT
TDP
55W-82%
300W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Length
180mm
Slots
1
Perf/Watt
1.1+450%
0.2
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the RADEON 9800 came in at $399, while the RADEON 9800 XT launched at $499. On MSRP, RADEON 9800 was 20% cheaper ($100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.1 (RADEON 9800) vs 0.1 (RADEON 9800 XT) — the RADEON 9800 XT offers 0% better value. The newer card here is RADEON 9800 (2025 vs 2022).

FeatureRADEON 9800RADEON 9800 XT
MSRP
$399-20%
$499
Performance per Dollar
0.1
0.1
Codename
Strix Halo
Navi 31
Release
January 6 2025
November 3 2022
Ranking
#98
#21

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