Radeon HD 3850 vs Radeon HD 5550
Radeon HD 3850
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 5550
Popular choices:
Performance Spectrum - GPU
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (G3D Mark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Radeon HD 3850 is positioned at rank 308 and the Radeon HD 5550 is on rank 224, so the Radeon HD 5550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 3850
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 5550
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 3850 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 4.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon HD 5550 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+4.4%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-4.4%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2012 / GCN 1.0 (2012−2020)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly |
💎 Value Proposition
The Radeon HD 5550 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Radeon HD 5550 holds the technical lead. Priced at $75 (vs $179), it costs 58% less, resulting in a 128.5% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+128.5%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($179) | ✅More affordable ($75) |
Performance Check
Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 7800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.
Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD 5550
Radeon HD 3850
The Radeon HD 3850 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: 401 points. Launch price was $249.
Radeon HD 5550
The Radeon HD 5550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in September 30 2009. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 725 MHz. It has 1440 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 151W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 384 points. Launch price was $299.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 3850 scores 401 and the Radeon HD 5550 reaches 384 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 5550 uses TeraScale 2, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 1,440 (Radeon HD 5550). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850) vs 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5550).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 401+4% | 384 |
| Architecture | GCN 1.0 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 28 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 1024 | 1440+41% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 1.761 TFLOPS | 2.088 TFLOPS+19% |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 64 | 72+13% |
| L1 Cache | 256 KB+78% | 144 KB |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR 1.0 (Software) | FSR 1.0 (Software) |
| Frame Generation | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon HD 3850 comes with 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 5550 has 2 GB. The Radeon HD 5550 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 1 GB | 2 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | 128-bit |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 10.1 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 11.2 (11_0) (Radeon HD 5550). OpenGL: 3.3 vs 4.4. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 10.1 | 11.2 (11_0)+11% |
| OpenGL | 3.3 | 4.4+33% |
| Max Displays | 2 | 3+50% |
Media & Encoding
Decoder: UVD+ vs UVD 2.2. Supported codecs: H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 3850) vs H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 (Radeon HD 5550).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | — | None |
| Decoder | UVD+ | UVD 2.2 |
| Codecs | H.264,VC-1,DivX,MPEG-1,MPEG-2 | H.264,VC-1,MPEG-2 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 3850 draws 130W versus the Radeon HD 5550's 151W — a 14.9% difference. The Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850) vs 200W (Radeon HD 5550). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None. Card length: 208mm vs 168mm, occupying 1 vs 1 slots. Typical load temperature: 80°C vs 70.
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 130W-14% | 151W |
| Recommended PSU | 450W | 200W-56% |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | None |
| Length | 208mm | 168mm |
| Height | — | 69mm |
| Slots | 1 | 1 |
| Temp (Load) | 80°C | 70-13% |
| Perf/Watt | 3.1+24% | 2.5 |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 3850 launched at $179 MSRP and currently averages $179, while the Radeon HD 5550 launched at $75 and now averages $75. The Radeon HD 5550 costs 58.1% less ($104 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 5.1 (Radeon HD 5550) — the Radeon HD 5550 offers 131.8% better value. The Radeon HD 3850 is the newer GPU (2012 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 3850 | Radeon HD 5550 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $179 | $75-58% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $179 | $75-58% |
| Performance per Dollar | 2.2 | 5.1+132% |
| Codename | Pitcairn | Cypress |
| Release | March 5 2012 | September 30 2009 |
| Ranking | #503 | #682 |
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