Radeon HD 3850 vs Radeon HD 6550D

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 HD 3850 vs Radeon HD 6550D 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 HD 3850 vs Radeon HD 6550D: 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 HD 3850

2012

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 130W instead of 200W, a 70W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 1.0 (2012−2020) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2012 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
155.7% HIGHER MSRP
$179 MSRPvs$70 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 2.2 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $70 MSRP).

Radeon HD 6550D

2010

Why buy it

✅2.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $109 less on MSRP ($70 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
✅Delivers 155.1% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 2.2 G3D/$ ($70 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2010 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌53.8% higher power demand at 200W vs 130W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 6550D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 2.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon HD 3850 instead at 401 vs 400, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon HD 3850 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM, a 28nm process instead of 40nm, and a newer 2012 generation instead of 2010. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 6550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $109 cheaper on MSRP at $70 vs $179, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 155.1% (5.7 vs 2.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon HD 6550D is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 3850 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 3850 vs Radeon HD 6550D Technical Specifications

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

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 6550D

The Radeon HD 6550D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 14 2010. It features the TeraScale 3 architecture. The boost clock speed is 800 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 200W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 400 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 3850 scores 401 and the Radeon HD 6550D reaches 400 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 3850 is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon HD 6550D uses TeraScale 3, both on 28 nm vs 40 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6550D). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 3850) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6550D). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 800 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850	Radeon HD 6550D
G3D Mark Score	401	400
Architecture	GCN 1.0	TeraScale 3
Process Node	28 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1024	1408+38%
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.761 TFLOPS	2.253 TFLOPS+28%
Boost Clock	1000 MHz+25%	800 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	64	88+38%
L1 Cache	256 KB	352 KB+38%
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 3850	Radeon HD 6550D
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 HD 3850 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6550D carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 3850 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 3850 and 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6550D.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850	Radeon HD 6550D
VRAM Capacity	1 GB+100%	0.5 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 3850 draws 130W versus the Radeon HD 6550D's 200W — a 42.4% difference. The Radeon HD 3850 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon HD 3850) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6550D). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 3850	Radeon HD 6550D
TDP	130W-35%	200W
Recommended PSU	450W	350W-22%
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	208mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	80°C	—
Perf/Watt	3.1+55%	2.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 3850 came in at $179, while the Radeon HD 6550D launched at $70. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6550D was 60.9% cheaper ($109 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 2.2 (Radeon HD 3850) vs 5.7 (Radeon HD 6550D) — the Radeon HD 6550D offers 159.1% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 3850 (2012 vs 2010).

Feature	Radeon HD 3850	Radeon HD 6550D
MSRP	$179	$70-61%
Performance per Dollar	2.2	5.7+159%
Codename	Pitcairn	Cayman
Release	March 5 2012	December 14 2010
Ranking	#503	#623

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