Radeon HD 4550 vs Radeon R5 230

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 4550 vs Radeon R5 230 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 4550 vs Radeon R5 230: 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 4550

2009

Why buy it

✅23.5% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (1 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 1 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
18% HIGHER MSRP
$59 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 4.0 vs 4.4 G3D/$ ($59 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).
❌202% higher power demand at 151W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 230

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $9 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Delivers 11% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 4.4 vs 4.0 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $59 MSRP).
✅Draws 50W instead of 151W, a 101W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 4550 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 1 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2017 hardware with 512 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 HD 4550 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 23.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.3% in PassMark G3D (236 vs 222), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 4550 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 1 GB vs 512 MB of VRAM. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R5 230 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $9 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $59, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 11% (4.4 vs 4.0), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R5 230 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon HD 4550 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 4550 vs Radeon R5 230 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 4550

The Radeon HD 4550 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: 236 points. Launch price was $299.

Radeon R5 230

The Radeon R5 230 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 18 2017. It features the GCN 3.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 730 MHz to 1024 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 222 points.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon HD 4550 scores 236 versus the Radeon R5 230's 222 — the Radeon HD 4550 leads by 6.3%. The Radeon HD 4550 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon R5 230 uses GCN 3.0, both on 40 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 4550) vs 384 (Radeon R5 230). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 4550) vs 0.7864 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 230).

Feature	Radeon HD 4550	Radeon R5 230
G3D Mark Score	236+6%	222
Architecture	TeraScale 2	GCN 3.0
Process Node	40 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1440+275%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS+166%	0.7864 TFLOPS
ROPs	32+300%	8
TMUs	72+200%	24
L1 Cache	144 KB+50%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB+300%	128 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 4550	Radeon R5 230
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)

The Radeon HD 4550 has 1 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R5 230 carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 4550 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 4550 and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 230. L2 Cache: 512 KB (Radeon HD 4550) vs 128 KB (Radeon R5 230) — the Radeon HD 4550 has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon HD 4550	Radeon R5 230
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+300%	128 KB

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon HD 4550 draws 151W versus the Radeon R5 230's 50W — a 100.5% difference. The Radeon R5 230 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 4550) vs 350W (Radeon R5 230). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.

Feature	Radeon HD 4550	Radeon R5 230
TDP	151W	50W-67%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	PCIe-powered
Length	—	168mm
Slots	—	1
Perf/Watt	1.6	4.4+175%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 4550 came in at $59, while the Radeon R5 230 launched at $50. On MSRP, Radeon R5 230 was 15.3% cheaper ($9 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 4.0 (Radeon HD 4550) vs 4.4 (Radeon R5 230) — the Radeon R5 230 offers 10% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 230 (2017 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 4550	Radeon R5 230
MSRP	$59	$50-15%
Performance per Dollar	4.0	4.4+10%
Codename	Cypress	Weston
Release	September 30 2009	April 18 2017
Ranking	#682	#873

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