CPU
GPU
Radeon HD 5550
Popular choices:
Radeon HD 6490M
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 5550 is positioned at rank 224 and the Radeon HD 6490M is on rank 255, 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 5550
Performance Per Dollar Radeon HD 6490M
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Radeon HD 5550 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.6% higher G3D Mark score and 300% more VRAM (2 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6490M.
| Insight | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.6%) | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.6%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ✅ More VRAM (+300%) | ❌ Less VRAM capacity |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | 📏 Compact / SFF Friendly | — |
💎 Value Proposition
While current pricing data is unavailable, the Radeon HD 5550 remains the clear technical winner. Check real-time availability to determine if the performance gap justifies the market price.
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 5550 and Radeon HD 6490M
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.
Radeon HD 6490M
The Radeon HD 6490M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 4 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 680 MHz. It has 960 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 378 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 5550 scores 384 and the Radeon HD 6490M reaches 378 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.6% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5550 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon HD 6490M uses TeraScale 2, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5550) vs 960 (Radeon HD 6490M). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5550) vs 1.306 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6490M).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 384+2% | 378 |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | TeraScale 2 |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 40 nm |
| Shading Units | 1440+50% | 960 |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 2.088 TFLOPS+60% | 1.306 TFLOPS |
| ROPs | 32 | 32 |
| TMUs | 72+50% | 48 |
| L1 Cache | 144 KB | 192 KB+33% |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| 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 5550 comes with 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6490M has 512 MB. The Radeon HD 5550 offers 300% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs System.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB+300% | 0.5 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | System |
| L2 Cache | 512 KB | 512 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 5550 draws 151W versus the Radeon HD 6490M's 75W — a 67.3% difference. The Radeon HD 6490M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 200W (Radeon HD 5550) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6490M). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin.
| Feature | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 151W | 75W-50% |
| Recommended PSU | 200W-43% | 350W |
| Power Connector | None | 1x 6-pin |
| Length | 168mm | — |
| Height | 69mm | — |
| Slots | 1 | — |
| Temp (Load) | 70 | — |
| Perf/Watt | 2.5 | 5.0+100% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 6490M is the newer GPU (2011 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 5550 | Radeon HD 6490M |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $75 | — |
| Avg Price (30d) | $75 | — |
| Codename | Cypress | Blackcomb |
| Release | September 30 2009 | January 4 2011 |
| Ranking | #682 | #654 |
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