Radeon HD 5550 vs Radeon HD 6490M

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 5550 vs Radeon HD 6490M 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 5550 vs Radeon HD 6490M: 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 5550

2009

Why buy it

✅6.3% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.1 vs 0 G3D/$ ($75 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).

Trade-offs

❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌101.3% higher power demand at 151W vs 75W.

Radeon HD 6490M

2011

Why buy it

✅Draws 75W instead of 151W, a 76W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 5550 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2011 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 5.1 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $75 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 5550 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 6.3% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 1.6% in PassMark G3D (384 vs 378), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon HD 5550 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 2 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 HD 5550 makes the most sense today based on the pricing and value data we have for this matchup.

Radeon HD 5550 vs Radeon HD 6490M Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6490M
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 5550 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6490M carries 512 MB. Radeon HD 5550 gives you 300% 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 5550 and System on the Radeon HD 6490M.

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

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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 newer card here is Radeon HD 6490M (2011 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6490M
MSRP	$75	—
Codename	Cypress	Blackcomb
Release	September 30 2009	January 4 2011
Ranking	#682	#654

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