Radeon HD 5550 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 5550 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 5550 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 5550

2009

Why buy it

✅300% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (2 GB vs 512 MB).
✅Draws 151W instead of 200W, a 49W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 6550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2009 hardware with 2 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
7.1% HIGHER MSRP
$75 MSRPvs$70 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.1 vs 5.7 G3D/$ ($75 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 $5 less on MSRP ($70 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).
✅Delivers 11.6% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 5.7 vs 5.1 G3D/$ ($70 MSRP vs $75 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 512 MB vs 2 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.
❌32.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 151W.

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 and by 4.2% in PassMark G3D (400 vs 384), 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 6550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $5 cheaper on MSRP at $70 vs $75, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 11.6% (5.7 vs 5.1), 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 5550 has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon HD 5550 vs Radeon HD 6550D 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 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.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 5550 scores 384 and the Radeon HD 6550D reaches 400 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 5550 is built on TeraScale 2 while the Radeon HD 6550D uses TeraScale 3, both on a 40 nm process. Shader units: 1,440 (Radeon HD 5550) vs 1,408 (Radeon HD 6550D). Raw compute: 2.088 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 5550) vs 2.253 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6550D).

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6550D
G3D Mark Score	384	400+4%
Architecture	TeraScale 2	TeraScale 3
Process Node	40 nm	40 nm
Shading Units	1440+2%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	2.088 TFLOPS	2.253 TFLOPS+8%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	72	88+22%
L1 Cache	144 KB	352 KB+144%
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 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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon HD 5550 has 2 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon HD 6550D 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 128-bit on the Radeon HD 6550D.

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6550D
VRAM Capacity	2 GB+300%	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 5550 draws 151W versus the Radeon HD 6550D's 200W — a 27.9% difference. The Radeon HD 5550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 200W (Radeon HD 5550) vs 350W (Radeon HD 6550D). Power connectors: None vs 1x 6-pin.

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6550D
TDP	151W-25%	200W
Recommended PSU	200W-43%	350W
Power Connector	None	1x 6-pin
Length	168mm	—
Height	69mm	—
Slots	1	—
Temp (Load)	70	—
Perf/Watt	2.5+25%	2.0

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 5550 came in at $75, while the Radeon HD 6550D launched at $70. On MSRP, Radeon HD 6550D was 6.7% cheaper ($5 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.1 (Radeon HD 5550) vs 5.7 (Radeon HD 6550D) — the Radeon HD 6550D offers 11.8% better value. The newer card here is Radeon HD 6550D (2010 vs 2009).

Feature	Radeon HD 5550	Radeon HD 6550D
MSRP	$75	$70-7%
Performance per Dollar	5.1	5.7+12%
Codename	Cypress	Cayman
Release	September 30 2009	December 14 2010
Ranking	#682	#623

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