Radeon HD 6550A vs Mobility Radeon HD 4870
Radeon HD 6550A
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Mobility Radeon HD 4870
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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 6550A is positioned at rank 221 and the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is on rank 621, so the Radeon HD 6550A 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 6550A
Performance Per Dollar Mobility Radeon HD 4870
Performance Comparison
About G3D Mark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 1.7% higher G3D Mark score and 100% more VRAM (1 GB vs 512 MB). This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon HD 6550A.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ❌Lower raw frame rates (-1.7%) | ✅Leading raw performance (+1.7%) |
| Longevity | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2011 / TeraScale 2 (2009−2015)) | 🛑Obsolete Architecture (2009 / TeraScale (2005−2013)) |
| Ecosystem | Supports FSR Upscaling | Supports FSR Upscaling |
| VRAM | ❌ Less VRAM capacity | ✅ More VRAM (+100%) |
| Efficiency | ⚡ Higher Power Consumption | 💡 Excellent Perf/Watt |
| Case Fit | — | — |
💎 Value Proposition
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. While both GPUs are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 holds the technical lead. Priced at $20 (vs $30), it costs 33% less, resulting in a 52.5% higher cost efficiency score.
| Insight | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌Lower cost efficiency | ✅Better overall value (+52.5%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️Higher upfront cost ($30) | ✅More affordable ($20) |
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 6550A and Mobility Radeon HD 4870
Radeon HD 6550A
The Radeon HD 6550A is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 19 2011. It features the TeraScale 2 architecture. The core clock speed is 600 MHz. It has 480 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 45W. Manufactured using 40 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 708 points.
Mobility Radeon HD 4870
The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 9 2009. It features the TeraScale architecture. The core clock speed is 550 MHz. It has 800 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 30W. Manufactured using 55 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 720 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon HD 6550A scores 708 and the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 reaches 720 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 6550A is built on TeraScale 2 while the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 uses TeraScale, both on 40 nm vs 55 nm. Shader units: 480 (Radeon HD 6550A) vs 800 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870). Raw compute: 0.576 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 6550A) vs 0.88 TFLOPS (Mobility Radeon HD 4870).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 708 | 720+2% |
| Architecture | TeraScale 2 | TeraScale |
| Process Node | 40 nm | 55 nm |
| Shading Units | 480 | 800+67% |
| Compute (TFLOPS) | 0.576 TFLOPS | 0.88 TFLOPS+53% |
| ROPs | 8 | 16+100% |
| TMUs | 24 | 40+67% |
| L1 Cache | 48 KB | 160 KB+233% |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)
| Feature | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 6550A comes with 512 MB of VRAM, while the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 has 1 GB. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Bus width: 128-bit vs 64-bit.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 0.5 GB | 1 GB+100% |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bus Width | 128-bit+100% | 64-bit |
| L2 Cache | 256 KB | 256 KB |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon HD 6550A draws 45W versus the Mobility Radeon HD 4870's 30W — a 40% difference. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 6550A) vs 350W (Mobility Radeon HD 4870). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs PCIe-powered.
| Feature | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 45W | 30W-33% |
| Recommended PSU | 350W | 350W |
| Power Connector | 1x 6-pin | PCIe-powered |
| Slots | — | 0 |
| Perf/Watt | 15.7 | 24.0+53% |
Value Analysis
The Radeon HD 6550A launched at $30 MSRP and currently averages $30, while the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 launched at $299 and now averages $20. The Mobility Radeon HD 4870 costs 33.3% less ($10 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 23.6 (Radeon HD 6550A) vs 36.0 (Mobility Radeon HD 4870) — the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 offers 52.5% better value. The Radeon HD 6550A is the newer GPU (2011 vs 2009).
| Feature | Radeon HD 6550A | Mobility Radeon HD 4870 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $30-90% | $299 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $30 | $20-33% |
| Performance per Dollar | 23.6 | 36.0+53% |
| Codename | Onega | M98 |
| Release | April 19 2011 | January 9 2009 |
| Ranking | #926 | #927 |
Top Performing GPUs
The most powerful gpus ranked by G3D Mark benchmark scores.
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