Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R5 420

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 8550D vs Radeon R5 420 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 8550D vs Radeon R5 420: 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 8550D

2012

Why buy it

✅29.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $30 less on MSRP ($50 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).
✅Delivers 57.8% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 11.3 vs 7.2 G3D/$ ($50 MSRP vs $80 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌2012 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌160% higher power demand at 130W vs 50W.

Radeon R5 420

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 50W instead of 130W, a 80W reduction.
✅More future proof: GCN 4.0 (2016−2020) on 14nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon HD 8550D across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌2017 hardware with 512 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
60% HIGHER MSRP
$80 MSRPvs$50 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 7.2 vs 11.3 G3D/$ ($80 MSRP vs $50 MSRP).

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon HD 8550D is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 29.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R5 420 instead at 575 vs 567, so for this question the real-game FPS result matters more than the synthetic split.

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

Radeon HD 8550D is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon HD 8550D makes the most sense to buy today. It is $30 cheaper on MSRP at $50 vs $80, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 57.8% (11.3 vs 7.2), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon HD 8550D vs Radeon R5 420 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon HD 8550D

The Radeon HD 8550D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in March 5 2012. It features the GCN 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 567 points. Launch price was $249.

Radeon R5 420

The Radeon R5 420 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1183 MHz to 1124 MHz. It has 384 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 575 points. Launch price was $79.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon HD 8550D scores 567 and the Radeon R5 420 reaches 575 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon HD 8550D is built on GCN 1.0 while the Radeon R5 420 uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 1,024 (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 384 (Radeon R5 420). Raw compute: 1.761 TFLOPS (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 0.9085 TFLOPS (Radeon R5 420). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1124 MHz.

Feature	Radeon HD 8550D	Radeon R5 420
G3D Mark Score	567	575+1%
Architecture	GCN 1.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	1024+167%	384
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.761 TFLOPS+94%	0.9085 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1124 MHz+12%
ROPs	32+100%	16
TMUs	64+167%	24
L1 Cache	256 KB+167%	96 KB
L2 Cache	512 KB	512 KB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon HD 8550D	Radeon R5 420
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)

Both cards ship with 512 MB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon HD 8550D and 128-bit on the Radeon R5 420.

Feature	Radeon HD 8550D	Radeon R5 420
VRAM Capacity	0.5 GB	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 8550D draws 130W versus the Radeon R5 420's 50W — a 88.9% difference. The Radeon R5 420 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 350W (Radeon R5 420). Power connectors: 1x 6-pin vs None.

Feature	Radeon HD 8550D	Radeon R5 420
TDP	130W	50W-62%
Recommended PSU	350W	350W
Power Connector	1x 6-pin	None
Perf/Watt	4.4	11.5+161%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon HD 8550D came in at $50, while the Radeon R5 420 launched at $80. On MSRP, Radeon HD 8550D was 37.5% cheaper ($30 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 11.3 (Radeon HD 8550D) vs 7.2 (Radeon R5 420) — the Radeon HD 8550D offers 56.9% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R5 420 (2017 vs 2012).

Feature	Radeon HD 8550D	Radeon R5 420
MSRP	$50-38%	$80
Performance per Dollar	11.3+57%	7.2
Codename	Pitcairn	Lexa
Release	March 5 2012	April 20 2017
Ranking	#503	#773

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