Radeon Pro 5500 XT vs Radeon R9 290 / 390

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. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is positioned at rank #29 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Great cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Radeon Pro 5500 XT

#9

Intel Arc Pro B50

MSRP: $349|Avg: $349

88%

#11

Quadro RTX 4000 (móvel)

MSRP: $900|Avg: $300

84%

#14

Tesla K20m

MSRP: $3199|Avg: $55

372%

#16

Radeon PRO W7500

MSRP: $429|Avg: $401

78%

#18

Radeon Pro V520 MxGPU

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $340

77%

#19

RTX A2000 12GB

MSRP: $449|Avg: $380

77%

#20

Radeon Pro Vega 56

MSRP: $399|Avg: $60

76%

#21

RTX A2000

MSRP: $450|Avg: $320

75%

#29

Radeon Pro 5500 XT

MSRP: $199|Avg: $100

100%

#33

Radeon PRO W6400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $200

93%

#36

T600

MSRP: $200|Avg: $180

81%

#43

P106-100

MSRP: $224|Avg: $30

74%

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance benchmarks.

Performance Comparison

About G3D Mark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

⚠️ Generational Difference

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon Pro 5500 XT.

Insight	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3%)
Longevity	RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / GCN 2.0 (2013−2017))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt	⚡ Higher Power Consumption
Case Fit	—	Standard Size (275mm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $65 versus $100 for the Radeon Pro 5500 XT, it costs 35% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 58.5% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+58.5%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100)	✅More affordable ($65)

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.

Radeon Pro 5500 XT Benchmark Check

Radeon R9 290 / 390 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon Pro 5500 XT and Radeon R9 290 / 390

Radeon Pro 5500 XT

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in August 4 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1187 MHz to 1757 MHz. It has 1536 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 125W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,910 points.

Radeon R9 290 / 390

The Radeon R9 290 / 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 18 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1000 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 300W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,150 points. Launch price was $329.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 7,910 and the Radeon R9 290 / 390 reaches 8,150 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is built on RDNA 1.0 while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 uses GCN 2.0, both on 7 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,536 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 2,560 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Raw compute: 5.398 TFLOPS (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 5.12 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Boost clocks: 1757 MHz vs 1000 MHz.

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
G3D Mark Score	7,910	8,150+3%
Architecture	RDNA 1.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	7 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1536	2560+67%
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.398 TFLOPS+5%	5.12 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1757 MHz+76%	1000 MHz
ROPs	32	64+100%
TMUs	96	160+67%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
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)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Bus width: 128-bit vs 512-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 1 MB (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon Pro 5500 XT has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Bus Width	128-bit	512-bit+300%
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 0 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
DirectX	12.1	12.0
Vulkan	1.4+17%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	0	6

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 2.0 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Decoder: VCN 2.0 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: H.264,H.265 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290 / 390).

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
Encoder	VCN 2.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	VCN 2.0	UVD 4.2
Codecs	H.264,H.265	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT draws 125W versus the Radeon R9 290 / 390's 300W — a 82.4% difference. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 750W (Radeon R9 290 / 390). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin + 8-pin.

Feature	Radeon Pro 5500 XT	Radeon R9 290 / 390
TDP	125W-58%	300W
Recommended PSU	350W-53%	750W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin + 8-pin
Length	—	275mm
Height	—	109mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	—	95°C
Perf/Watt	63.3+133%	27.2

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon Pro 5500 XT launched at $199 MSRP and currently averages $100, while the Radeon R9 290 / 390 launched at $329 and now averages $65. The Radeon R9 290 / 390 costs 35% less ($35 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 79.1 (Radeon Pro 5500 XT) vs 125.4 (Radeon R9 290 / 390) — the Radeon R9 290 / 390 offers 58.5% better value. The Radeon Pro 5500 XT is the newer GPU (2020 vs 2015).