Radeon R9 295X2 vs Radeon RX 5500

AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

2014Boost: 1018 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon RX 5500

2019Boost: 1845 MHz
RX family
·······

Radeon R9 295X2 vs Radeon RX 5500 Performance Spectrum

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.

Radeon R9 295X2 vs Radeon RX 5500 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 R9 295X2 vs Radeon RX 5500: 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 R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

  • 68.1% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

  • No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • 2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
  • 737.4% HIGHER MSRP
    $1,499 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
  • 354.5% higher power demand at 500W vs 110W.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

  • Costs $1,320 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Delivers 747.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
  • Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • Draws 110W instead of 500W, a 390W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 295X2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon R9 295X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 68.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 5500 instead at 8,837 vs 8,734, 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 RX 5500 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: native frame generation with FSR Frame Generation (2023), while Radeon R9 295X2 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2014. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon RX 5500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,320 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 747.3% (49.4 vs 5.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 295X2 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 295X2 vs Radeon RX 5500 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

AMD

Radeon RX 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 295X2 scores 8,734 and the Radeon RX 5500 reaches 8,837 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.2% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 295X2 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1018 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score
8,734
8,837+1%
Architecture
GCN 2.0
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
2816 ×2+100%
1408
Compute (TFLOPS)
5.733 TFLOPS ×2+10%
5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock
1018 MHz
1845 MHz+81%
ROPs
64 ×2+100%
32
TMUs
176 ×2+100%
88
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 295X2 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 295X2 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 carries 4 GB. Radeon R9 295X2 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 1329.5% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Memory bus width is 512-bit x2 on the Radeon R9 295X2 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity
8 GB+100%
4 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth
320 GB/s x2+43%
224 GB/s
Bus Width
512-bit x2+300%
128-bit
🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.1 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.3 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 4.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
DirectX
12.0
12.1
Vulkan
1.1
1.2+9%
OpenGL
4.3
4.6+7%
Max Displays
6+50%
4
🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
Encoder
VCE 2.0
VCN 2.0
Decoder
UVD 4.2
VCN 2.0
Codecs
MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1
MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 295X2 draws 500W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 127.9% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 2x 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 307mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 65°C vs 75°C.

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
TDP
500W
110W-78%
Recommended PSU
1000W
450W-55%
Power Connector
2x 8-pin
8-pin
Length
307mm
180mm
Height
114mm
110mm
Slots
2
2
Temp (Load)
65°C-13%
75°C
Perf/Watt
17.5
80.3+359%
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 295X2 came in at $1499, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 88.1% cheaper ($1320 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 751.7% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500 (2019 vs 2014).

FeatureRadeon R9 295X2Radeon RX 5500
MSRP
$1499
$179-88%
Performance per Dollar
5.8
49.4+752%
Codename
Vesuvius
Navi 14
Release
April 29 2014
October 7 2019
Ranking
#303
#297

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