Radeon R9 M385 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U

AMD

Radeon R9 M385

2015Core: 900 MHzBoost: 1100 MHz
VS
AMD

Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U

2019Boost: 1845 MHz

Radeon R9 M385 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U 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 M385 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U 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 M385 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U: 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 M385

2015

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 2 GB).
  • Draws 75W instead of 110W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Lower average FPS than Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • 2015 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U

2019

Why buy it

  • 42.6% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
  • Radeon R9 M385 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U is the less risky modern option long term.
  • More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 2 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • Older hardware, 2 GB of VRAM, and weaker feature support mean it will age faster in newer AAA releases.
  • 46.7% higher power demand at 110W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 42.6% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon R9 M385 instead at 2,061 vs 2,024, 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 Ryzen 5 5500U is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: a 7nm process instead of 28nm and a newer 2019 generation instead of 2015. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
Radeon R9 M385 makes the most sense to buy today. It is priced the same on MSRP at $300 vs $300, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 1.8% (6.9 vs 6.7), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, Radeon R9 M385 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U has the stronger long-term case.

Radeon R9 M385 vs Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Radeon R9 M385

The Radeon R9 M385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 5 2015. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1100 MHz. It has 896 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,061 points.

AMD

Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U

The Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U 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: 2,024 points.

Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M385 scores 2,061 and the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U reaches 2,024 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.8% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M385 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U uses RDNA 1.0, both on 28 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 896 (Radeon R9 M385) vs 1,408 (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U). Raw compute: 1.792 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M385) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U). Boost clocks: 1100 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

FeatureRadeon R9 M385Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U
G3D Mark Score
2,061+2%
2,024
Architecture
GCN 2.0
RDNA 1.0
Process Node
28 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
896
1408+57%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.792 TFLOPS
5.196 TFLOPS+190%
Boost Clock
1100 MHz
1845 MHz+68%
ROPs
16
32+100%
TMUs
56
88+57%
Frame Generation
FSR upscaling
FSR upscaling + RSR

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRadeon R9 M385Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U
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
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 M385 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U carries 2 GB. Radeon R9 M385 gives you 100% 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 R9 M385 and System on the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U.

FeatureRadeon R9 M385Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U
VRAM Capacity
4 GB+100%
2 GB
Memory Type
GDDR5
Shared
Memory Bandwidth
96 GB/s
System
Bus Width
128-bit
System
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M385 draws 75W versus the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U's 110W — a 37.8% difference. The Radeon R9 M385 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M385) vs 350W (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U). Power connectors: Mobile vs None.

FeatureRadeon R9 M385Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U
TDP
75W-32%
110W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Mobile
None
Perf/Watt
27.5+49%
18.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M385 came in at $300, while the Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U launched at $300. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.9 (Radeon R9 M385) vs 6.7 (Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U) — the Radeon R9 M385 offers 3% better value. The newer card here is Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U (2019 vs 2015).

FeatureRadeon R9 M385Radeon Ryzen 5 5500U
MSRP
$300
$300
Performance per Dollar
6.9+3%
6.7
Codename
Strato
Navi 14
Release
May 5 2015
October 7 2019
Ranking
#674
#297

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