Radeon R9 M470 vs Radeon RX 550X

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 M470 vs Radeon RX 550X 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 M470 vs Radeon RX 550X: 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 M470

2016

Why buy it

✅Competitive enough if your priority is price, power, or specific feature preference.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 550X across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌2016 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
❌
221.1% HIGHER MSRP
$350 MSRPvs$109 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 6.7 vs 21.8 G3D/$ ($350 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).

Radeon RX 550X

2018

Why buy it

✅10.9% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $241 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 228% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.8 vs 6.7 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅Radeon R9 M470 is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 550X is the less risky modern option long term.

Trade-offs

❌2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 550X is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 10.9% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.1% in PassMark G3D (2,381 vs 2,331), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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

Radeon RX 550X 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 M470 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 14nm process instead of 28nm, and a newer 2018 generation instead of 2016. That makes it the less risky pick as game demands keep moving.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 550X makes the most sense to buy today. It is $241 cheaper on MSRP at $109 vs $350, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 228% (21.8 vs 6.7), so the value case lines up with the gaming result.

Radeon R9 M470 vs Radeon RX 550X Technical Specifications

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

Radeon R9 M470

The Radeon R9 M470 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 15 2016. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 900 MHz to 1000 MHz. It has 768 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,331 points.

Radeon RX 550X

The Radeon RX 550X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 16 2018. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1100 MHz to 1183 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 50W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,381 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon R9 M470 scores 2,331 and the Radeon RX 550X reaches 2,381 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon R9 M470 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon RX 550X uses GCN 4.0, both on 28 nm vs 14 nm. Shader units: 768 (Radeon R9 M470) vs 512 (Radeon RX 550X). Raw compute: 1.536 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 M470) vs 1.211 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 550X). Boost clocks: 1000 MHz vs 1183 MHz.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon RX 550X
G3D Mark Score	2,331	2,381+2%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 4.0
Process Node	28 nm	14 nm
Shading Units	768+50%	512
Compute (TFLOPS)	1.536 TFLOPS+27%	1.211 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1000 MHz	1183 MHz+18%
ROPs	16	16
TMUs	48+50%	32
L1 Cache	192 KB+50%	128 KB
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

The clearest feature edge for the Radeon RX 550X is support for FSR Frame Generation. In games that support it, that can smooth out motion and lift perceived FPS. The Radeon R9 M470 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon RX 550X
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

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Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards ship with 4 GB of GDDR5. Memory bus width is 128-bit on the Radeon R9 M470 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 550X. L2 Cache: 256 KB (Radeon R9 M470) vs 512 KB (Radeon RX 550X) — the Radeon RX 550X has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon RX 550X
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	Unknown	Unknown
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	256 KB	512 KB+100%

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 M470 draws 75W versus the Radeon RX 550X's 50W — a 40% difference. The Radeon RX 550X is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon R9 M470) vs 300W (Radeon RX 550X). Power connectors: Mobile vs None.

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon RX 550X
TDP	75W	50W-33%
Recommended PSU	350W	300W-14%
Power Connector	Mobile	None
Length	—	145mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	—	2
Temp (Load)	—	85°C
Perf/Watt	31.1	47.6+53%

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 M470 came in at $350, while the Radeon RX 550X launched at $109. On MSRP, Radeon RX 550X was 68.9% cheaper ($241 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 6.7 (Radeon R9 M470) vs 21.8 (Radeon RX 550X) — the Radeon RX 550X offers 225.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 550X (2018 vs 2016).

Feature	Radeon R9 M470	Radeon RX 550X
MSRP	$350	$109-69%
Performance per Dollar	6.7	21.8+225%
Codename	Emerald	Lexa
Release	May 15 2016	December 16 2018
Ranking	#649	#642

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