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 RX 480 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 RX 480 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 RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅60.5% 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).
❌2016 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
27.9% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌36.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 110W.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $229 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 150W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 480 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 RX 480 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 60.5% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. PassMark G3D leans toward Radeon RX 5500 instead at 8,837 vs 8,546, 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 RX 480 has no comparable frame-generation support, a 7nm process instead of 14nm, and a newer 2019 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 5500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $50 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $229, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 32.3% (49.4 vs 37.3), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 480 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon RX 480 vs Radeon RX 5500 Technical Specifications

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

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

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 RX 480 scores 8,546 and the Radeon RX 5500 reaches 8,837 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 480 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Radeon RX 480) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1266 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score	8,546	8,837+3%
Architecture	GCN 4.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2304+64%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.834 TFLOPS+12%	5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1266 MHz	1845 MHz+46%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	144+64%	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 RX 480 does not have comparable native support in the same tier.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon 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 RX 480 has 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 carries 4 GB. Radeon RX 480 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Memory bus width is 256-bit on the Radeon RX 480 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s+14%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 480) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
DirectX	12.0	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 480 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 30.8% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 480) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
TDP	150W	110W-27%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	240mm	180mm
Height	95mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	57.0	80.3+41%

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 480 came in at $229, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 21.8% cheaper ($50 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 32.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX 5500 (2019 vs 2016).

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
MSRP	$229	$179-22%
Performance per Dollar	37.3	49.4+32%
Codename	Ellesmere	Navi 14
Release	June 29 2016	October 7 2019
Ranking	#305	#297

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