Radeon RX 480 vs Radeon RX 5500

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. 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

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 RX 5500 uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon RX 5500 likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The Radeon RX 480 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The Radeon RX 5500 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3.4% higher G3D Mark score. However, the Radeon RX 480 offers more VRAM, which may be beneficial for texture-heavy scenarios at higher resolutions.

Insight	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3.4%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3.4%)
Longevity	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2016 / GCN 4.0 (2016−2020))	RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm)
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	✅ More VRAM (+100%)	🎮 High Capacity (4 GB)
Efficiency	⚡ Higher Power Consumption	💡 Excellent Perf/Watt
Case Fit	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The Radeon RX 480 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $55 versus $110 for the Radeon RX 5500, it costs 50% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 93.4% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Cost Efficiency	✅Better overall value (+93.4%)	❌Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅More affordable ($55)	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($110)

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 RX 480 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5500 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 480 and Radeon RX 5500

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.

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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

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Upscaling Tech	FSR 1.0 (Software)	FSR 2.1
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 480 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

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

The Radeon RX 480 launched at $229 MSRP and currently averages $55, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179 and now averages $110. The Radeon RX 480 costs 50% less ($55 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 155.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs 80.3 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 480 offers 93.5% better value. The Radeon RX 5500 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).