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 5500 vs Radeon RX 5500 XT 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 5500 vs Radeon RX 5500 XT: 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 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Draws 110W instead of 130W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5500 XT across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon RX 5500 XT

2019

Why buy it

✅43.1% 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).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌
11.2% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌18.2% higher power demand at 130W vs 110W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon RX 5500 XT is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 43.1% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 2.7% in PassMark G3D (9,080 vs 8,837), so the answer here is pretty clean.

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 because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon RX 5500 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $20 cheaper on MSRP at $179 vs $199, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 8.2% (49.4 vs 45.6), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon RX 5500 XT still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon RX 5500 vs Radeon RX 5500 XT Technical Specifications

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

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.

Radeon RX 5500 XT

The Radeon RX 5500 XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 12 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1607 MHz to 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 130W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 9,080 points. Launch price was $169.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 5500 scores 8,837 and the Radeon RX 5500 XT reaches 9,080 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 2.7% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 5500 is built on RDNA 1.0 while the Radeon RX 5500 XT uses RDNA 1.0, both on a 7 nm process. Shader units: 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Raw compute: 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Boost clocks: 1845 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
G3D Mark Score	8,837	9,080+3%
Architecture	RDNA 1.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	7 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	1408	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.196 TFLOPS	5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1845 MHz	1845 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	88	88
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation in supported games, so this part of the feature set is broadly comparable.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 5500 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT carries 8 GB. Radeon RX 5500 XT 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 RX 5500 and 128-bit on the Radeon RX 5500 XT.

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

🖥️

Display & API Support

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

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
DirectX	12.1	12.1
Vulkan	1.2	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Decoder: VCN 2.0 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500 XT).

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
Encoder	VCN 2.0	VCN 2.0
Decoder	VCN 2.0	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 5500 draws 110W versus the Radeon RX 5500 XT's 130W — a 16.7% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 450W (Radeon RX 5500) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500 XT). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 180mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
TDP	110W-15%	130W
Recommended PSU	450W	450W
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	180mm	180mm
Height	110mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75°C
Perf/Watt	80.3+15%	69.8

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon RX 5500 came in at $179, while the Radeon RX 5500 XT launched at $199. On MSRP, Radeon RX 5500 was 10.1% cheaper ($20 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) vs 45.6 (Radeon RX 5500 XT) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 8.3% better value.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500	Radeon RX 5500 XT
MSRP	$179-10%	$199
Performance per Dollar	49.4+8%	45.6
Codename	Navi 14	Navi 14
Release	October 7 2019	December 12 2019
Ranking	#297	#291

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