Radeon RX 5500M vs GeForce GTX 960

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. The Radeon RX 5500M is positioned at rank #46 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Great cost-benefit for your build. 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 Radeon RX 5500M

#16

Radeon RX 7600S

MSRP: $269|Avg: $250

97%

#36

Radeon RX 550X (móvel)

MSRP: $35|Avg: $35

182%

#38

GeForce GTX 1070 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

165%

#39

GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

165%

#43

GeForce GTX 1050 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $50

150%

#44

Radeon RX 6300

MSRP: $60|Avg: $40

149%

#46

Radeon RX 5500M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $100

100%

#48

GeForce GTX 980 (móvel)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $150

99%

#49

GeForce 610M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $20

98%

#50

GeForce GTX 1650 (Mobile)

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $75

98%

#53

GeForce GTX 980M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $80

95%

#54

GeForce GTX 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

94%

#58

GeForce 770M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $40

91%

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 5500M uses modern memory architecture. The Radeon RX 5500M likely supports modern features like Ray Tracing, Tensor Cores, and DLSS/FSR upscaling, which act as force multipliers for performance. The GeForce GTX 960 lacks this hardware feature set, limiting its longevity in modern titles despite any raw power similarities.

🚀 Performance Leadership

The GeForce GTX 960 is the superior choice for raw performance. It leads with a 3% higher G3D Mark score. This advantage makes it significantly better for higher resolutions (1440p/4K) and graphic-intensive titles compared to the Radeon RX 5500M.

Insight	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
Performance	❌Lower raw frame rates (-3%)	✅Leading raw performance (+3%)
Longevity	RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) (7nm)	🛑Obsolete Architecture (2015 / Maxwell 2.0 (2014−2019))
Ecosystem	Supports FSR Upscaling	Supports FSR Upscaling
VRAM	❌ Less VRAM capacity	✅ More VRAM (+0%)
Efficiency	Normal Efficiency	Normal Efficiency
Case Fit	—	📏 Compact / SFF Friendly

💎 Value Proposition

The GeForce GTX 960 offers a compelling cost-to-performance ratio. Priced at $45 versus $100 for the Radeon RX 5500M, it costs 55% less. While it maintains competitive performance, this results in a 128.9% higher cost efficiency score.

Insight	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
Cost Efficiency	❌Lower cost efficiency	✅Better overall value (+128.9%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️Higher upfront cost ($100)	✅More affordable ($45)

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 5500M Benchmark Check

GeForce GTX 960 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 5500M and GeForce GTX 960

Radeon RX 5500M

The Radeon RX 5500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1375 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 85W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 5,954 points.

GeForce GTX 960

The GeForce GTX 960 is manufactured by NVIDIA. It was released in January 22 2015. It features the Maxwell 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1127 MHz to 1178 MHz. It has 1024 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 6,133 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 5500M scores 5,954 and the GeForce GTX 960 reaches 6,133 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 5500M is built on RDNA 1.0 while the GeForce GTX 960 uses Maxwell 2.0, both on 7 nm vs 28 nm. Shader units: 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 1,024 (GeForce GTX 960). Raw compute: 4.632 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 2.413 TFLOPS (GeForce GTX 960). Boost clocks: 1645 MHz vs 1178 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
G3D Mark Score	5,954	6,133+3%
Architecture	RDNA 1.0	Maxwell 2.0
Process Node	7 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	1408+38%	1024
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.632 TFLOPS+92%	2.413 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1645 MHz+40%	1178 MHz
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	88+38%	64
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
Upscaling Tech	FSR 2.1	FSR 2.1 (Compatible)
Frame Generation	FSR 3 (Compatible)	FSR 3 (Compatible)
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	Standard

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

Both cards feature 4 GB of video memory. Memory bandwidth: 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 112 GB/s (GeForce GTX 960) — a 100% advantage for the Radeon RX 5500M. Bus width: 128-bit vs 128-bit. L2 Cache: 2 MB (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 1 MB (GeForce GTX 960) — the Radeon RX 5500M has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	224 GB/s+100%	112 GB/s
Bus Width	128-bit	128-bit
L2 Cache	2 MB+100%	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12 (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 12 (12_1) (GeForce GTX 960). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 3 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
DirectX	12	12 (12_1)
Vulkan	1.2	1.3+8%
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	3	4+33%

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500M) vs NVENC (5th Gen) (GeForce GTX 960). Decoder: VCN 2.0 vs NVDEC (2nd Gen). Supported codecs: H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500M) vs HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8 (GeForce GTX 960).

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
Encoder	VCN 2.0	NVENC (5th Gen)
Decoder	VCN 2.0	NVDEC (2nd Gen)
Codecs	H.264,H.265/HEVC,VP9	HEVC,H.264,MPEG-2,VC-1,VP8

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 5500M draws 85W versus the GeForce GTX 960's 100W — a 16.2% difference. The Radeon RX 5500M is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 400W (GeForce GTX 960). Power connectors: PCIe-powered vs 6-pin. Card length: 0mm vs 241mm, occupying 0 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 75 C.

Feature	Radeon RX 5500M	GeForce GTX 960
TDP	85W-15%	100W
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	PCIe-powered	6-pin
Length	0mm	241mm
Height	—	111mm
Slots	0-100%	2
Temp (Load)	75°C	75 C
Perf/Watt	70.0+14%	61.3

💰

Value Analysis

The GeForce GTX 960 costs 55% less ($55 savings) at current market prices. Performance per dollar (G3D Mark / price): 59.5 (Radeon RX 5500M) vs 136.3 (GeForce GTX 960) — the GeForce GTX 960 offers 129.1% better value. The Radeon RX 5500M is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2015).