Radeon RX 550X
Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
Radeon RX 550X vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U Performance Spectrum
About G3D Mark
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 550X vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U 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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Among Us
Apex Legends
ARC Raiders
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Radeon RX 550X vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U: 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 550X
2018Why buy it
- ✅Delivers 100+% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 21.8 vs 0 G3D/$ ($109 MSRP vs Unknown MSRP).
- ✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ✅100+% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs Unknown).
- ✅Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is already obsolete for modern gaming, so Radeon RX 550X is the less risky modern option long term.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ❌2018 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
- ❌233.3% higher power demand at 50W vs 15W.
Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
2020Why buy it
- ✅60.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
- ✅Draws 15W instead of 50W, a 35W reduction.
- ✅More future proof: Vega (2017−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
Trade-offs
- ❌Less VRAM, with Unknown vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
- ❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
- ❌2020 hardware with Unknown of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.
- ❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0 vs 21.8 G3D/$ (Unknown MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
Quick Answers
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Radeon RX 550X vs Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U Technical Specifications
Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.
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.
Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U
The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in January 7 2020. It features the Vega architecture. The boost clock speed is 2100 MHz. It has 512 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 15W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 2,356 points.
Graphics Performance
The Radeon RX 550X scores 2,381 and the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U reaches 2,356 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 1.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 550X is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U uses Vega, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 512 (Radeon RX 550X) vs 512 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Boost clocks: 1183 MHz vs 2100 MHz.
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| G3D Mark Score | 2,381+1% | 2,356 |
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | Vega |
| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |
| Shading Units | 512 | 512 |
| Boost Clock | 1183 MHz | 2100 MHz+78% |
| Frame Generation | FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation | FSR upscaling |
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 RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U does not have comparable native support in the same tier.
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Upscaling Tech | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 | FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 |
| Frame Generation | FSR Frame Generation | Not Supported |
| Ray Reconstruction | No | No |
| Low Latency | AMD Anti-Lag | AMD Anti-Lag |
Video Memory (VRAM)
The Radeon RX 550X has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U carries 0 MB. Radeon RX 550X 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 550X and System on the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U.
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 4 GB | Shared System RAM |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | Shared |
| Memory Bandwidth | Unknown | System |
| Bus Width | 128-bit | System |
Display & API Support
DirectX support: 12 (Radeon RX 550X) vs 12 (12_1) (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 2 vs 3.
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| DirectX | 12 | 12 (12_1) |
| Vulkan | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| OpenGL | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Max Displays | 2 | 3+50% |
Media & Encoding
Hardware encoder: UVD (Radeon RX 550X) vs VCE 4.0 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Decoder: VCE vs UVD 7.0. Supported codecs: H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 550X) vs H.264,H.265,VP9 (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U).
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| Encoder | UVD | VCE 4.0 |
| Decoder | VCE | UVD 7.0 |
| Codecs | H.264,HEVC,VP9 | H.264,H.265,VP9 |
Power & Dimensions
The Radeon RX 550X draws 50W versus the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U's 15W — a 107.7% difference. The Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 300W (Radeon RX 550X) vs 1W (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U). Power connectors: None vs Integrated. Card length: 145mm vs 0mm, occupying 2 vs 0 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 80.
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| TDP | 50W | 15W-70% |
| Recommended PSU | 300W | 1W-100% |
| Power Connector | None | Integrated |
| Length | 145mm | 0mm |
| Height | 111mm | 0mm |
| Slots | 2 | 0-100% |
| Temp (Load) | 85°C | 80-6% |
| Perf/Watt | 47.6 | 157.1+230% |
Value Analysis
At launch, the Radeon RX 550X came in at $109, while the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U launched at $0. On MSRP, Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U was 100+% cheaper ($109 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 21.8 (Radeon RX 550X) vs Infinity (Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U) — the Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U offers Infinity% better value. The newer card here is Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U (2020 vs 2018).
| Feature | Radeon RX 550X | Radeon RX Vega Ryzen 5 5500U |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $109 | $0-100% |
| Performance per Dollar | 21.8 | Infinity |
| Codename | Lexa | Vega |
| Release | December 16 2018 | January 7 2020 |
| Ranking | #642 | #545 |
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