RADEON X550 vs RADEON X600 SE

AMD

RADEON X550

2017Core: 1100 MHzBoost: 1183 MHz
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

RADEON X600 SE

2023Core: 1626 MHzBoost: 2495 MHz
Similar parts
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RADEON X550 vs RADEON X600 SE 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 X550 vs RADEON X600 SE 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 X550 vs RADEON X600 SE: 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 X550

2017

Why buy it

  • Costs $40 less on MSRP ($60 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Delivers 73.5% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 0.8 vs 0.5 G3D/$ ($60 MSRP vs $100 MSRP).
  • Draws 50W instead of 132W, a 82W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Less VRAM, with 256 MB vs 512 MB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
  • 2017 hardware with 256 MB of VRAM is already well past its comfortable zone for modern gaming, so it is hard to recommend now.

RADEON X600 SE

2023

Why buy it

  • 100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (512 MB vs 256 MB).
  • Better long-term bet: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm gives it a newer hardware base for upcoming games.
  • More future proof: RDNA 2.0 (2020−2025) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

  • 66.7% HIGHER MSRP
    $100 MSRPvs$60 MSRP
  • Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 0.5 vs 0.8 G3D/$ ($100 MSRP vs $60 MSRP).
  • 164% higher power demand at 132W vs 50W.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?
RADEON X550 is the faster gaming card right now based on the synthetic data we have. It leads by 4.1% in PassMark G3D (51 vs 49), which is the best performance signal available in this matchup.
Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?
RADEON X600 SE is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond. The case is simple: 512 MB vs 256 MB of VRAM, a 7nm process instead of 14nm, 28 vs 0 ray-tracing units, and a newer 2023 generation instead of 2017. That gives it more room for heavier textures and higher settings over time.
Which GPU is the better buy today?
RADEON X550 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $40 cheaper on MSRP at $60 vs $100, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 73.5% (0.8 vs 0.5), so the value case lines up with the gaming result. If you are mainly targeting 1080p and some 1440p, RADEON X550 is the easier value choice. If you care more about 1080p and some 1440p headroom, RADEON X600 SE has the stronger long-term case.

RADEON X550 vs RADEON X600 SE Technical Specifications

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

AMD

RADEON X550

The RADEON X550 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 20 2017. 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: 51 points. Launch price was $79.

AMD

RADEON X600 SE

The RADEON X600 SE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in December 8 2023. It features the RDNA 2.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1626 MHz to 2495 MHz. It has 1792 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 132W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. It features 28 dedicated ray tracing cores for enhanced lighting effects. G3D Mark benchmark score: 49 points.

Graphics Performance

The RADEON X550 scores 51 and the RADEON X600 SE reaches 49 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 4.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The RADEON X550 is built on GCN 4.0 while the RADEON X600 SE uses RDNA 2.0, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 512 (RADEON X550) vs 1,792 (RADEON X600 SE). Raw compute: 1.211 TFLOPS (RADEON X550) vs 8.942 TFLOPS (RADEON X600 SE). Boost clocks: 1183 MHz vs 2495 MHz.

FeatureRADEON X550RADEON X600 SE
G3D Mark Score
51+4%
49
Architecture
GCN 4.0
RDNA 2.0
Process Node
14 nm
7 nm
Shading Units
512
1792+250%
Compute (TFLOPS)
1.211 TFLOPS
8.942 TFLOPS+638%
Boost Clock
1183 MHz
2495 MHz+111%
ROPs
16
64+300%
TMUs
32
112+250%
L1 Cache
128 KB
512 KB+300%
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

FeatureRADEON X550RADEON X600 SE
Upscaling Tech
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation
Not Supported
Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction
No
No
Low Latency
AMD Anti-Lag
AMD Anti-Lag
💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The RADEON X550 has 256 MB of VRAM, while the RADEON X600 SE carries 512 MB. RADEON X600 SE gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bus width is 64-bit on the RADEON X550 and 64-bit on the RADEON X600 SE. L2 Cache: 0.25 MB (RADEON X550) vs 2 MB (RADEON X600 SE) — the RADEON X600 SE has significantly larger on-die cache to reduce VRAM reliance.

FeatureRADEON X550RADEON X600 SE
VRAM Capacity
0.25 GB
0.5 GB+100%
Memory Type
GDDR5
GDDR5
Bus Width
64-bit
64-bit
L2 Cache
0.25 MB
2 MB+700%
🔌

Power & Dimensions

The RADEON X550 draws 50W versus the RADEON X600 SE's 132W — a 90.1% difference. The RADEON X550 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (RADEON X550) vs 350W (RADEON X600 SE). Power connectors: Legacy vs Legacy.

FeatureRADEON X550RADEON X600 SE
TDP
50W-62%
132W
Recommended PSU
350W
350W
Power Connector
Legacy
Legacy
Perf/Watt
1.0+150%
0.4
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the RADEON X550 came in at $60, while the RADEON X600 SE launched at $100. On MSRP, RADEON X550 was 40% cheaper ($40 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 0.8 (RADEON X550) vs 0.5 (RADEON X600 SE) — the RADEON X550 offers 60% better value. The newer card here is RADEON X600 SE (2023 vs 2017).

FeatureRADEON X550RADEON X600 SE
MSRP
$60-40%
$100
Performance per Dollar
0.8+60%
0.5
Codename
Lexa
Navi 23
Release
April 20 2017
December 8 2023
Ranking
#668
#176

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