AMD Radeon 550X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Comparison

The Verdict

The data points to a clear and decisive outcome. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is in a completely different performance class than the AMD Radeon 550X. Across the two shared benchmarks, the GTX 1650 wins 2 out of 2 tests. The Radeon 550X does not win a single recorded test. The GTX 1650 is, based on the recorded database scores, over three times faster in both OpenCL and Vulkan workloads. The Radeon 550X is a legacy, end-of-life part with a 45th percentile ranking against all GPUs, while the GTX 1650 sits at the 40th percentile. The GTX 1650 should be the default choice for anyone building a system for modern gaming or compute tasks. The Radeon 550X is only suitable for the most basic, legacy, or power-constrained applications where its 50 W TDP and lack of any power connectors might be a deciding factor, but its performance is simply too far behind to recommend for any serious work.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two cards is substantial and explains the performance disparity. The AMD Radeon 550X is based on the Lexa chip, built on GCN 4.0 architecture, which is part of the older Polaris (RX 500X) generation. It uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries and contains 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, in contrast, uses the TU117 chip, built on the newer Turing architecture from the GeForce 16 generation. It is manufactured on a 12 nm process by TSMC and packs 4,700 million transistors into a 200 mm² die. This gives the GTX 1650 more than double the transistor count and a higher transistor density of 23.5M per mm² versus 21.4M per mm² on the Radeon.

The GTX 1650 also has a much larger execution engine. It features 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units. The Radeon 550X is equipped with only 512 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs. In terms of raw compute, the GTX 1650 delivers 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, while the Radeon 550X manages just 1,247.2 GFLOPS. The Turing card also has a 2:1 FP16 ratio, offering 5.967 TFLOPS, whereas the GCN card has a 1:1 ratio, meaning FP16 performance is identical to FP32 at 1,247.2 GFLOPS. API support differs as well, with the GTX 1650 supporting DirectX 12 (12_1) and Vulkan 1.4, while the Radeon 550X is limited to DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data is limited to two tests, but the results are unambiguous. In Geekbench OpenCL, the GTX 1650 scores 29,629, while the Radeon 550X scores 8,866. This represents a 70.1% deficit for the AMD card, meaning the GTX 1650 is roughly 3.3 times faster. The Vulkan test shows an even larger gap: the GTX 1650 scores 33,042, and the Radeon 550X scores 8,970, a 72.9% difference.

These scores are not just close calls; they place the two cards in entirely separate tiers. The Radeon 550X's average benchmark score is 8,918, which puts it in the company of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (8,863, a 0.6% difference) and the AMD Radeon R9 M265X (8,851, a 0.8% difference). It is actually slightly slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 (9,022, a -1.2% delta) and the NVIDIA TITAN V CEO Edition (9,037, a -1.3% delta). The GTX 1650's average score is 7,472, which is lower than its OpenCL and Vulkan scores suggest, but this is due to a wider range of tests including older DirectX and compute workloads. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 8850M (7,447, a 0.3% difference), the Intel UHD Graphics 750 (7,441, a 0.4% difference), and the AMD Radeon R7 350 (7,425, a 0.6% difference). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Arc A310 (7,550, a -1% delta). The core takeaway is that the GTX 1650 is not just faster; it is overwhelmingly faster in the workloads where both cards were measured.

Specification Differences

The following table outlines the key areas where these two graphics cards differ in their specifications:

• Process Node: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 uses a 12 nm process from TSMC, while the AMD Radeon 550X uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries.
• Transistors: The GTX 1650 has 4,700 million transistors, more than double the 2,200 million in the Radeon 550X.
• Die Size: The GTX 1650 has a 200 mm² die, compared to the 103 mm² die of the Radeon 550X.
• Base Clock: The GTX 1650 runs at 1485 MHz, versus 1082 MHz for the Radeon 550X.
• Boost Clock: The GTX 1650 boosts to 1665 MHz, while the Radeon 550X boosts to 1218 MHz.
• Memory Clock: The GTX 1650 has a memory clock of 2001 MHz (8 Gbps effective), while the Radeon 550X has a memory clock of 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective).
• Memory Size: The GTX 1650 has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the Radeon 550X has only 2 GB.
• Memory Bandwidth: The GTX 1650 offers 128.1 GB/s, versus 112.0 GB/s for the Radeon 550X.
• Shading Units: The GTX 1650 has 896, the Radeon 550X has 512.
• Texture Mapping Units: The GTX 1650 has 56, the Radeon 550X has 32.
• Raster Operation Units: The GTX 1650 has 32, the Radeon 550X has 16.
• Pixel Rate: The GTX 1650 achieves 53.28 GPixel/s, versus 19.49 GPixel/s for the Radeon 550X.
• Texture Rate: The GTX 1650 achieves 93.24 GTexel/s, versus 38.98 GTexel/s for the Radeon 550X.
• FP32 Performance: The GTX 1650 delivers 2.984 TFLOPS, the Radeon 550X delivers 1,247.2 GFLOPS.
• FP16 Performance: The GTX 1650 delivers 5.967 TFLOPS (2:1), the Radeon 550X delivers 1,247.2 GFLOPS (1:1).
• TDP: The GTX 1650 has a TDP of 75 W, the Radeon 550X has a TDP of 50 W.
• Bus Interface: The GTX 1650 uses PCIe 3.0 x16, the Radeon 550X uses PCIe 3.0 x8.
• Dimensions: The GTX 1650 is 229 mm (9 inches) long, 111 mm (4.4 inches) high, and 35 mm (1.4 inches) wide. The Radeon 550X is 145 mm (5.7 inches) long, with no recorded height or width.
• DirectX Support: The GTX 1650 supports 12 (12_1), the Radeon 550X supports 12 (12_0).
• Vulkan Support: The GTX 1650 supports 1.4, the Radeon 550X supports 1.3.
• Release Date: The Radeon 550X was released on 2019-03-26, the GTX 1650 was released on 2019-04-22.
• Launch MSRP: The GTX 1650 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD. The Radeon 550X has no recorded launch MSRP.

FAQ

Q: Which card is faster in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is significantly faster. It wins both recorded head-to-head tests, scoring 29,629 in Geekbench OpenCL and 33,042 in Geekbench Vulkan, compared to the AMD Radeon 550X's scores of 8,866 and 8,970, respectively.

Q: How large is the performance gap?

A: The GTX 1650 leads by 70.1% in Geekbench OpenCL and 72.9% in Geekbench Vulkan. This means the Radeon 550X is roughly three times slower in these workloads.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, while the AMD Radeon 550X has only 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. Both use a 128-bit memory bus, but the GTX 1650 also has higher bandwidth at 128.1 GB/s versus 112.0 GB/s.

Q: When were these cards released?

A: The AMD Radeon 550X was released on 2019-03-26, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 was released on 2019-04-22. Both are now end-of-life products.

Q: Is the Radeon 550X better for low-power systems?

A: The Radeon 550X has a lower TDP of 50 W compared to the GTX 1650's 75 W, and neither card requires external power connectors. However, the performance trade-off is extreme, with the GTX 1650 being over 70% faster in the recorded tests.

Q: What is the GTX 1650's launch MSRP?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 has a launch MSRP of 149 USD. The AMD Radeon 550X has no recorded launch MSRP in the database.

Where Each One Wins

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the clear winner in all recorded benchmark categories. It dominates in both Geekbench OpenCL and Geekbench Vulkan, making it the superior choice for any application that leverages these APIs, which includes most modern games and GPU-accelerated compute tasks. Its higher pixel rate (53.28 GPixel/s vs 19.49 GPixel/s) and texture rate (93.24 GTexel/s vs 38.98 GTexel/s) also indicate a strong advantage in rasterization-heavy workloads. For a gaming PC, a workstation for light 3D rendering, or any general-purpose GPU task, the GTX 1650 is the only rational pick between these two.

The AMD Radeon 550X's only advantages are its lower TDP (50 W versus 75 W) and its smaller physical footprint (145 mm length versus 229 mm). It could be considered for a legacy system upgrade where the power supply is extremely limited and the chassis has no room for a longer card. Its PCIe 3.0 x8 interface also uses fewer lanes, which might be a minor factor in some very specific motherboard configurations. However, its 2 GB memory capacity and drastically lower compute performance make it unsuitable for modern gaming or any demanding application. In any head-to-head choice, the GTX 1650 wins on every meaningful performance metric. The Radeon 550X is a card for a very niche, power-sipping, low-profile use case, while the GTX 1650 is a capable entry-level performer.