AMD Radeon RX 550 vs AMD Radeon Vega 8 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data paints a one-sided picture in direct comparisons. The AMD Radeon RX 550 wins all three recorded head-to-head tests against the AMD Radeon Vega 8. The largest gap appears in Geekbench Metal, where the RX 550 scores 20,838 against the Vega 8's 10,706. That is a 94.6% advantage, nearly doubling the integrated part's result. This is a decisive margin, indicating a substantial lead in Metal-accelerated workloads.

In Geekbench Vulkan, the RX 550 posts 12,270 points versus 8,134 for the Vega 8. The 50.8% delta shows the discrete card maintaining a strong edge in cross-platform graphics APIs. The smallest gap, but still a clear win, comes in Geekbench OpenCL. Here the RX 550 scores 11,063 against 8,822, a 25.4% advantage. While the margin narrows, the RX 550 still outperforms the Vega 8 in every compute scenario the database records.

Looking at aggregate performance, the RX 550 holds an average benchmark score of 11,075 across all recorded tests. The Vega 8 averages 9,221. This places the RX 550 in the 50th percentile of all GPUs, while the Vega 8 sits at the 45th percentile. The RX 550's nearest rivals by average score include the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000D Blackwell Max-Q at 11,088, a negligible 0.1% difference, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at 11,047, which trails by 0.3%. The Vega 8's closest competitor is the AMD Radeon 890M at 9,210, just 0.1% ahead, followed by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 at 9,273, which leads by 0.6%.

The head-to-head results reinforce the percentile data. The RX 550 does not just win; it wins by margins that range from roughly a quarter to nearly double the Vega 8's output. For users comparing these two, the benchmark record is unambiguous: the RX 550 is the faster part in every measured category.

Architecture Differences

Both GPUs come from AMD and share the same 14 nm process node, fabricated at GlobalFoundries. Yet their underlying designs diverge significantly. The RX 550 uses the Lexa chip based on GCN 4.0 architecture, belonging to the Polaris generation. The Vega 8 uses the Raven chip with GCN 5.0 architecture, part of the Vega IGP family. This generational split explains several performance characteristics.

The RX 550 integrates 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 21.4 million per square millimeter. The Vega 8, being an integrated graphics processor within a larger APU, contains 4,940 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. Its density reaches 23.5 million per square millimeter. The Vega 8's higher transistor count reflects the CPU cores and other components sharing the die, not just the GPU portion.

Shading units and texture mapping units are identical: both parts feature 512 shaders and 32 TMUs. The ROP count differs, with the RX 550 offering 16 ROPs versus the Vega 8's 8 ROPs. This halving of raster operations units directly impacts pixel throughput. The RX 550 achieves 18.93 GPixel/s, while the Vega 8 manages only 8.80 GPixel/s. Texture rates are closer: 37.86 GTexel/s for the RX 550 against 35.20 GTexel/s for the Vega 8.

Clock behavior also separates the two. The RX 550 runs at a base clock of 1100 MHz with a boost up to 1183 MHz. The Vega 8 has a much lower base of 300 MHz but boosts to 1100 MHz. Memory configurations are fundamentally different. The RX 550 uses dedicated 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 112.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The Vega 8 relies on system shared memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent. This architectural choice heavily influences sustained performance.

FP32 compute rates are close, with the RX 550 at 1,211.4 GFLOPS and the Vega 8 at 1,126.4 GFLOPS. However, FP16 performance diverges sharply. The RX 550 delivers 1,211.4 GFLOPS in FP16 at a 1:1 ratio, while the Vega 8 reaches 2.253 TFLOPS using a 2:1 ratio. The Vega 8's faster FP16 throughput is a notable architectural advantage for workloads that support it. API support differs slightly: the RX 550 supports DirectX 12 (12_0), while the Vega 8 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), a minor feature-level improvement.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 550 wins in every direct benchmark comparison, but the nature of those wins points to specific strengths. In Metal workloads, the RX 550's 94.6% lead suggests a dominant position for macOS-oriented applications or any Metal-based rendering. The Vulkan advantage of 50.8% indicates strong performance in modern cross-platform games and compute APIs. The OpenCL lead of 25.4%, while smaller, still confirms superiority in general-purpose GPU computing tasks.

The RX 550's dedicated memory subsystem is a critical factor. With 2 GB of GDDR5 and 112.0 GB/s bandwidth, it avoids the system memory bottleneck that constrains the Vega 8. This explains why the RX 550 maintains higher pixel rates and better sustained performance in memory-intensive scenarios. The 16 ROPs versus 8 ROPs also gives the RX 550 an edge in fill-rate-limited situations such as high-resolution rendering or heavy post-processing effects.

The Vega 8's advantages are more situational. Its FP16 throughput of 2.253 TFLOPS, double the RX 550's FP16 rate, makes it potentially better suited for workloads that leverage half-precision math. This could benefit certain machine learning inference tasks or graphics effects that use FP16 intermediates. The Vega 8's system shared memory model also means it does not have a fixed memory capacity ceiling; it can access whatever system RAM is available, though at lower bandwidth.

For compact or low-power builds, the Vega 8's 25 W TDP versus the RX 550's 50 W TDP makes it a lower-power option. The Vega 8 is an IGP requiring no slot space or power connectors, while the RX 550 is a dual-slot card, albeit one that also needs no external power connectors. The RX 550's suggested power supply is 250 W, so it fits easily into most desktops. The Vega 8 has no suggested PSU rating because it draws from the motherboard.

In practical terms, the RX 550 is the choice for discrete graphics performance, especially in gaming or GPU-accelerated applications that rely on OpenCL or Vulkan. The Vega 8 makes sense for systems where the CPU's integrated graphics suffice for light duties, or where FP16 throughput matters more than raw rasterization. The database shows no benchmark where the Vega 8 wins, so its appeal rests on power efficiency and integration rather than measured performance.

FAQ

Q: Which GPU has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550 averages 11,075 across all recorded tests, while the AMD Radeon Vega 8 averages 9,221. The RX 550 sits at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, the Vega 8 at the 45th.

Q: How large is the RX 550's lead in Geekbench Metal?

A: The RX 550 scores 20,838 against the Vega 8's 10,706 in Geekbench Metal, a 94.6% advantage. This is the largest margin in any head-to-head test.

Q: Do both GPUs have the same number of shading units?

A: Yes, both the RX 550 and the Vega 8 feature 512 shading units and 32 texture mapping units. They differ in ROP count, with the RX 550 having 16 and the Vega 8 having 8.

Q: What memory does each GPU use?

A: The RX 550 uses 2 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus with 112.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Vega 8 uses system shared memory, with bandwidth described as system dependent.

Q: Which GPU supports a higher DirectX feature level?

A: The Vega 8 supports DirectX 12 (12_1), while the RX 550 supports DirectX 12 (12_0). Both support OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3.

Q: What is the power draw difference between the two?

A: The RX 550 has a TDP of 50 W, while the Vega 8 has a TDP of 25 W. The Vega 8 is an IGP with no power connectors, and the RX 550 also requires no external power connectors.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Radeon RX 550 | AMD Radeon Vega 8 |

|----------------|-------------------|-------------------|

| Architecture | GCN 4.0 | GCN 5.0 |

| Generation | Polaris (RX 500) | Vega IGP (Raven Ridge) |

| Chip | Lexa | Raven |

| Transistors | 2,200 million | 4,940 million |

| Die Size | 103 mm² | 210 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 21.4M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 1100 MHz | 300 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1183 MHz | 1100 MHz |

| Memory | 2 GB GDDR5 | System Shared |

| Memory Bus | 128 bit | System Shared |

| Memory Bandwidth | 112.0 GB/s | System Dependent |

| ROPs | 16 | 8 |

| Pixel Rate | 18.93 GPixel/s | 8.80 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 37.86 GTexel/s | 35.20 GTexel/s |

| FP32 | 1,211.4 GFLOPS | 1,126.4 GFLOPS |

| FP16 | 1,211.4 GFLOPS (1:1) | 2.253 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 50 W | 25 W |

| Slot Width | Dual-slot | IGP |

| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | IGP |

| Display Outputs | 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a | Motherboard Dependent |

| DirectX Support | 12 (12_0) | 12 (12_1) |

| Suggested PSU | 250 W | None |

| Release Date | 2017-04-19 | 2018-02-11 |

| Predecessor | Arctic Islands | GCN 3.0 IGP |

| Successor | Vega | Vega II IGP |

| Launch MSRP | 79 USD | None |

The RX 550's launch MSRP was 79 USD. The Vega 8 has no standalone launch MSRP because it ships as part of an APU. The RX 550 is a discrete card measuring 145 mm or 5.7 inches in length, while the Vega 8 has no physical dimensions as it lives on the motherboard. Production status for both is end-of-life.