AMD Radeon RX 550X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 Comparison

AMD Radeon RX 550X vs NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465

The database records one head-to-head benchmark between these two cards, and the AMD Radeon RX 550X takes the only recorded win. In Geekbench OpenCL, the RX 550X scores 9662 against the GTX 465’s 9294, a 4% advantage. That margin is modest, but it is consistent across the broader performance percentiles: the RX 550X sits at the 49th percentile of all GPUs, while the GTX 465 sits at the 46th. The average benchmark score for the RX 550X is 10481, which is 12.8% higher than the GTX 465’s 9294 average. The GTX 465 has no Vulkan score recorded, whereas the RX 550X posts 11299 in Geekbench Vulkan, indicating a clear generational gap in API support and compute efficiency. Neither card is a modern powerhouse, but the data consistently favors the AMD part in raw compute throughput.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct comparison available is Geekbench OpenCL. The RX 550X delivers 9662 points, while the GTX 465 delivers 9294. That 4% delta is the entire head-to-head story. It is not a landslide, but it is a win, and it aligns with the card-level averages. The RX 550X’s average benchmark score of 10481 places it 1.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6500M (10362) and 0.8% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla C2075 (10400). Meanwhile, the GTX 465’s average of 9294 puts it 0.2% behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (9273) and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (9221). In context, the RX 550X competes with low-end mobile and entry desktop parts from a much later era, while the GTX 465 sits alongside mid-range mobile chips from 2014-2015. The RX 550X’s nearest rivals also include the AMD Radeon R9 M275X (10582, 1% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 6600S (10629, 1.4% faster), meaning the RX 550X is at the lower edge of its peer group. The GTX 465’s nearest rivals are all within 0.8% of its score, showing that it is tightly clustered with those older mobile parts. In the single recorded test, the RX 550X wins by a small but real margin, and its Vulkan score of 11299 (not available for the GTX 465) suggests that in modern compute workloads, the gap would widen.

Architecture Differences

The RX 550X is built on GCN 4.0 architecture, using the Lexa chip, while the GTX 465 uses Fermi architecture with the GF100 chip. The process node difference is substantial: the RX 550X uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries, while the GTX 465 uses a 40 nm process from TSMC. This explains the transistor density gap: the RX 550X packs 2,200 million transistors into 103 mm², yielding 21.4 million transistors per mm². The GTX 465 has 3,100 million transistors spread across 529 mm², for just 5.9 million per mm². The RX 550X is far denser, which allows it to achieve higher performance with much lower power draw. The RX 550X has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output units. The GTX 465 has 352 shading units, 44 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The GTX 465 has more TMUs and ROPs, but fewer shading units. The RX 550X compensates with higher clock speeds: a base clock of 1100 MHz and boost of 1183 MHz, versus the GTX 465’s lack of recorded base or boost clocks. The memory configurations differ sharply: the RX 550X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 96.00 GB/s bandwidth; the GTX 465 has 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 102.7 GB/s. The GTX 465 has slightly more memory bandwidth, but half the capacity. The RX 550X supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3. The GTX 465 supports DirectX 12 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.6, but no Vulkan. The RX 550X also has FP16 support at a 1:1 ratio with FP32, while the GTX 465 has no recorded FP16 capability. The RX 550X’s power draw is 50 W, versus the GTX 465’s 200 W. The RX 550X requires no external power connectors and suggests a 250 W PSU, while the GTX 465 needs two 6-pin connectors and suggests a 550 W PSU. The RX 550X also uses PCIe 3.0 x8, while the GTX 465 uses PCIe 2.0 x16.

The Verdict

From the recorded data, the AMD Radeon RX 550X is the better card for modern workloads. It wins the only head-to-head benchmark, has a higher average score, sits at a higher percentile, and supports Vulkan and FP16, which the GTX 465 lacks. The GTX 465’s only advantages are memory bandwidth (102.7 GB/s vs 96.00 GB/s), TMU count (44 vs 32), and ROP count (32 vs 16), but those do not translate into a benchmark win. The RX 550X also uses 75% less power (50 W vs 200 W), runs cooler by design, and fits in a much shorter package (145 mm vs 241 mm). If you need a card for legacy DirectX 11-era gaming, the GTX 465 might have held its own in 2010, but against the RX 550X, the data shows no scenario where the GTX 465 wins. The RX 550X is end-of-life, but it is a newer product (released 2018-12-15 versus 2010-05-30) and benefits from eight years of architectural refinement. The GTX 465’s launch MSRP was 279 USD, but that is historical context only; the performance data does not justify choosing it over the RX 550X for any current use case. The RX 550X also has a higher average benchmark score (10481 vs 9294), which is the single best summary metric in this comparison.

FAQ

Q: Which card wins in Geekbench OpenCL?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 550X scores 9662, while the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 scores 9294. The RX 550X wins by 4%.

Q: Does the GTX 465 support Vulkan?

A: No. The GTX 465 has no Vulkan support listed. The RX 550X supports Vulkan 1.3 and scores 11299 in Geekbench Vulkan.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The RX 550X has an average benchmark score of 10481, while the GTX 465 has 9294. That is a 12.8% advantage for the RX 550X.

Q: How do their power requirements compare?

A: The RX 550X has a TDP of 50 W and needs no external power connectors, with a suggested PSU of 250 W. The GTX 465 has a TDP of 200 W, requires two 6-pin power connectors, and suggests a 550 W PSU.

Q: Which card has more memory?

A: The RX 550X has 4 GB of GDDR5, while the GTX 465 has 1024 MB. The GTX 465 has a wider 256-bit bus, but the RX 550X still has more total memory.

Q: Are both cards end-of-life?

A: Yes. The RX 550X is listed as end-of-life, and the GTX 465 is also end-of-life. The RX 550X was released on 2018-12-15, while the GTX 465 was released on 2010-05-30.

Where Each One Wins

The RX 550X wins in every recorded benchmark category. In Geekbench OpenCL, it leads by 4%. In Geekbench Vulkan, it posts 11299, a test the GTX 465 cannot run. The RX 550X also wins on transistor density (21.4M per mm² versus 5.9M per mm²), shading units (512 vs 352), pixel rate (18.93 GPixel/s versus 13.38 GPixel/s), texture rate (37.86 GTexel/s versus 26.75 GTexel/s), and FP32 throughput (1,211.4 GFLOPS versus 855.4 GFLOPS). It has a lower TDP (50 W vs 200 W), a smaller die (103 mm² vs 529 mm²), and a shorter board length (145 mm vs 241 mm). The GTX 465’s wins are limited to memory bandwidth (102.7 GB/s vs 96.00 GB/s), TMU count (44 vs 32), ROP count (32 vs 16), and bus width (256-bit vs 128-bit). Those hardware specs do not produce a benchmark win, and they come at the cost of far higher power draw and no Vulkan support. For any application that uses modern APIs, the RX 550X is the only choice. For legacy DirectX 11 workloads, the GTX 465’s higher ROP count might help in fill-rate-bound scenarios, but the RX 550X’s higher shading unit count and clock speeds likely compensate in most cases. The GTX 465 also has a slight edge in memory bandwidth, which could matter for bandwidth-sensitive tasks, but the RX 550X’s 4 GB capacity is more useful for modern textures and datasets.

Specification Differences

The two cards differ in nearly every major specification. The RX 550X uses a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries; the GTX 465 uses 40 nm from TSMC. The RX 550X has 2,200 million transistors on a 103 mm² die; the GTX 465 has 3,100 million on a 529 mm² die. Transistor density is 21.4M per mm² for the RX 550X versus 5.9M per mm² for the GTX 465. The RX 550X has a base clock of 1100 MHz and a boost of 1183 MHz; the GTX 465 has no recorded base or boost clock. Memory speed is 1500 MHz (6 Gbps effective) for the RX 550X versus 802 MHz (3.2 Gbps effective) for the GTX 465. The RX 550X has 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus; the GTX 465 has 1024 MB on a 256-bit bus. Bandwidth is 96.00 GB/s versus 102.7 GB/s. Shading units: 512 vs 352. TMUs: 32 vs 44. ROPs: 16 vs 32. Pixel rate: 18.93 GPixel/s vs 13.38 GPixel/s. Texture rate: 37.86 GTexel/s vs 26.75 GTexel/s. FP32: 1,211.4 GFLOPS vs 855.4 GFLOPS. The RX 550X supports FP16 at 1,211.4 GFLOPS (1:1); the GTX 465 has no FP16. TDP is 50 W vs 200 W. Power connectors: none vs 2x 6-pin. Suggested PSU: 250 W vs 550 W. Bus interface: PCIe 3.0 x8 vs PCIe 2.0 x16. Display outputs: the RX 550X has 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 1x DisplayPort 1.4a; the GTX 465 has 2x DVI and 1x mini-HDMI 1.3a. DirectX support: 12 (12_0) vs 12 (11_0). OpenGL: both 4.6. Vulkan: 1.3 vs none. Length: 145 mm (5.7 inches) vs 241 mm (9.5 inches). Both are dual-slot cards. The RX 550X’s predecessor is Polaris and successor is Vega; the GTX 465’s predecessor is GeForce 200 and successor is GeForce 500.