AMD Radeon RX 550
AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
AMDAMD Radeon RX 550 Specifications
Radeon RX 550 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The AMD Radeon RX 550 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
RX 550 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the Radeon RX 550's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The Radeon RX 550 by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
AMD's Radeon RX 550 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The Radeon RX 550's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
Radeon RX 550 by AMD Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the RX 550, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
RX 550 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the AMD Radeon RX 550 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
GCN 4.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The AMD Radeon RX 550 is built on AMD's GCN 4.0 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the RX 550 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
AMD's Radeon RX 550 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the AMD Radeon RX 550 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the Radeon RX 550 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
Radeon RX 550 by AMD Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the AMD Radeon RX 550 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
AMD API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the AMD Radeon RX 550. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
Radeon RX 550 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The AMD Radeon RX 550 is manufactured by AMD as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the Radeon RX 550 by AMD represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
Radeon RX 550 Benchmark Scores
3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12Source
3DMark Steel Nomad is the latest GPU benchmark running at native 4K with DirectX 12. It's roughly 3x more demanding than Time Spy, testing AMD Radeon RX 550 with cutting-edge rendering techniques. The benchmark uses state-of-the-art graphics technologies to stress modern hardware. Scores accurately predict AMD Radeon RX 550 performance in demanding AAA games at 4K resolution.
Top 5 Performers
Top 5 PerformersNearby Performers
Nearby Performersgeekbench_metalSource
Geekbench Metal tests GPU compute using Apple's Metal API. This shows how AMD Radeon RX 550 performs in macOS and iOS applications that leverage GPU acceleration.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
geekbench_openclSource
Geekbench OpenCL tests GPU compute performance using the cross-platform OpenCL API. This shows how AMD Radeon RX 550 handles parallel computing tasks like video encoding and scientific simulations. OpenCL is widely supported across different GPU vendors and platforms. Higher scores benefit applications that leverage GPU acceleration for non-graphics workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
geekbench_vulkanSource
Geekbench Vulkan tests GPU compute using the modern low-overhead Vulkan API. This shows how AMD Radeon RX 550 performs with next-generation graphics and compute workloads.
Top 5 Performers
Nearby Performers
About AMD Radeon RX 550
The AMD Radeon RX 550 is a legacy entry-level discrete GPU built on the 14 nm GCN 4.0 architecture, utilizing the Lexa chip. Its average benchmark score of 8324 places it in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs, indicating that while it is not a high-performance part, it remains a functional option for basic computing tasks and light gaming at lower settings. The data shows a product that was designed for OEM systems and budget-oriented builds, and it is now end-of-life with a legacy feature set.
Benchmark Performance
The RX 550's performance profile is tightly clustered with its nearest rivals, showing that it sits at a very specific performance tier. The average benchmark score of 8324 is a composite of several tests, including a 127 score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, a 19937 score in Geekbench Metal, a 4575 in Geekbench OpenCL, and an 8657 in Geekbench Vulkan. These figures illustrate a GPU that can handle API-level tasks but is fundamentally limited by its 512 shading units and 1,211.4 GFLOPS of FP32 compute power.
Comparing directly to its closest competitors, the RX 550 is virtually identical in performance to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, which scores 8289, a delta of only 0.4%. This means that in most real-world scenarios, the two are interchangeable. Similarly, it is 0.7% ahead of both the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and the NVIDIA Quadro K1200, which both score 8265. These margins are within the noise of benchmarking, so the RX 550 offers no tangible performance advantage over these cards. The only rival it trails is the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, which scores 8462, putting the RX 550 1.6% behind.
This clustering suggests that the RX 550 was positioned to hit a specific performance target, and it hits that target almost exactly. The 42nd percentile ranking confirms this, as it places the card in the lower-middle tier of all GPUs. For a user coming from integrated graphics, the RX 550 represents a substantial upgrade, but for anyone with a dedicated GPU from the last several years, the performance delta will be minimal. The data indicates that the RX 550 is best suited for esports titles at 1080p with low to medium settings, where its 18.93 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 37.86 GTexel/s texture rate can keep up with the demands of less graphically intensive games.
Power and Cooling
The RX 550 is remarkably efficient, with a TDP of just 50 W. This low power draw has significant implications for system requirements. The suggested PSU is only 250 W, which means that even a modest power supply unit can comfortably run this card. Critically, the card requires no external power connectors, drawing all of its power from the PCIe slot itself. This makes it an ideal drop-in upgrade for older or pre-built systems that may lack the necessary power cables for larger GPUs.
The thermal design is also notable. It is a dual-slot card, which suggests a full-height cooler design, but the 50 W TDP means that even a simple heatsink with a small fan will dissipate the heat effectively. The card's physical dimensions are 145 mm or 5.7 inches in length, making it a compact option that should fit in most small form factor cases. The combination of low power consumption and no power connectors makes installation straightforward, as there are no additional cables to manage. The data confirms that the RX 550 is a true plug-and-play solution for users seeking to add discrete graphics capability without upgrading their power supply.
Who Should Consider It
Given the benchmark data, the RX 550 is a viable option only for a specific set of use cases. The 42nd percentile ranking and the tight competition with the GTX 950M and RX 6400 clearly indicate that this is not a card for modern, graphically demanding AAA titles at high resolutions. The performance level suggests it is best suited for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings in esports titles like Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Valorant, where frame rates are more dependent on CPU and the GPU can maintain playable performance.
The 2 GB VRAM capacity is a significant limiting factor for higher resolutions. At 1080p, some games may exceed this limit, causing texture pop-in or stuttering. Users should avoid 1440p or 4K resolutions entirely, as the 112.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2 GB capacity will be severely insufficient. The card is also a reasonable choice for a basic HTPC or a secondary workstation PC that needs to drive a display and accelerate video decoding. For users upgrading from an ancient integrated graphics solution, the RX 550 will provide a noticeable improvement in graphical capability. However, for anyone with a modern iGPU or a discrete GPU from the last five years, the benefits will be negligible to nonexistent.
FAQ
Q: What is the RX 550's average benchmark score and how does it rank?
A: The RX 550 has an average benchmark score of 8324, which places it in the 42nd percentile of all GPUs.
Q: How does the RX 550 compare to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M?
A: The RX 550 is 0.4% faster than the GTX 950M, which has an average score of 8289, making the performance difference negligible.
Q: What power supply is recommended for the RX 550?
A: The suggested PSU is 250 W, and the card does not require any external power connectors.
Q: What is the memory configuration of the RX 550?
A: It has 2 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 112.0 GB/s.
Q: What are the display output options on the RX 550?
A: The card offers 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a outputs.
Q: Does the RX 550 support modern graphics APIs?
A: Yes, it supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3.
How It Compares
The RX 550's position in the market is defined by its nearest rivals, all of which are within 1.6% of its average score. Against the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, the RX 550 is 0.4% faster, meaning the two cards offer statistically identical performance. This makes the choice between them irrelevant from a performance standpoint.
When compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6400, the RX 550 is 0.7% faster. This is noteworthy because the RX 6400 is a much newer architecture, but the data shows that the older RX 550 holds its own in these specific benchmarks, likely due to its wider 128-bit memory bus.
The NVIDIA Quadro K1200 is also 0.7% slower than the RX 550. As a workstation card, the K1200 may have different driver optimizations, but the raw compute benchmarks show they are peers in performance.
The only rival that beats the RX 550 is the AMD Radeon HD 8870M, which is 1.6% faster. This is a mobile GPU, and the margin is so slim that it would be imperceptible in real-world usage. Overall, the RX 550 is perfectly positioned in the middle of this performance cluster, with no significant advantage or disadvantage over its direct competitors.
Memory Subsystem
The RX 550 is equipped with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, which operates at 1750 MHz with a 7 Gbps effective data rate. The memory is connected via a 128-bit bus, yielding a total memory bandwidth of 112.0 GB/s. This configuration is a classic entry-level setup from the era and is a primary bottleneck for the card in modern workloads.
The 2 GB capacity is the most critical limitation. At 1080p, many contemporary games require more than 2 GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures, which will force the card to use system memory over the PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, leading to stuttering and reduced performance. The 128-bit bus, while wider than some newer entry-level cards, is still narrow, and the 112.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient for high-resolution rendering. For the card's intended use case of 1080p at low settings, the memory subsystem is adequate, but it leaves no headroom for higher fidelity settings or future game releases that are more memory-hungry.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The RX 550 does not include any dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these fields are null in the technical specifications. This means the card has no hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects or AI-based features like DLSS. The architecture is based on GCN 4.0, which predates these technologies. Consequently, any ray-traced workloads would be handled by the shader units, resulting in extremely poor performance that is not playable.
The feature set is instead focused on standard API support. The card supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, which ensures compatibility with modern games and applications at a basic level. The display outputs include 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 2.0b, and 1x DisplayPort 1.4a, allowing for multi-monitor setups. The PCIe 3.0 x8 interface is sufficient for the card's bandwidth needs. The lack of RT and tensor cores firmly places the RX 550 in a pre-ray tracing era, making it unsuitable for any modern graphical feature work beyond basic rasterization.
The NVIDIA Equivalent of Radeon RX 550
Looking for a similar graphics card from NVIDIA? The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 offers comparable performance and features in the NVIDIA lineup.
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