GPU Comparison
Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.
Market Value Leader
It's a tight race! Both the Radeon RX 550 and the Radeon RX Vega 56 offer nearly identical market value.
The Radeon RX Vega 56 is dramatically faster than the Radeon RX 550, leading by roughly 1100% in our performance index. The Radeon RX 550, however, delivers more performance per dollar — $818 EUR cheaper.
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Comparable or lower specs
Radeon RX Vega 56 vs Radeon RX 550: In-Depth Breakdown
Performance: Radeon RX Vega 56 vs Radeon RX 550
The Radeon RX Vega 56 is dramatically faster, around 1100% ahead of the Radeon RX 550. Both cards sit in the same broad class, well suited to entry-level 1080p. The Radeon RX Vega 56 packs 3,584 stream processors versus 640 on the Radeon RX 550.
Price & Value
Right now the Radeon RX 550 starts at $74 EUR against $892 EUR for the Radeon RX Vega 56. Despite being slower, the Radeon RX 550 offers the better performance-per-dollar, so budget-focused buyers should weigh it carefully. The Radeon RX Vega 56 still sits about $493 EUR above its $399 EUR MSRP.
Power & Efficiency
The Radeon RX 550 pulls less power (50W vs 210W), so it's the easier card to cool and the lighter load on your PSU. The faster Radeon RX Vega 56 draws more overall but extracts more performance from each watt — plan for a sturdier power supply if you pick it.
VRAM & Future-Proofing
With 8GB against 2GB, the Radeon RX Vega 56 has more headroom for 4K textures and memory-hungry creative/AI tasks where the Radeon RX 550's 2GB can fall short. The Radeon RX Vega 56's memory is also faster — 410 GB/s versus 96 GB/s (2048-bit vs 128-bit bus) — which helps feed the GPU at 4K and with heavy textures.
Which should you buy: Radeon RX 550 or Radeon RX Vega 56?
Choose the Radeon RX Vega 56 if you want the most performance and can absorb the higher price. If you're optimizing for value, the Radeon RX 550 stretches your money further for only slightly lower performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Radeon RX Vega 56 better than the Radeon RX 550?
Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 550 or the Radeon RX Vega 56?
Is the Radeon RX Vega 56 worth the extra $818 EUR over the Radeon RX 550?
Does the Radeon RX Vega 56 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?
Technical Specifications Comparison
Architecture & Cores
| Specification | Radeon RX 550 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | GCN 4.0 (Polaris) | GCN 5.0 (Vega) |
| Process Node | GloFo 14nm | GloFo 14nm |
| CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors) | 640 | 3,584✓ |
Clock Speeds
| Specification | Radeon RX 550 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Clock | 1,019 MHz | 1,156 MHz✓ |
| Boost Clock | 1,183 MHz | 1,471 MHz✓ |
Memory
| Specification | Radeon RX 550 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| VRAM Capacity | 2 GB | 8 GB✓ |
| Memory Type | GDDR5 | HBM2 |
| Memory Bus | 128-bit | 2048-bit✓ |
| Memory Speed | 6 Gbps✓ | 1.6 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 96 GB/s | 409.6 GB/s✓ |
Connectivity & Power
| Specification | Radeon RX 550 | Radeon RX Vega 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x8 | PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| TDP | 50 W✓ | 210 W |
| Power Connectors | None | 2x 8-pin |
| Released | Apr 2017 | Aug 2017 |