GPU Comparison

Select up to 2 GPUs to analyze their pricing, performance, and specifications side-by-side.

Quick Verdict

The Radeon RX Vega 56 is dramatically faster than the Radeon RX 550, leading by roughly 1100% in our performance index. It is also the stronger value pick here, so it's the easy recommendation if your budget allows.

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VS
Price
€77
Performance
1%
VRAM
2 GB GDDR5
Key Specs Advantage

Comparable or lower specs

AMD
Radeon RX Vega 56
Price
€790
Performance
12%
VRAM
8 GB HBM2
Key Specs Advantage
+1500% Memory Bus (2048-bit vs 128-bit)
+460% Stream Processors (3,584 vs 640)
+327% Bandwidth (409.6 GB/s vs 96 GB/s)

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 $77 EUR against $790 EUR for the Radeon RX Vega 56. Because it's both faster and competitively priced, the Radeon RX Vega 56 wins on performance-per-dollar by about 18%. The Radeon RX Vega 56 still sits about $391 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?

The Radeon RX Vega 56 is the all-round winner here — it's faster and the better value, so buy it if it fits your budget. Only consider the Radeon RX 550 if you find it at a steep discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Radeon RX Vega 56 better than the Radeon RX 550?

The Radeon RX Vega 56 is dramatically faster, roughly 1100% ahead. If your budget allows, it's the stronger pick.

Which is better for 4K gaming, the Radeon RX 550 or the Radeon RX Vega 56?

Neither is a dedicated 4K card; both are best at entry-level 1080p. For 4K you'd want a faster GPU, or lean on upscaling.

Is the Radeon RX Vega 56 worth the extra $712 EUR over the Radeon RX 550?

Often yes — despite the higher price the Radeon RX Vega 56 delivers better performance-per-dollar here.

Does the Radeon RX Vega 56 have enough VRAM advantage to matter?

Its 8GB (vs 2GB) gives real headroom for 4K, heavy texture mods, and creative/AI work. At 1080p the gap matters less.

Technical Specifications Comparison

Architecture & Cores

SpecificationRadeon RX 550Radeon RX Vega 56
ArchitectureGCN 4.0 (Polaris)GCN 5.0 (Vega)
Process NodeGloFo 14nmGloFo 14nm
CUDA Cores (Stream Processors / Stream Processors)6403,584

Clock Speeds

SpecificationRadeon RX 550Radeon RX Vega 56
Base Clock1,019 MHz1,156 MHz
Boost Clock1,183 MHz1,471 MHz

Memory

SpecificationRadeon RX 550Radeon RX Vega 56
VRAM Capacity2 GB8 GB
Memory TypeGDDR5HBM2
Memory Bus128-bit2048-bit
Memory Speed6 Gbps1.6 Gbps
Bandwidth96 GB/s409.6 GB/s

Connectivity & Power

SpecificationRadeon RX 550Radeon RX Vega 56
InterfacePCIe 3.0 x8PCIe 3.0 x16
TDP50 W210 W
Power ConnectorsNone2x 8-pin
ReleasedApr 2017Aug 2017