G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, raw graphics performance, VRAM, feature set, power efficiency, pricing context, and long-term value so you can see which GPU actually makes more sense.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
27.9% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌36.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 110W.

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 110W instead of 150W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Radeon RX 480

2016

Radeon RX 5500

2019

Why buy it

✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $50 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Delivers 32.3% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 49.4 vs 37.3 G3D/$ ($179 MSRP vs $229 MSRP).
✅Access to a newer frame-generation stack with FSR Frame Generation (2023).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.
✅Draws 110W instead of 150W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No equivalent frame-generation stack like FSR Frame Generation (2023).
❌Poor future-proofing: 2016-era hardware with 8 GB of VRAM is already a legacy-tier option for modern games.
❌
27.9% HIGHER MSRP
$229 MSRPvs$179 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 37.3 vs 49.4 G3D/$ ($229 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌36.4% higher power demand at 150W vs 110W.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5500 better than Radeon RX 480?

Yes. Radeon RX 5500 is clearly the better overall GPU here. You are also looking at 8,837 vs 8,546 in G3D Mark. On top of that, Radeon RX 5500 is a 2019 card with FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation, while Radeon RX 480 is a 2016 model from an older generation with FSR upscaling. So this is not really a tight same-tier comparison. It is more a modern card against an older, weaker alternative.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon RX 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2019 generation instead of 2016, better frame-generation support with FSR Frame Generation (2023) instead of FSR upscaling, and a 7nm process instead of 14nm. That broader feature stack should age better as more games lean on modern upscaling and frame-generation support.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper card?

Radeon RX 5500 can still make sense if you find it at the right price, especially around $179 MSRP. Radeon RX 5500 is still the smarter buy for most people, though, because the raw performance is close while the overall package is cleaner. Radeon RX 5500 is about $50 cheaper on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $229 MSRP, and you are getting 3.4% higher G3D Mark. Moving to $179 MSRP gets you newer hardware, lower power draw (110W vs 150W), and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

Is Radeon RX 480 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 480 is still a strong gaming card in 2026: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. Price is really the swing factor here. If you find it at or below $229 MSRP, it remains a very sensible buy. Radeon RX 5500 is still the safer recommendation for most fresh builds because it offers a cleaner overall package with newer hardware and FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

Games Benchmarks

Real-world benchmarks and performance projections based on comprehensive hardware analysis and comparative metrics. Values represent expected performance on High/Ultra settings at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Modeled using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D reference profile to minimize specific CPU bottlenecks.

Note: Performance behavior can vary per game. Specific architectures may perform better or worse depending on game engine optimizations and API implementation.

Radeon RX 480 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	134 FPS	84 FPS
medium	113 FPS	72 FPS
high	97 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	39 FPS
1440p
low	114 FPS	74 FPS
medium	96 FPS	64 FPS
high	72 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	31 FPS
4K
low	39 FPS	28 FPS
medium	36 FPS	27 FPS
high	23 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	19 FPS	16 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	156 FPS	106 FPS
medium	135 FPS	74 FPS
high	115 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	34 FPS
1440p
low	91 FPS	73 FPS
medium	71 FPS	45 FPS
high	56 FPS	33 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	24 FPS
4K
low	37 FPS	34 FPS
medium	29 FPS	24 FPS
high	23 FPS	19 FPS
ultra	18 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	385 FPS	349 FPS
medium	308 FPS	304 FPS
high	256 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	288 FPS	285 FPS
medium	231 FPS	239 FPS
high	192 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	144 FPS	149 FPS
4K
low	192 FPS	176 FPS
medium	154 FPS	151 FPS
high	128 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	74 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
1080p
low	290 FPS	140 FPS
medium	252 FPS	113 FPS
high	210 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	213 FPS	103 FPS
medium	190 FPS	85 FPS
high	153 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	59 FPS
4K
low	120 FPS	60 FPS
medium	98 FPS	48 FPS
high	80 FPS	38 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	29 FPS

Open Radeon RX 480 Open Radeon RX 5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 480 and Radeon RX 5500

Radeon RX 480

The Radeon RX 480 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in June 29 2016. It features the GCN 4.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1120 MHz to 1266 MHz. It has 2304 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 150W. Manufactured using 14 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,546 points. Launch price was $229.

Radeon RX 5500

The Radeon RX 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in October 7 2019. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1845 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 110W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,837 points.

⚡

Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 480 scores 8,546 and the Radeon RX 5500 reaches 8,837 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 3.4% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance. The Radeon RX 480 is built on GCN 4.0 while the Radeon RX 5500 uses RDNA 1.0, both on 14 nm vs 7 nm. Shader units: 2,304 (Radeon RX 480) vs 1,408 (Radeon RX 5500). Raw compute: 5.834 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 480) vs 5.196 TFLOPS (Radeon RX 5500). Boost clocks: 1266 MHz vs 1845 MHz.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
G3D Mark Score	8,546	8,837+3%
Architecture	GCN 4.0	RDNA 1.0
Process Node	14 nm	7 nm
Shading Units	2304+64%	1408
Compute (TFLOPS)	5.834 TFLOPS+12%	5.196 TFLOPS
Boost Clock	1266 MHz	1845 MHz+46%
ROPs	32	32
TMUs	144+64%	88
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

A critical advantage for the Radeon RX 5500 is support for FSR Frame Generation. This allows it to generate entire frames using AI/Algorithms, essentially doubling the frame rate in CPU-bound scenarios or heavy ray-tracing titles. The Radeon RX 480 lacks specific hardware/driver support for this native frame generation tier.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	FSR Frame Generation
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 480 comes with 8 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 5500 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 480 offers 100% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 256 GB/s (Radeon RX 480) vs 224 GB/s (Radeon RX 5500) — a 14.3% advantage for the Radeon RX 480. Bus width: 256-bit vs 128-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
VRAM Capacity	8 GB+100%	4 GB
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	256 GB/s+14%	224 GB/s
Bus Width	256-bit+100%	128-bit

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon RX 480) vs 12.1 (Radeon RX 5500). Vulkan: 1.3 vs 1.2. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 4.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
DirectX	12.0	12.1
Vulkan	1.3+8%	1.2
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4	4

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 3.4 (Radeon RX 480) vs VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5500). Decoder: UVD 6.3 vs VCN 2.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 480) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 5500).

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
Encoder	VCE 3.4	VCN 2.0
Decoder	UVD 6.3	VCN 2.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 480 draws 150W versus the Radeon RX 5500's 110W — a 30.8% difference. The Radeon RX 5500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 500W (Radeon RX 480) vs 450W (Radeon RX 5500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 8-pin. Card length: 240mm vs 180mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 85°C vs 75°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 480	Radeon RX 5500
TDP	150W	110W-27%
Recommended PSU	500W	450W-10%
Power Connector	8-pin	8-pin
Length	240mm	180mm
Height	95mm	110mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	85°C	75°C-12%
Perf/Watt	57.0	80.3+41%

💰

Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 480 launched at $229 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 5500 launched at $179. The Radeon RX 5500 costs 21.8% less ($50 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 37.3 (Radeon RX 480) vs 49.4 (Radeon RX 5500) — the Radeon RX 5500 offers 32.4% better value. The Radeon RX 5500 is the newer GPU (2019 vs 2016).