Radeon RX 5300 vs Radeon RX 6500

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 5300

2020

Why buy it

✅16.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 59.0 vs 38.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
✅Measures 172mm instead of 180mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5300 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 5300 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
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54.3% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 38.2 vs 59.0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Radeon RX 5300

2020

Radeon RX 6500

Why buy it

✅16.7% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅Costs $70 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 54.2% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 59.0 vs 38.2 G3D/$ ($129 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅More future proof: RDNA 1.0 (2019−2020) on 7nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Why buy it

✅33.3% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (4 GB vs 3 GB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 100W, a 25W reduction.
✅Measures 172mm instead of 180mm, a 8mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Less VRAM, with 3 GB vs 4 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 100W vs 75W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon RX 5300 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Weaker long-term outlook: Radeon RX 5300 is the safer future-proof pick thanks to newer hardware and better gaming feature support.
❌
54.3% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$129 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 38.2 vs 59.0 G3D/$ ($199 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Radeon RX 5300 better than Radeon RX 6500?

Yes, but this is not really about a huge raw performance gap. Radeon RX 5300 averages 16.7% more FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data. The broader synthetic picture is also very close at 7,606 vs 7,610 in G3D Mark. The bigger reason to prefer Radeon RX 5300 is the overall package: you are getting a newer generation, FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation.

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

Radeon RX 5300 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer 2020 generation instead of 0, better upscaling support with FSR Upscaling / FSR 4 (2025) instead of FSR 3 (2023), and a 7nm process instead of Unknown node. 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 5300 is the smarter buy today, but it is not as lopsided as a simple winner label makes it sound. Radeon RX 5300 is about $70 cheaper on MSRP at $129 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and you are getting 16.7% more estimated average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and a lower G3D Mark (7,606 vs 7,610). It also leads G3D-per-dollar by 54.2%. That is why the better overall card still comes out as the smarter buy today, not just the faster one.

Is Radeon RX 6500 still worth buying for gaming in 2026?

Yes. Radeon RX 6500 is still a strong modern gaming GPU: it is still comfortable for 1080p and decent for 1440p, though 4K is more situational. It remains a good buy when you can get it meaningfully cheaper than the alternative around $199 MSRP, even if Radeon RX 5300 is still the cleaner recommendation on overall value today.

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 5300 Benchmark Check

Radeon RX 6500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	89 FPS	78 FPS
medium	79 FPS	68 FPS
high	63 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	52 FPS	35 FPS
1440p
low	79 FPS	71 FPS
medium	68 FPS	60 FPS
high	52 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	28 FPS
4K
low	39 FPS	25 FPS
medium	36 FPS	24 FPS
high	24 FPS	16 FPS
ultra	21 FPS	14 FPS

Open Radeon RX 5300 Open Radeon RX 6500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	122 FPS	106 FPS
medium	91 FPS	73 FPS
high	65 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	33 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	72 FPS
medium	55 FPS	44 FPS
high	41 FPS	32 FPS
ultra	29 FPS	23 FPS
4K
low	36 FPS	34 FPS
medium	26 FPS	23 FPS
high	21 FPS	18 FPS
ultra	15 FPS	13 FPS

Open Radeon RX 5300 Open Radeon RX 6500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	342 FPS	299 FPS
medium	274 FPS	258 FPS
high	228 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	160 FPS
1440p
low	257 FPS	221 FPS
medium	205 FPS	198 FPS
high	171 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	121 FPS
4K
low	171 FPS	135 FPS
medium	137 FPS	117 FPS
high	101 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	53 FPS

Open Radeon RX 5300 Open Radeon RX 6500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
1080p
low	247 FPS	131 FPS
medium	191 FPS	107 FPS
high	164 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	77 FPS
1440p
low	192 FPS	99 FPS
medium	148 FPS	82 FPS
high	120 FPS	71 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	58 FPS
4K
low	93 FPS	58 FPS
medium	71 FPS	47 FPS
high	61 FPS	37 FPS
ultra	48 FPS	29 FPS

Open Radeon RX 5300 Open Radeon RX 6500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Radeon RX 5300 and Radeon RX 6500

Radeon RX 5300

The Radeon RX 5300 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in May 28 2020. It features the RDNA 1.0 architecture. The core clock ranges from 1327 MHz to 1645 MHz. It has 1408 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 100W. Manufactured using 7 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,606 points.

Radeon RX 6500

The Radeon RX 6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in sem dados. The thermal design power (TDP) is 75W. G3D Mark benchmark score: 7,610 points.

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Graphics Performance

The Radeon RX 5300 scores 7,606 and the Radeon RX 6500 reaches 7,610 in the G3D Mark benchmark — just a 0.1% difference, making them near-identical in rasterization performance.

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
G3D Mark Score	7,606	7,610
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling + limited Frame Generation	FSR 3 + AFMF

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Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Both cards support Frame Generation, but the Radeon RX 6500 is on a newer tier with FSR Frame Generation + AFMF, while the Radeon RX 5300 tops out at FSR Frame Generation.

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR 3
Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation	FSR Frame Generation + AFMF
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

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Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon RX 5300 comes with 3 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon RX 6500 has 4 GB. The Radeon RX 6500 offers 33.3% more capacity, crucial for higher resolutions and texture-heavy games. Memory bandwidth: 168 GB/s (Radeon RX 5300) vs 144 GB/s (Radeon RX 6500) — a 16.7% advantage for the Radeon RX 5300. Bus width: 96-bit vs 64-bit.

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
VRAM Capacity	3 GB	4 GB+33%
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bandwidth	168 GB/s+17%	144 GB/s
Bus Width	96-bit+50%	64-bit

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Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.1 (Radeon RX 5300) vs 12.2 (Radeon RX 6500). Vulkan: 1.4 vs 1.3. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.6. Maximum simultaneous displays: 4 vs 2.

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
DirectX	12.1	12.2
Vulkan	1.4+8%	1.3
OpenGL	4.6	4.6
Max Displays	4+100%	2

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Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCN 2.0 (Radeon RX 5300) vs None (Radeon RX 6500). Decoder: VCN 2.0 vs VCN 3.0. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC (Radeon RX 5300) vs MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9 (Radeon RX 6500).

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
Encoder	VCN 2.0	None
Decoder	VCN 2.0	VCN 3.0
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC	MPEG-2,H.264,HEVC,VP9

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Power & Dimensions

The Radeon RX 5300 draws 100W versus the Radeon RX 6500's 75W — a 28.6% difference. The Radeon RX 6500 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 350W (Radeon RX 5300) vs 400W (Radeon RX 6500). Power connectors: 8-pin vs 1x 6-pin. Card length: 180mm vs 172mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 75°C vs 85°C.

Feature	Radeon RX 5300	Radeon RX 6500
TDP	100W	75W-25%
Recommended PSU	350W-13%	400W
Power Connector	8-pin	1x 6-pin
Length	180mm	172mm
Height	111mm	112mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	75°C-12%	85°C
Perf/Watt	76.1	101.5+33%

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Value Analysis

The Radeon RX 5300 launched at $129 MSRP, while the Radeon RX 6500 launched at $199. The Radeon RX 5300 costs 35.2% less ($70 savings) on MSRP. Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 59.0 (Radeon RX 5300) vs 38.2 (Radeon RX 6500) — the Radeon RX 5300 offers 54.5% better value.