AMD Radeon RX 550

AMD Radeon RX 550 in 2025: A Budget GPU for Basic Tasks

Overview of Capabilities, Performance, and Target Audience

1. Architecture and Key Features

Polaris Architecture: A Timeless Foundation

The AMD Radeon RX 550 is based on the Polaris architecture, which was introduced back in 2016. Despite its age, in 2025 this graphics card remains an affordable option for undemanding users. It is manufactured using a 14 nm process, which lags behind the modern 5–7 nm processes but ensures a low cost.

Unique Features: FidelityFX and Modest Driver Upgrades

The RX 550 lacks support for ray tracing (RTX) or similar technologies due to the absence of hardware RT cores. However, AMD has integrated support for FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) in the drivers, allowing for enhanced gaming performance through upscaling. For instance, FSR 2.0 works even on this card, increasing FPS by 20–30% in supported games.

2. Memory: Modest Specs for Basic Tasks

GDDR5: Outdated but Functional Option

The graphics card is equipped with either 2 or 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus. The bandwidth is 112 GB/s, which appears weak in 2025 compared to GDDR6 (up to 600 GB/s). This is sufficient for office tasks and older games, but modern titles with high-resolution textures will experience loading delays.

Memory Volume: 4 GB as the Minimum Standard

The 4 GB model is preferable: even in undemanding games like Fortnite or CS:GO, 2 GB may become a bottleneck. For editing 1080p video in DaVinci Resolve, 4 GB is the minimum requirement.

3. Gaming Performance: Only for Light Projects

1080p: Comfortable, but on Low Settings

In League of Legends or Dota 2, the RX 550 delivers 60–80 FPS on medium settings. In heavier games, such as Apex Legends, FPS drops to 30–40 (low settings + FSR). For Cyberpunk 2077 (without ray tracing), the card barely reaches 20–25 FPS, which is unacceptable for comfortable gaming.

1440p and 4K: Not Recommended

Due to its weak computational power and limited memory, the RX 550 is unsuitable for resolutions higher than 1080p. Even with FSR, games at 1440p will run at below 30 FPS.

Ray Tracing: Absent

There is no hardware support for RT cores. Software methods (for example, Radeon Raytracing Analyzer) are ineffective — FPS drops by 80–90%.

4. Professional Tasks: Minimum for Beginners

Video Editing: Basic Capabilities

In Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, the RX 550 handles 1080p video editing, but rendering will take 2-3 times longer than on modern GPUs. OpenCL support speeds up some filters, but for 4K or effects an upgrade will be necessary.

3D Modeling: Only for Learning

In Blender or Maya, the card can process simple scenes, but complex projects with high-polygon models will cause lag. CUDA acceleration is not available (NVIDIA ecosystem), so rendering through OpenCL is less efficient.

Scientific Calculations: Non-Target Use

For machine learning or computations, it's better to choose cards with ROCm support (relevant for new AMD GPUs) or NVIDIA with CUDA. The RX 550 is only suitable for basic tasks such as data analysis in Excel.

5. Power Consumption and Heat Dissipation: A Quiet and Cool Option

TDP 50–75 W: Savings on the Power Supply

The card does not require additional power — a PCIe slot is sufficient. Average power consumption under load is 65 W and under idle is less than 10 W.

Cooling: Passive or Compact Cooler

Many RX 550 models come with passive coolers or single fans. Under load, the temperature stays within 60–70°C, which is acceptable. For cases with poor ventilation, a model with active cooling is recommended.

Case Recommendations

Any case with at least one exhaust fan will suffice. Mini-ITX builds are an ideal scenario for this card.

6. Comparison with Competitors

NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030: The Main Rival

The GT 1030 (2 GB GDDR5) is similar in price ($75–$90) but falls short in performance: in GTA V, the RX 550 provides 15–20% more FPS. However, NVIDIA drivers are more stable in professional applications.

AMD Radeon RX 6400: A New Budget Option

The RX 6400 (6 nm, 4 GB GDDR6) costs $120–$150 and is 50–70% more powerful. However, for builds without PCIe 4.0, the RX 550 is more advantageous due to its compatibility with PCIe 3.0.

Intel Arc A380: An Alternative with AV1 Support

The Arc A380 ($110–$130) supports hardware AV1 encoding and ray tracing, but requires a modern platform (PCIe 4.0, Resizable BAR). For older PCs, the RX 550 is more practical.

7. Practical Tips

Power Supply: 300 W is Sufficient

Even for a build with a Ryzen 5 5600G processor, a 300–400 W PSU will suffice. The key is to have an 80+ Bronze certification.

Compatibility: PCIe 3.0 and Older Platforms

The card works on PCIe 3.0 x8, making it compatible with PCs from 2015–2020. For motherboards without UEFI, disabling Secure Boot may be necessary.

Drivers: Stability vs. Freshness

Use the recommended Adrenalin 24.4.1 drivers (April 2025) — they are optimized for FSR 2.0. Avoid beta versions as they often cause artifacts on the RX 550.

8. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Price: $80–$100 for a new model.

- Energy Efficiency: Suitable for low-power builds.

- Quiet Operation: Passive cooling in most models.

Cons:

- Weak performance in modern games.

- No ray tracing support.

- Only 4 GB of GDDR5 memory.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the RX 550 Suitable For?

This graphics card is a choice for:

1. Office PCs and Media Centers: watching 4K videos, document work.

2. Starter Gaming Builds: games up to 2018 on medium settings.

3. Upgrading Old Systems: replacing integrated graphics without a PSU upgrade.

Why the RX 550 in 2025?

Despite its age, it remains the most affordable GPU with FSR support and 4 GB of memory. If your budget is limited to $100 and your graphical demands are minimal, this is a rational choice. However, for modern games or professional tasks, it’s better to consider the RX 6400 or Intel Arc A380.

Prices are current as of April 2025. Please check for the availability of models with authorized AMD dealers.