Radeon 550X vs Radeon HD 6870

When comparing Radeon 550X and Radeon HD 6870, we look primarily at benchmarks and game tests. But it is not only about the numbers. Often you can find third-party models with higher clock speeds, better cooling, or a customizable RGB lighting. Not all of them will have all the features you need. Another thing to consider is the port selection. Most graphics cards have at least one DisplayPort and HDMI interface, but some monitors require DVI. Before you buy, check the TDP of the graphics card - this characteristic will help you estimate the consumption of the graphics card. You may even have to upgrade your PSU to meet its requirements. An important factor when choosing between Radeon 550X and Radeon HD 6870 is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Main Specs

  Radeon 550X Radeon HD 6870
Power consumption (TDP) 50 Watt 151 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x8 PCIe 2.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None 2x 6-pin
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 1 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini-DisplayPort
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  • Radeon HD 6870 has 202% more power consumption, than Radeon 550X.
  • Radeon 550X is connected by PCIe 3.0 x8, and Radeon HD 6870 uses PCIe 2.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon 550X has 1 GB more memory, than Radeon HD 6870.
  • Both cards are used in Desktops.
  • Radeon 550X is build with GCN 4.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 6870 - with Terascale 2.
  • Radeon 550X is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 6870 - by 40 nm process technology.
  • Radeon HD 6870 is 75 mm longer, than Radeon 550X.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon 550X is 5950 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6870.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 7−8 10−12
ultra / 1080p 4−5 6−7
QHD / 1440p 0−1 1−2
low / 720p 16−18 24−27
medium / 1080p 9−10 12−14
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 6870 in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 55% more, than Radeon 550X.

Full Specs

  Radeon 550X Radeon HD 6870
Architecture GCN 4.0 Terascale 2
Code name Lexa RV940 Barts
Type Desktop Desktop
Release date 27 March 2019 22 October 2010
Pipelines 512 1120
Core clock speed 1082 MHz
Boost Clock 1218 MHz 900 MHz
Transistor count 2,200 million 1,700 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 40 nm
Texture fill rate 38.98 50.40
Floating-point performance 2,016.0 gflops
Length 145 mm 220 mm
Memory bus width 128 Bit 256 Bit
Memory clock speed 7000 MHz 1050 MHz
Memory bandwidth 112.0 GB/s 134.4 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (12_0)
Shader Model 6.4 5.0
OpenGL 4.6 4.4
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131
Bus support PCIe 2.0 x16
HDMI +
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 213 Mh/s
Eyefinity +
Design reference
CrossFire +
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