Radeon 550X vs Radeon HD 8870M

When comparing Radeon 550X and Radeon HD 8870M, 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 8870M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8870M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8870M is only used in laptop graphics. It has lower GPU clock speed compared to the desktop variant, which results in lower power consumption, but also 10-30% lower gaming performance. Check available laptop models with Radeon HD 8870M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon 550X Radeon HD 8870M
Power consumption (TDP) 50 Watt
Interface PCIe 3.0 x8 PCIe 3.0 x16
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR5 GDDR5, DDR3
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors 1x DVI, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort No outputs
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  • Radeon 550X is connected by PCIe 3.0 x8, and Radeon HD 8870M uses PCIe 3.0 x16 interface.
  • Radeon 550X and Radeon HD 8870M have maximum RAM of 2 GB.
  • Radeon 550X is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8870M - in Laptops.
  • Radeon 550X is build with GCN 4.0 architecture, and Radeon HD 8870M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon 550X is 357 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8870M.
  • Radeon 550X is manufactured by 14 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 8870M - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon 550X is 2500 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 8870M.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 7−8 7−8
ultra / 1080p 4−5 4−5
QHD / 1440p 0−1 0−1
low / 720p 16−18 18−20
medium / 1080p 9−10 9−10
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 8870M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 11% more, than Radeon 550X.

Full Specs

  Radeon 550X Radeon HD 8870M
Architecture GCN 4.0 GCN
Code name Lexa Venus
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 27 March 2019 18 December 2012
Pipelines 512 640
Core clock speed 1082 MHz 725 MHz
Boost Clock 1218 MHz 775 MHz
Transistor count 2,200 million 1,500 million
Manufacturing process technology 14 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 38.98 31.00
Floating-point performance 992.0 gflops
Length 145 mm
Memory bus width 128 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 7000 MHz 4500 MHz
Memory bandwidth 112.0 GB/s 72 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 12 (12_0) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 6.4 5.1
OpenGL 4.6 4.6
OpenCL 2.0 1.2
Vulkan 1.2.131 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 107 Mh/s
Laptop size large
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