Radeon HD 6550A vs Radeon HD 8790M

When comparing Radeon HD 6550A and Radeon HD 8790M, 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 HD 6550A and Radeon HD 8790M is the price. Does the additional cost justify the performance hit? Our comparison should help you make the right decision.

Radeon HD 8790M is a Laptop Graphics Card

Note: Radeon HD 8790M 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 8790M here:

Main Specs

  Radeon HD 6550A Radeon HD 8790M
Power consumption (TDP) 35 Watt
Interface MXM-A (3.0) MXM-A (3.0)
Supplementary power connectors None
Memory type GDDR3 GDDR5
Maximum RAM amount 2 GB 2 GB
Display Connectors No outputs No outputs
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  • Both video cards are using MXM-A (3.0) interface connection to a motherboard.
  • Radeon HD 6550A and Radeon HD 8790M have maximum RAM of 2 GB.
  • Radeon HD 6550A is used in Desktops, and Radeon HD 8790M - in Laptops.
  • Radeon HD 6550A is build with TeraScale 2 architecture, and Radeon HD 8790M - with GCN.
  • Core clock speed of Radeon HD 8790M is 300 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6550A.
  • Radeon HD 6550A is manufactured by 40 nm process technology, and Radeon HD 8790M - by 28 nm process technology.
  • Memory clock speed of Radeon HD 8790M is 2900 MHz higher, than Radeon HD 6550A.

Game benchmarks

high / 1080p 0−1 3−4
ultra / 1080p 1−2
QHD / 1440p 0−1 0−1
low / 720p 1−2 14−16
medium / 1080p 0−1 6−7
The average gaming FPS of Radeon HD 8790M in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is 1400% more, than Radeon HD 6550A.

Full Specs

  Radeon HD 6550A Radeon HD 8790M
Architecture TeraScale 2 GCN
Code name Pinewood Mars XTX
Type Desktop Laptop
Release date 7 February 2011 16 November 2012
Pipelines 480 384
Core clock speed 550 MHz 850 MHz
Boost Clock 900 MHz
Transistor count 627 million 950 million
Manufacturing process technology 40 nm 28 nm
Texture fill rate 13.20 21.60
Floating-point performance 624.0 gflops 691.2 gflops
Memory bus width 128 Bit 128 Bit
Memory clock speed 1600 MHz 4500 MHz
Memory bandwidth 25.6 GB/s 64 GB/s
Shared memory -
DirectX 11.2 (11_0) 12 (11_1)
Shader Model 5.0 5.1
OpenGL 4.4 4.6
OpenCL 1.2 1.2
Vulkan N/A 1.2.131
Bitcoin / BTC (SHA256) 80 Mh/s
Laptop size medium sized
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