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TechPowerUp’s November 22, 2019 review presents the Radeon RX 5500 as an AMD mainstream 1080p card, but its price and performance-per-dollar conclusions are historical. The review’s useful evidence today is the behavior of the specific card tested, while specifications and driver availability should come from AMD’s current product and support pages.
What Radeon RX 5500 TechPowerUp reviewed
W1zzard published the TechPowerUp review on November 22, 2019, shortly after AMD introduced the desktop RX 5500 series for 1080p gaming. The opened material includes the review’s performance-per-dollar analysis and a noise passage, but not the complete benchmark table or final conclusion. Consequently, this article does not assign the card a modern ranking or quote game-by-game frame rates that are not present in the available evidence.
TechPowerUp’s performance-per-dollar page compared relative performance with US dollar prices checked at Newegg at the time. When a product was unavailable, the page used the last reasonable price point. That method can explain what value looked like in late 2019; it cannot establish today’s used price, new-stock price, or buying recommendation.
RX 5500 specifications
AMD’s current desktop RX 5500 specification page lists the following capabilities. Exact clock behavior, cooler, dimensions, outputs and power connectors can vary by board partner, so check the label and manual for the particular card.
#1 Best Overall
- Chipset Radeon RX 5500 XT
- Boost Clock 1845 MHz
- Video Memory 8GB GDDR6
- Memory Interface 128-bit
- Output DisplayPort x 3 (V1 4)/ HDMI 2 0B x 1
| Specification | AMD-listed value |
|---|---|
| Architecture context | RDNA-generation desktop GPU |
| Compute units | 22 |
| Stream processors | 1,408 |
| Boost frequency | Up to 1,845 MHz |
| Game frequency | 1,670 MHz |
| Peak FP32 throughput | 5.2 TFLOPs |
| Memory | Up to 4 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory interface | 128-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | Up to 224 GB/s |
| Typical desktop board power | 150 W |
| Auxiliary power | One 8-pin connector |
| AMD minimum PSU recommendation | 550 W |
| Display and media features | HDMI 4K60 support; H.264/H.265 encode and decode support |
“Up to” values describe AMD’s specification limits, not a promise that every partner model reaches those clocks or uses the same cooler. A 4 GB framebuffer and 128-bit bus also describe capacity and interface, not a guaranteed frame rate in a particular game.
How much power does an RX 5500 use?
AMD rates the desktop RX 5500 at 150 W typical board power and recommends a 550 W minimum system power supply with one 8-pin auxiliary connector. Those are platform-planning figures, not a measurement of wall consumption for every computer. CPU choice, motherboard, storage, transient behavior and the card’s factory settings affect total system draw. Confirm that a prospective card actually has the stated connector and that the power supply provides the required cable.
Rank #2
- Axial-tech fans now feature a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure
- 2.5-slot design allows for greater build compatibility while maintaining cooling performance
- 0dB technology lets you enjoy light gaming in relative silence
- Dual BIOS switch lets you toggle between Quiet and Performance BIOS profiles
- Dual ball fan bearings last up to twice as long as sleeve bearing designs
What TechPowerUp measured for noise
The review’s noise passage reports 32 dBA while gaming and describes the tested card as quiet. It also says that this sample did not have fan-stop operation. These are observations of that review sample under its test conditions, not a universal RX 5500 specification: partner cards can use different fans, heatsinks, BIOS settings and fan-stop policies. Treat the figure as a historical acoustic reference rather than a guarantee for an unidentified used card.
What AMD claimed at launch
In its October 7, 2019 announcement, AMD positioned the RX 5500 series for 1080p gaming and claimed “up to 37 percent faster performance on average than the competitive product in select titles at 1080p.” AMD’s footnote says the figure came from pre-production hardware tested in AMD performance labs on August 29, 2019. “Up to,” “average,” “select titles” and AMD’s own test conditions are essential qualifications; the number is not an independent, all-games result and should not be treated as a current comparison.
Rank #3
- 🎮【New RNDA architecturearchitecture and Superior Gaminig Experience】 This RX 5500XT 8G Adopting a new RNDA architecture, which brings highly realistic gaming experience. RX 5500XT helps users to pursue the extreme picture and immersive fast game world.
- 🖥【Multiple Interfaces and High Defination】The 5500XT graphic card included 3X DisplayPort 1.4a. +1X HDMI 2.0b. RX 5500XT is connected to the rest of the system using a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 interface which has higher resolution,show more character action details and clearer image quality, delivers more higher definition pc gaming effect and experience.
- 🔌【Low Consumption and Independently Powered】Being a dual-slot card, the RX 5500XT draws power from 1x 8-pin power connector, with power draw rated at 130 W maximum.If you have any questions about the product, please contact seller support.
- 🔇【low noise and Durable】This rx 5500XT 8g pc gaming video card has semi-automatic intelligent fans system, which can automatically sense the GPU temperature. When the GPU temperature is low or under low load, the fans will automatically stop running, providing a comfortable office experience with zero noise and extended service life of this 8g graphic cards.
- 🆒【Outstanding Heat Dissipation】Composite heat pipes of this RX 5500XT can directly and greatly contact the GPU core in order to quickly export the core heat, avoiding the problems such as GPU full load frequency reduction and improving the stability and life of long-term use.
Drivers and support-page information
The AMD support page checked for this article displayed Windows 10 and Windows 11 Adrenalin packages dated August 20, 2026, including version 26.8.1 WHQL Recommended and version 26.9.1 WHQL Optional dated September 3, 2026. Driver listings change, so check AMD’s support page when installing software and select the package for the operating system and exact product. A current download listing does not establish a guaranteed future support period or equal performance in modern games.
Is the RX 5500 good for 1080p gaming?
The card was designed for mainstream 1080p play, and its 4 GB GDDR6 configuration and 150 W board-power class explain that market position. However, the supplied TechPowerUp material does not provide enough complete, current benchmark data to say how it ranks against today’s GPUs or to promise a frame rate in a named game. Whether it is suitable now depends on the title, settings, desired frame rate, system, card condition and local price.
Rank #4
- Chipset: AMD RX 7600
- Memory: 8GB GDDR6
- XFX SWFT Dual Fan Cooling Solution
- Boost Clock: Up to 2655 MHz
When the historical review is useful
- Understanding the RX 5500’s launch-era positioning and AMD’s stated 1080p target.
- Checking the tested card’s reported 32 dBA gaming noise and lack of fan-stop.
- Comparing its original specifications with another card when both are tested under the same conditions.
What it cannot answer by itself
- Current new or used-market pricing and value.
- Modern game performance, ranking or recommended settings.
- Thermal behavior of every partner design.
- How long AMD will continue publishing drivers.
What to check before buying a used or legacy RX 5500
- Identify the exact board-partner model and verify its cooler, dimensions, display outputs and 8-pin requirement.
- Confirm that the power supply can meet AMD’s 550 W recommendation and has the correct dedicated cable.
- Ask for evidence that the fans, video outputs and memory operate correctly; the TechPowerUp sample’s acoustic behavior may not match another card.
- Compare a same-test performance result and the actual local price and condition with alternatives. The 2019 Newegg prices in TechPowerUp’s index are not a present-day valuation.
- Install the current driver package listed by AMD for the card and operating system, then reassess compatibility with the games you actually play.
How to read the review’s conclusion as historical evidence
Separate three kinds of statements: AMD’s launch positioning and laboratory claim; TechPowerUp’s independent observations of one retail-era card; and AMD’s current specification and support-page entries. The first explains what AMD promised, the second records what the reviewer observed, and the third describes information AMD currently publishes. Keeping those categories apart prevents a 2019 value index or a single-card noise result from being mistaken for a 2026 buying verdict.
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