Radeon HD 4850 vs GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon HD 4850 scores 1.5 and the GeForce GTX 550 Ti scores 1.3, which makes the Radeon HD 4850 about 15% faster. That is a visible but modest gap, usually 5 to 10 fps in a game that runs at 60.

Both cards have 1 GB of video memory, so memory will not separate them.

In our estimates for popular games at 1080p on High, the biggest gap is in Call of Duty (3 against 2 fps), and the smallest is in Grand Theft Auto V Legacy (20 against 18 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon HD 4850 is rated at 110 W and the GeForce GTX 550 Ti at 116 W. With a mid-range processor that means a power supply of about 450 W for the first and 450 W for the second. The power draw is close enough that cooling and noise will be similar.

At launch the Radeon HD 4850 cost $199 and the GeForce GTX 550 Ti $149. Per dollar, the GeForce GTX 550 Ti gave more performance (0.9 points per $100 against 0.8). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon HD 4850 if you want the faster card, and it also has at least as much memory. It makes the most sense at 1440p and above, or on a monitor with a high refresh rate.

Choose the GeForce GTX 550 Ti if the price gap matters more than the 15% speed difference. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.