Radeon RX 6500 XT vs GeForce GTX 1650

Speed and memory

In our performance index the Radeon RX 6500 XT scores 12 and the GeForce GTX 1650 scores 8, which makes the Radeon RX 6500 XT about 50% faster. That is a gap you will notice: roughly one step up in quality setting, or the difference between 60 and 80 fps.

Both cards have 4 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 Cyberpunk 2077 (25 against 17 fps), and the smallest is in ELDEN RING (37 against 26 fps). Games that are light enough to run above 200 fps on both cards show little difference at all.

Power and value

The Radeon RX 6500 XT is rated at 107 W and the GeForce GTX 1650 at 75 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 RX 6500 XT cost $199 and the GeForce GTX 1650 $149. Per dollar, the Radeon RX 6500 XT gave more performance (6.0 points per $100 against 5.4). Current prices differ, so run the same sum on what you can actually buy today.

Which one to buy

Choose the Radeon RX 6500 XT 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 1650 if the price gap matters more than the 50% speed difference, or if you want lower power draw and a quieter PC. Whichever you pick, check reviews for the games you play, because two cards with similar scores can differ in individual titles.