RX 5500 XT 4GB vs RX 6500 XT

GPU Head-to-Head · FPS & Value Comparison

RX 5500 XT 4GB vs RX 6500 XT: Gaming Performance Comparison in 1080p Ultra

In gaming, the RX 5500 XT 4GB delivers approximately +5% higher frame rates compared to the RX 6500 XT in 1080p Ultra (both featuring 4GB VRAM). For budget-conscious buyers, the RX 6500 XT currently offers +16.0% better value, available at a $25.70 price difference.

RX 5500 XT 4GB Advantages

Up to 5% faster in gaming benchmarks on average – 30 vs 28 FPS

RX 6500 XT Advantages

Up to 16.0% better value for money – $4.18 vs $4.85/FPS

Costs only 82% of the price – $118 vs $144 (18% cheaper)

Is newer – 2022-01-01 vs 2019-12-01

Consumes up to 18% less energy – 107W vs 130W

Performance Analytics

Average FPS across 21 games · all benchmarks use the same test suite

1080p Ultra

Full HD — max settings

AVG FPS
RX 5500 XT 4GB
29.6fps(100%)
RX 6500 XT
28.2fps(95%)
WinnerRX 5500 XT 4GB
+5% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RX 6500 XT FPS ÷ RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS) × 100
Example: (28.2 ÷ 29.6) × 100 = 95%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS - RX 6500 XT FPS) ÷ RX 6500 XT FPS) × 100
Example: ((29.6 - 28.2) ÷ 28.2) × 100 = 5%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RX 6500 XT is only 95% as fast, then RX 5500 XT 4GB should be 5% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "5% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (95% of and 5% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

1440p Ultra

1440p QHD — max settings

AVG FPS
RX 5500 XT 4GB
17.7fps(100%)
RX 6500 XT
16fps(90%)
WinnerRX 5500 XT 4GB
+11% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RX 6500 XT FPS ÷ RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS) × 100
Example: (16 ÷ 17.7) × 100 = 90%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS - RX 6500 XT FPS) ÷ RX 6500 XT FPS) × 100
Example: ((17.7 - 16) ÷ 16) × 100 = 11%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RX 6500 XT is only 90% as fast, then RX 5500 XT 4GB should be 10% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "11% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (90% of and 11% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

4K Ultra

3840×2160 — max settings

AVG FPS
RX 5500 XT 4GB
9.8fps(100%)
RX 6500 XT
7.6fps(78%)
WinnerRX 5500 XT 4GB
+29% faster
General Explanation of Benchmark Percentages

When you see two FPS numbers, there are two common but different ways to show the difference:

"X% of the performance"

This compares the slower card to the faster card.

Formula: (RX 6500 XT FPS ÷ RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS) × 100
Example: (7.6 ÷ 9.8) × 100 = 78%
"X% faster"

This shows how much more the faster card performs compared to the slower one.

Formula: ((RX 5500 XT 4GB FPS - RX 6500 XT FPS) ÷ RX 6500 XT FPS) × 100
Example: ((9.8 - 7.6) ÷ 7.6) × 100 = 29%
Why Someone Might Get Confused:

You naturally think: "If RX 6500 XT is only 78% as fast, then RX 5500 XT 4GB should be 22% faster" — but that's incorrect.

The "29% faster" is measured against the slower card, not against the faster one. So both numbers (78% of and 29% faster) are mathematically correct at the same time.

Efficiency Coefficient 1080p Ultra (Higher = Better Value)

Performance delivered per currency unit: FPS/$

RX 5500 XT 4GB
0.206 Value86% Efficiency
RX 6500 XT
0.239 Value100% Efficiency