Best RX 5500 XT Card for eSports & 1080p Gaming [Custom Models]

Radeon RX 5500 XT is a mainstream 1080p gaming graphics card from AMD that belongs to the Radeon RX 5000 graphics card series. The card comes after Radeon RX 5700 in the RX 5000 series, which is a powerful 1440P gaming card. The main competitors of the RX 5500 XT are the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER and GeForce GTX 1660 from Nvidia. Also, it faces stiff competition from RX 580 and RX 590, which are older AMD cards based on the Polaris GPU architecture. RX 5500 XT is quite a powerful graphics card for 1080p gaming and eSports and can run the latest AAA titles on ultra to high settings at 1080p and can comfortably deliver 50 FPS to 60+ FPS on average. The card is faster than the GTX 1650 SUPER but a little slower than the GTX 1660 in most of the games.

RX 5500 XT is built on the RDNA architecture on the 7nm manufacturing process. It uses the Navi 14 GPU and comes with 1408 Stream Processors and 4GB/ 8GB GB GDDR6 memory that runs at 14Gbps and is 192-bit wide. It comes with a GPU Base Clock of 1607 MHz, a Game Clock of 1717 MHz, and a Boost Clock of 1845 MHz. It supports DirectX 12, OpenGL 4.6, Vulkan, FreeSync 2, Radeon Boost, Radeon Anti-Lag, Radeon Image Sharpening, 4K H264 / H265/HEVC Encoding and Decoding, and the latest PCIe 4.0 interface, though at x8 speed only. The card is lower on power consumption and is rated for the maximum power draw of up to 130W. It requires one 8-pin PCIe connector and a 550W PSU for its working. The card is available from various authorized AIB partners in different variants with their own custom coolers and extra features, so here I am going to list the best RX 5500 XT cards based on various parameters for your specific requirements.

Note: Game Clock is the expected GPU clock when running typical gaming applications, set to typical TGP (Total Graphics Power). Actual individual game clock results may vary.

Best RX 5500 XT [Overall]

Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5500 XT

[Solid Build & Performance, Dual BIOS, Very Silent, Extra Features]

If you are looking for the best Radeon RX 5500 XT card that scores high points in every department then it is the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5500 XT. The card looks good, has great build quality, comes with a powerful cooler, runs quiet, and comes with extra features that you won’t on other RX 5500 XT. The card is slightly overclocked and comes with a Game clock of 1737 MHz, which is only 20MHz more than the reference. For cooling, the card employs Dual-X Cooling Technology that consists of a wide array aluminum heatsink with three copper heatpipes, a copper core for GPU, and dual 95mm fans with ball bearings. These are quick connect fans which means they are super easy to replace and clean because they are cable-free and use a special proprietary connector. The card also has semi-passive cooling technology, which means the fans get turned off during idle or low GPU load and start spinning when the load on the GPU increases, especially during gaming and benchmarking. Also, the card has dual BIOS having Silent and Performance Modes that let you choose whether you prefer quietness more or want the maximum cooling and performance. Moreover, even on the performance mode at full load, the card is very silent and is probably one of the most silent RX 5500 cards in the market.

The card is equipped with a stylish metal backplate that protects the card during handling and also gives it rigidity. The card supports TriXX Software which allows you to overclock and customize its various settings. Also, the TriXX Boost feature of this software allows you to gain more FPS and performance by allowing you to scale down the in-game resolution and then apply Radeon Image Sharpening so that you don’t lose out on visual quality and get the best of both worlds. Other features include fuse protection and the card uses 7+1+2 Phase Digital Power design for maximum stability during overclocking and at heavy loads. The card uses one 8-pin PCIe power connector and a 500W PSU is recommended for it. Connectivity options include two DisplayPort and one HDMI port. The card is available in both 4GB and 8GB memory capacity.

Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5500 XT Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1737 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	4GB/8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 x 3, HDMI 2.0b x 1

Buy Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 5500 XT

Best Value RX 5500 XT

Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 8G

[Semi-passive Cooling, Wider Availability]

If you are looking for an affordable RX 5500 XT card that is relatively cheaper but delivers great value then Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 8G is a great option. It is a dual-fan and dual-slot RX 5500 XT card that comes with WINDFORCE 2X Cooling System, which consists of a very well-designed heatsink with three copper heatpipes with direct touch GPU. There are two 90mm fans (with unique blade design) over the heatsink that spins in opposite directions to each other to reduce air turbulence for smoother airflow and it enhances cooling performance. The fans are pretty quiet and because of the semi-passive cooling 3D Active feature, they spin only when they load on the GPU is high, so that you can get the right balance between silence and performance.

The card comes with a plastic backplate for protection. It is an OC edition card with a Game Clock of 1733 which is 16 MHz more than the reference. The card uses an 8-pin PCIe connector for power and requires a 450W PSU for its working. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort and one HDMI port. The card is also available in a 4GB memory variant as Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 4G. You can overclock, adjust and monitor various parameters & settings of the card using the Gigabyte Aorus Engine software that be downloaded for free from Gigabyte’s website.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 8G Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1733 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort x 3, HDMI x 1

Buy Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 8G

Compact RX 5500 XT

PowerColor Radeon RX 5500 XT

A compact RX 5500 XT card that is only 180mm long and can fit in most of the small form factor (SFF) cases and builds easily. This is more like an original or reference RX 5500 XT card that runs on reference clock speeds. For cooling, it uses a compact heatsink with two copper heatpipes and a single large fan. The card comes with 4GB GDDR6 memory only and right now there is no 8GB variant available. It is great for compact gaming systems and for LAN party PCs for eSports gaming. The card requires a single 8-pin PCIe connector and a 450W PSU. It has fewer display connectivity options compared to other RX 5500 XT and offers a DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort.

Check out: Best SFF Graphics Cards for Compact Builds

PowerColor Radeon RX 5500 XT Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1717 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	4GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b x 1, DVI-D x 1

Buy PowerColor Radeon RX 5500 XT

Triple Fan RX 5500 XT

Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING OC 8G

[Semi-passive Cooling, RGB Lighting, Quieter]

Triple Fan Cooling for a budget card like RX 5500 XT is a kind of overkill, but if you are still interested in having a triple fan RX 5500 XT then you can get the Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING OC 8G. For cooling, the card uses WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System that comprises a larger heatsink with two longer copper heatpipes that have direct contact with the GPU for better heat transfer. There are three 80mm unique blade design alternate spinning fans, in which the middle fan spins in the opposite direction of the other two to reduce air turbulence and enhance airflow pressure for better heat dissipation. The fans are quiet in working and the 3D Active Fan feature of this card provides semi-passive cooling, where the fans remain off when the GPU is in low load or idle and they start automatically when the GPU load increases, especially during gaming.

The card comes with a protection backplate made of plastic and RGB lighting on the shroud that supports RGB Fusion 2.0 for syncing it with other Gigabyte RGB devices. This is an OC edition card that comes with a Game Clock of 1737 MHz which is 20 MHz higher than the reference. For power, the card requires an 8-pin PCI-E connector and a 450W PSU. Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort and one HDMI port. You can overclock this card further and adjust various other parameters using the Gigabyte’s AORUS ENGINE software.

Note: A 4GB variant of this card is also available as Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING OC 4G.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING OC 8G Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1737 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	8GB GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 x 3, HDMI 2.0b x 1

Buy Gigabyte Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING OC 8G

Best Looking RX 5500 XT

XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro

[Elegant & Classy Looks, Semi-passive Cooling]

If you care more about looks and want a stunning-looking RX 5500 XT card then it is the XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro. The iconic THICC line of graphics cards from XFX have always been appreciated for their looks and beauty. However, the major downside of these THICC cards is that they are quite wide and fatter than other cards, and can pose clearance issues even in some full-sized ATX cases. The card features a symmetrical design having a black shroud at the front/top and a black metal backplate and some plastic covering at the sides. The card uses an aluminum heatsink with copper heatpipes and dual fans for cooling. The Zero DB Fan Technology on this card provides semi-passive cooling where the fans get turned off during low GPU and they start again when the load increases.

This is a non-overclocked card that runs on the stock frequencies but you can overclock it using good overclocking software to get every last bit of performance from it. The card uses one 8-pin PCI-Express power connector and a 500W of PSU is recommended for it. Display outputs at the rear include three DisplayPort and one HDMI port.

XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1717 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 x 3, HDMI 2.0b x 1

Buy XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro

Buy XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB GDDR6 THICC II Pro

Premium RX 5500 XT

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING X 8G

[RGB Lighting, Power Allocation Technology, Semi-passive Cooling, Solid Build]

If you are looking for an all-around premium package then MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING X 8G is certainly a great option to consider. Also, this card is widely available and offers better support because it is from MSI. This is an overclocked RX 5500 XT card having a Game Clock of 1737 MHz. The card uses MSI TWIN FROZR Thermal Design cooler that comprises of an aluminum heatsink with four copper heatpipes and dual TORX 3.0 fans having dispersion and traditional fan blade design for increased airflow and static pressure for better cooling. The ZERO FROZR technology on this card provides semi-passive cooling and stops the fans completely when temperatures are relatively low (< 60°C), providing super silent operation, and when the GPU temperature increases above 60°C, the fans will automatically start spinning again to keep the card cool. The fans on this card remain very silent, even during full load and they are barely audible.

The card comes with a metal backplate for protection and rigidity, and RGB LED lighting on the shroud that supports MSI Mystic Sync. One extra special feature of this card is the Innovative Power Allocation Technology, where the card draws most of the power from the 8-pin PCIe connector from the PSU, thereby putting a lesser load on the PCIe slot of the motherboard to avoid overloading and provides the card a cleaner power signal to ensure optimal performance. The card requires a single 8-pin PCI-E connector and a 450W PSU is recommended for it. Connectivity options include three DisplayPort and one HDMI port. You can overclock the card further, monitor, tweak and adjust various settings using the MSI Afterburner utility. Overall, a solidly built card that looks great and also provides great performance in all departments.

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING X 8G Specifications
Stream Processors	1408
GPU Clock	1737 MHz/1845 MHz (Game/Boost)
Memory Clock	14 Gbps
Memory Size	GDDR6
Memory Interface	128-bit
Bus Interface	PCI Express 4.0
DirectX	12
OpenGL	4.6
PCI-E Power Connector	8-pin x 1
Output Ports	DisplayPort 1.4 x 3, HDMI 2.0b x 1

Buy MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT GAMING X 8G

Other Radeon RX 5500 XT Cards

• PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5500 XT [Good All-round performance]
• SAPPHIRE NITRO+ RX 5500 XT 8G GDDR6 SE [Feature Rich with ARGB LED]
• MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT MECH 8G OC [Budget RX 5500 XT]
• ASUS Dual Radeon RX 5500 XT EVO [Feature Rich, Silent, High OC]

See also:

• 4GB RX 5500 XT vs 8GB RX 5500 XT Comparison & Benchmarks
• RX 5500 XT vs GTX 1650 SUPER vs RX 580 vs GTX 1660 Comparison

Final Words

So, if you are looking forward to get your hands on your next RX 5500 XT card then you can choose the one that suits you the best from the above-mentioned list. However, if you are still confused about which RX 5500 XT card to get then you can ask me in the comment section below.