AMD’s Radeon RX 550 is on sale again in Japan

Current scarcity and exorbitant prices of new goods GPU has led to older AMD Radeon RX 550 rebranded and resold in Japan. These cards were originally released in 2017 as budget options priced under $100. Once thought to be discontinued, they are back on shelves and selling for more than ever.

When the RX 550 was dropped, it used AMD’s Polaris Architecture and there are 2GB and 4GB models. It also has a base clock speed of 1,100MHz and a boost clock speed of 1,183MHz with a 128-bit bus. These specifications pale in comparison to best AMD card and much lower than the current input level of 6500 XT with the same 4GB memory but much higher 2610MHz base clock and 2815 boost clock.

Based on Hermitage Akihabara, at least four retailers are stocking the RX 550 from an add-on partner (AIB) named “Expert Orientated” in Japan. There are only 4GB versions available, and they cost around 17,600 Japanese yen ($155).

While $155 might be high for a 5 year old graphics card, it makes perfect sense in the present times. GPUs cost more due to ongoing chip shortages and even AMD’Latest entry level option hard to find and expensive than its MSRP.

As an old, low-end graphics card, the RX 550 has some serious performance limitations. The fact that it has no DisplayPort and only comes with HDMI and DVI ports doesn’t help either. On the other hand, it has a compact design, a slot to fit most builds, and it can easily handle many popular e-sports titles like Overwatch, CS GO, and VALUABLE.