RX 6500 XT vs GTX 1650

The RX 6500 XT is about 53% faster at 1440p. Whether that is worth it depends on the rest of your build.

The gap changes with resolution.

Graphics card differences grow with resolution, because higher resolutions load the GPU harder.

In a real build with a Ryzen 5 9600X.

Specs alone don’t tell you which to buy. Here is what each one does when it’s actually paired up, at 1440p.

So which should you buy?

The RX 6500 XT — it is 53% ahead at 1440p for about $50 more, and it holds that lead in the pairings above.

Affiliate links — we earn a small commission on Amazon purchases at no cost to you, which keeps the calculator free. Full disclosure.

Common questions.

Straight answers on the RX 6500 XT versus the GTX 1650.

• Is the RX 6500 XT better than the GTX 1650?

  +

  Yes, but by less than the spec sheet suggests. At 1440p the RX 6500 XT scores 26 against 17 for the GTX 1650 — roughly 53% faster. It also costs about $50 more at MSRP, so the question is whether that gap is worth the money for your build.

• Does the RX 6500 XT or GTX 1650 bottleneck a Ryzen 5 9600X?

  +

  Paired with a Ryzen 5 9600X at 1440p, the RX 6500 XT build comes out 35% GPU-bound, and the GTX 1650 build comes out 35% GPU-bound. Being GPU-bound is the healthy outcome — it means the graphics card is the part working hardest.

• Is it worth upgrading from the GTX 1650 to the RX 6500 XT?

  +

  Only if you are also lifting the rest of the build. The RX 6500 XT is about 53% ahead at 1440p, and gaps like that shrink further at 4K where the GPU does more of the work. If you are upgrading from the GTX 1650 purely for frames, check the pairing first.

• Which is better value, the RX 6500 XT or the GTX 1650?

  +

  On performance per dollar at MSRP, the RX 6500 XT wins. The RX 6500 XT lists at $199 for an index of 26, and the GTX 1650 at $149 for 17.