AMD · GPU · RDNA 2

AMD Radeon RX 6500 — Benchmarks & Specs

4 GB VRAM55W TDP

Short answer: the AMD Radeon RX 6500 generates 27.8 tokens/sec on llama2:7b (q4_0) under llama.cpp in a single cited run, per llama.cpp GitHub Discussions; there are too few comparable runs on file for a median. Its 4 GB of VRAM holds up to Llama 3.2 3B at Q4_K_M with an ~8K context, by the Will-It-Run matrix's sizing (2 of 23 models fit).

Single cited run 27.8 tok/s llama2:7b q4_0, per llama.cpp GitHub Discussions
Fits in 4 GB up to Llama 3.2 3B at Q4_K_M → at ~8K context; 2 of 23 models in the Will-It-Run matrix

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Bottom line: how fast is the Radeon RX 6500?

At 1440p Ultra, the Radeon RX 6500 averages 57 fps in Far Cry New Dawn with a 45 fps 1% low, per Notebookcheck. For local LLM inference it generates 27.8 tokens/sec running llama2:7b at q4_0 under llama.cpp, per llama.cpp GitHub Discussions. In 3DMark Fire Strike it scores 13,391–15,344 points, across two published results (Notebookcheck, 3DMark). Its 4 GB of VRAM is the binding constraint for local inference: the llama2:7b run above (7B parameters) is the largest model on file at 4-bit quantization on this card. That run used a 512-token context; the Will-It-Run matrix sizes each model at its listed quantization with an ~8K context, and by that measure Llama 3.2 3B at Q4_K_M is the largest that fits in 4 GB.

Every figure above is a row in the tables below, and each row links out to the review or public benchmark database the number was taken from. SpecPicks aggregates published measurements; it does not report first-party benchmark runs.

Check what fits in 4 GB: by Q4-class file size, 2 of the 23 open-weight models in the SpecPicks Will-It-Run matrix load entirely into the AMD Radeon RX 6500's 4 GB with 1.5 GB left for an ~8K context, up to Llama 3.2 3B (a 2 GB Q4_K_M file per its Hugging Face listing). Check a model in the Will-It-Run matrix →

The Radeon RX 6500 is a graphics card from the RDNA 2 family from AMD. Key on-paper specs include 4 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, 55W TDP. Data on this page draws on 12 synthetic benchmark results (top 10 shown), 2 community AI inference reports, 36 game frame-rate results (top 14 shown), compiled from Notebookcheck, TechGage, Forbes / Tirias Research, llama.cpp GitHub Discussions, PassMark, 3DMark, geerlingguy/ai-benchmarks, PCBench, The FPS Review, Tom's Hardware; each table row links to its source. Read this page when shopping the Radeon RX 6500, comparing it against other graphics cards in your build, or sizing it for a specific workload (gaming at 1080p/1440p/4K, synthetic benchmark scores, or local LLM inference).

Gaming Performance (reported FPS)

Average and 1% low frame rates by game, resolution, and quality preset. Bars are scaled against the fastest result on this page.

Gaming frame rates for the Radeon RX 6500 by game, resolution, and quality preset. Rows from aggregator sites are estimates, not measured runs, dated by when SpecPicks fetched them. “1% low” is the frame-time floor that determines perceived smoothness. Each row links to its original review or benchmark database.
Game	Resolution	Settings	Avg FPS	1% low	Source
Far Cry 5	1080p	Ultra	85 fps	75 fps	Notebookcheck 2022-04-28
Far Cry New Dawn	1080p	Ultra	82 fps	61 fps	Notebookcheck 2022-04-28
Forza Horizon 5	1080p	High	72 fps	62 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Assassin's Creed Valhalla	1080p	Medium	70 fps	44 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Scars Above	1080p	Ultra	67 fps	57 fps	PCBench 2026-06-12
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	1080p	Ultra	67 fps	—	Tom's Hardware 2022-01-19
Watch Dogs: Legion	1080p	High	63 fps	42 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Watch Dogs Legion	1080p	High	63 fps	42 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
F1 2021	1080p	High	63 fps	45 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Borderlands 3	1080p	High	63 fps	52 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Horizon Zero Dawn	1080p	Ultra	62 fps	—	Notebookcheck 2022-01-25
Horizon Zero Dawn	1080p	Ultimate Quality	62 fps	—	The FPS Review 2022-01-19
God of War	1080p	High	58 fps	53 fps	TechGage 2022-01-19
Far Cry New Dawn	1440p	Ultra	57 fps	45 fps	Notebookcheck 2022-01-25

AI Inference Performance

Tokens per second under each model + quantization. Higher = faster generation. Bars compare runs across the same model.

Local LLM inference throughput on the Radeon RX 6500, in generated tokens per second for a single request (one user's generation speed). Higher is better; each row links to the community report or benchmark database it came from.
Model	Quantization	Relative	Tokens/sec	VRAM used	Source
llama3.2:3b	q4_K_M llama.cpp		39.8 tok/s	—	geerlingguy/ai-benchmarks (GitHub) 2024-11
llama2:7b	q4_0 llama.cpp		27.8 tok/s	—	llama.cpp GitHub Discussion #10879 2024-12-18

Synthetic Benchmarks

Higher is better. Bars are scaled within each benchmark family (multi-thread, single-thread, etc.) so you can compare like-with-like at a glance.

Synthetic benchmark scores for the Radeon RX 6500 — higher is better. Each row links to the public database the number was taken from. A benchmark listed more than once is separate published results, shown as published rather than averaged.
Benchmark	Score	Source
3DMark Fire Strike	15,344 points	Notebookcheck 2022-04-28
3DMark Fire Strike	13,391 points	3DMark (UL Solutions) 2022-03
PassMark G3D Mark	7,635 points	PassMark Software retrieved 2026-05-10
PassMark G3D Mark	7,606 pts	PassMark retrieved 2026-04-20
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme	6,695 points	Notebookcheck 2022-04-28
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme	5,730 points	Forbes / Tirias Research 2022-04-06
3DMark Time Spy	5,295 points	UL Benchmarks (3DMark) 2022-01-19
3DMark Time Spy	4,942 points	Notebookcheck 2022-04-28
3DMark Time Spy	4,159 points	Forbes / Tirias Research 2022-04-06
PassMark G2D Mark	833 points	PassMark Software retrieved 2026-09-25

Full Specifications

TDP	55 W
Foundry	TSMC
VRAM	4 GB
GPU chip	Navi 24
Bandwidth	128.0 GB/s
Memory type	GDDR6
CUDA cores	1024
Process	6 nm
Spec source	VideoCardz / Tom's Hardware RX 6500 spec coverage
Architecture	RDNA 2
Bus interface	PCIe 4.0 x4
Bus width	64-bit
Compute units	16
Shading units	1024
Spec source URL	https://videocardz.com/newz/amd-radeon-rx-6500-non-xt-spotted-features-1024-cores-4gb-64-bit-memory-and-55w-tbp
Power connectors	None (slot powered)
Production status	OEM-only

Radeon RX 6500 — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Radeon RX 6500 best used for?

Radeon RX 6500 is a 4 GB VRAM RDNA 2-family graphics card. 1080p gaming and general productivity are the headline use cases; the benchmark tables on this page place it within its generation.

Where do the Radeon RX 6500 benchmark numbers come from?

Each benchmark row on this page names its source (public benchmark databases such as TechPowerUp, PassMark, Geekbench and Cinebench, and community reports such as r/LocalLLaMA threads) and links to it, so every number can be checked against the original.

Can the Radeon RX 6500 run local LLMs?

Yes — AI inference results for the Radeon RX 6500 are on file; the AI Inference Performance section on this page lists model, quantization and tokens-per-second for each run. 4 GB VRAM fits 7B-parameter models at Q4.

Where can I buy the Radeon RX 6500?

SpecPicks has no verified listing of the Radeon RX 6500 on file yet; the Amazon search link at the top of this page shows its current offers. SpecPicks earns a small affiliate commission on qualifying purchases.

Buying guides that rank the Radeon RX 6500's class

This page is the raw performance data. The guides below turn it into a ranked pick for a specific build.

Editorial guides covering the Radeon RX 6500

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