RealBottleneckCalculator

Intel Arc A550M

Model frame rate limits of 43, 30 and 16 FPS at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, assuming the processor never gets in the way.

The Intel Arc A550M is one of the slowest graphics card in our database and best kept to 1080p at medium settings, or to lighter esports titles.

Its 8GB of memory is the limit to watch: the newest games at 1440p with high textures can exceed it.

Its closest NVIDIA rival is the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB, which lands within a few percent of it at 1440p.

Estimated FPS in Popular Games

Game (settings) 1080p1440p4K
Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) ~35~25~15
Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) ~55~40~20
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) ~50~35~20
Counter-Strike 2 (High) ~105~70~40

Modelled estimates with a processor fast enough not to hold the card back, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Counter-Strike 2 is usually limited by the processor well before these figures. See the methodology for how they are produced.

The slowest CPU that will not hold it back

ResolutionMinimum processorEstimated FPS
1080p Ryzen 5 1600 43
1440p Ryzen 5 1600 30
4K Ryzen 5 1600 16

Notice how the requirement drops as resolution rises. At 4K this card is working so much harder per frame that a far slower processor keeps up without trouble. The search starts at four cores and eight threads: below that a game stutters whatever the average frame rate says.

The processors it lands closest to

The 24 processors whose frame rate limit sits nearest this card's, fastest first. The tag after each number says which part hits its limit first. For any other combination, use the calculator.

Processor 1080p1440p4K
Core i5-11400 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 5500 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-10600K 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 7 3800X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i7-8700K 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 7 3700X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 3600X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-9600K 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 3600 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 3 3300X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-10400 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-10400F 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i7-7700K 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 3500X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 7 2700X 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i3-10100F 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-9400F 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 4600G 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i5-8400 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 4500 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 3 3100 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 2600 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Core i3-9100F 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu
Ryzen 5 1600 43 gpu 30 gpu 16 gpu

Specifications

ManufacturerIntel
SeriesIntel Arc A-Series (Alchemist)
Video memory8 GB
3DMark Time Spy (graphics)3,937
PCI Express4.0 ×8
Released2022

Other Cards in the Intel Arc A-Series (Alchemist)

Common Questions

What CPU do I need for the Intel Arc A550M?

In our model the Ryzen 5 1600 is the slowest processor that keeps the Intel Arc A550M fully fed at both 1080p and 1440p. Anything faster leaves the card as the limit, which is what you want in a gaming PC.

Is the Intel Arc A550M good for 1440p?

Only with reduced settings. It averages around 30 FPS at 1440p on high settings in our model, so it is better suited to 1080p, where it reaches about 43 FPS.

Is 8GB of VRAM enough on the Intel Arc A550M?

For 1080p, mostly. 8GB is enough at 1080p, but some recent games at 1440p with high textures exceed it, which shows up as stutter rather than a lower average.

Is the Intel Arc A550M faster than the GeForce RTX 3050 6GB?

They are effectively tied, within 3% at 1440p in our model. Price, memory (8GB against 6GB) and features should decide it.