AMD has been on a 2019 tear, giving both Intel and Nvidia a run for their money. Whether it was the impressive launch of the new line of third-generation Ryzen CPUs or the company's new-for-2019 Radeon RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT graphics cards, for a while this summer and fall, it looked as though AMD and its new push into 7nm lithography (on the graphics side, dubbed "Navi") could do no wrong. Not quite the knockout, though, is the release of its Radeon RX 5500 XT GPU, which we're reviewing in a $169 version from Sapphire. While previous GPUs based on Navi challenge their Nvidia counterparts, the RX 5500 XT is a muddier proposition, showing a few inconclusive gaming results in early tests, and a starting price $10 higher than the competing $159 GeForce GTX 1650 Super. Take note, 1080p gamers of the world: If you're looking to get consistent results in your favorite titles in full HD, the Radeon RX 5500 XT is solid enough, but it might need some optimizations before it contends for the ring in this cost tier. The GTX 1650 Super is our pick at this price.
