AMD Radeon HD 8490 OEM

The AMD Radeon HD 8490 OEM is a single-slot, end-of-life graphics part built on the Caicos chip with TeraScale 2 architecture, belonging to the Sea Islands generation (HD 8400 family). Fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process, the die contains 370 million transistors across 67 mm², yielding a transistor density of 5.5M per mm². The card ships with 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, delivering 14.40 GB/s of bandwidth, and connects via PCIe 2.0 x16. Its 160 shading units, 8 TMUs, and 4 ROPs produce 280.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, 7.000 GTexel/s texture fill, and 3.500 GPixel/s pixel throughput. Released on July 22, 2013, it sits between the Southern Islands and Volcanic Islands generations.

Benchmark Performance

The FACT PACK records no measured benchmark scores for the HD 8490 OEM. The benchmarks array is empty, and the average benchmark score is 0. The only positional data is the percentile field, which places the card at the 50th percentile across all GPUs in the database. That median position is notable, but it is not supported by any score entries; it may represent a default placement for parts without recorded results rather than an aggregated performance measurement.

Without direct scores, the theoretical throughput figures are the only quantitative performance indicators. The FP32 rate of 280.0 GFLOPS is the aggregate arithmetic output of the 160 shading units. The texture rate of 7.000 GTexel/s comes from the 8 TMUs, and the pixel rate of 3.500 GPixel/s comes from the 4 ROPs. These figures describe a part designed for basic 2D and light 3D workloads, not for high-end gaming or compute tasks. The 280.0 GFLOPS ceiling is a hard limit for any shader-based workload, and the 7.000 GTexel/s texture rate bounds texturing throughput in a similar fashion.

The memory subsystem is a notable constraint. The 1024 MB frame buffer is connected via a 64-bit bus, and the memory clock is 900 MHz, which translates to 1800 Mbps effective on the DDR3 interface. This combination yields a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s. For context, that bandwidth must feed the pixel rate of 3.500 GPixel/s and the texture rate of 7.000 GTexel/s; in fill-rate-bound scenarios, the 14.40 GB/s figure is the limiting factor. A 64-bit bus with DDR3 memory at this effective speed is a deliberate trade-off, prioritizing low cost and low power over bandwidth.

The 50th percentile ranking, taken at face value, suggests the card sits at the middle of the entire GPU population in the database. However, because no nearest rivals are recorded and no deltas can be computed, this percentile should be interpreted as a placeholder rather than a competitive measurement. The average benchmark score of 0 reinforces the absence of validated performance data. Any reader relying on this card for performance comparisons must depend on the theoretical rates above, as no empirical results exist in the database.

Power and Cooling

The HD 8490 OEM has a TDP of 35 W. This low thermal design power is supported by the absence of auxiliary power connectors; the card draws power entirely from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. AMD recommends a 200 W power supply for systems using this card, a figure that accounts for the rest of the system's components. The 35 W TDP is among the lowest in the database, and the lack of power connectors means installation is straightforward in any system with a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot.

The physical design matches the low power envelope. The card is single-slot and measures 168 mm (6.6 inches) in length. The 40 nm TSMC process, with 370 million transistors on a 67 mm² die, contributes to the modest power draw. The transistor density of 5.5M per mm² is a function of the 40 nm node and the Caicos chip's layout. No specific cooler details beyond the single-slot form factor are recorded; the absence of power connectors and the 35 W TDP indicate that a simple passive or low-profile active cooler would be sufficient, but the data does not specify the cooling solution.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The HD 8490 OEM does not include ray tracing cores or tensor cores; both fields are null in the FACT PACK. This is consistent with the TeraScale 2 architecture, which predates hardware ray tracing and tensor acceleration. As a result, any ray tracing or AI-accelerated workloads would need to run on the 160 shading units in a software or compute shader path, with the FP32 throughput of 280.0 GFLOPS as the ceiling. There is no dedicated hardware to offload these tasks.

API support is limited to DirectX 11.2 (with the 11_0 feature level) and OpenGL 4.4. The Vulkan API field is null, meaning no Vulkan driver support is recorded. This restricts the card to legacy API paths; modern applications that require Vulkan will not run on this hardware. The display outputs are one DVI port and one DisplayPort 1.1 connector. The DisplayPort 1.1 version limits the interface to older display standards, without the higher bandwidth of later DisplayPort revisions.

The bus interface is PCIe 2.0 x16. This interface provides ample bandwidth for the card's 14.40 GB/s memory subsystem, since the frame buffer traffic over the bus is well below the PCIe 2.0 x16 link capacity. The combination of a 64-bit memory bus and DDR3 memory at 1800 Mbps effective is the primary data path constraint, not the PCIe link. For a card of this class, the feature set is minimal: no RT, no tensor, no Vulkan, and a single DisplayPort output.

FAQ

Q: What is the TDP of the AMD Radeon HD 8490 OEM?

A: The TDP is 35 W. The card requires no auxiliary power connectors, and the suggested power supply is 200 W.

Q: How much memory does the card have and what is the bus width?

A: It has 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, with a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective) and a bandwidth of 14.40 GB/s.

Q: Does the HD 8490 OEM support Vulkan?

A: No. The Vulkan API field is null; the supported APIs are DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4.

Q: What is the process node and transistor count?

A: The chip is fabricated by TSMC on a 40 nm process, with 370 million transistors on a 67 mm² die, giving a transistor density of 5.5M per mm².

Q: What display outputs are available?

A: The card provides one DVI output and one DisplayPort 1.1 output.

Q: Is the card still in production?

A: No. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is July 22, 2013.

How It Compares

The database lists no nearest rivals for the AMD Radeon HD 8490 OEM. As a result, no percentage deltas or direct score comparisons against specific competing parts can be presented. The only positional reference is the 50th percentile across all GPUs in the database, which places the card at the median of the population, though this percentile is not backed by any recorded benchmark scores (the average benchmark score is 0). In generational terms, the card's predecessor is the Southern Islands family and its successor is the Volcanic Islands family, but these are architectural lineage references, not competitive measurements. Without rival data, the card's standing must be inferred from its theoretical compute figures: 280.0 GFLOPS FP32, 7.000 GTexel/s texture rate, 3.500 GPixel/s pixel rate, and 14.40 GB/s memory bandwidth. These figures, combined with the 35 W TDP and single-slot design, define a part aimed at OEM and embedded applications rather than performance-focused markets. The 50th percentile is the only comparative anchor, and it should be read as a default position given the absence of empirical scores.