AMD Radeon R5 230

The AMD Radeon R5 230 is an end-of-life graphics card built on the TeraScale 2 architecture, specifically the Caicos chip, manufactured on TSMC's 40 nm process. It packs 370 million transistors onto a 67 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 5.5M / mm². The card ships with 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, providing 10.67 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute resources include 160 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 raster operation units, which together deliver a pixel rate of 2.500 GPixel/s, a texture rate of 5.000 GTexel/s, and an FP32 throughput of 200.0 GFLOPS. The card is rated for a 19 W TDP, requires no auxiliary power connectors, and fits in a single slot with a length of 168 mm (6.6 inches). Released on April 2, 2014, it succeeds the Sea Islands generation and precedes Pirate Islands. In the database, it holds the 50th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 0, indicating no recorded benchmark data.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals field for this GPU is empty, so no direct rival names or delta percentages are available. Consequently, its standing must be inferred from the percentile and absolute metrics. The 50th percentile places it at the exact median of the tracked GPU population. This is a neutral position, suggesting it is neither a high performer nor a complete outlier. Because there are no rival scores, the card's 200.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput and 2.500 GPixel/s pixel rate serve as the only quantitative anchors. The absence of benchmark data (average score 0) means the percentile is derived from its hardware specification rather than measured workloads. In this context, the R5 230 occupies a niche defined by its extremely low power draw and minimal feature set, rather than by competitive performance. The 40 nm process and 370 million transistors place it in an older generation, and its end-of-life status confirms it is no longer produced. The 64-bit memory bus and 10.67 GB/s bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks, as they are far below the compute capability of the 200.0 GFLOPS FP32.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The R5 230 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores; both fields are null. This means the card lacks dedicated hardware for ray-traced lighting or AI-based tensor operations. Its feature set relies entirely on the TeraScale 2 architecture, which supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4. Vulkan support is absent, as the Vulkan field is null. This limits the card to older APIs and games that do not require modern graphics features. The absence of Vulkan support is a notable limitation, as it prevents the card from running modern Vulkan-based titles. The DirectX 11.2 (11_0) support is the highest API level available. The lack of RT and tensor cores means any advanced effects would have to be computed on the 160 shading units, which provide 200.0 GFLOPS of FP32 performance. The pixel rate of 2.500 GPixel/s and texture rate of 5.000 GTexel/s further constrain its ability to handle complex scenes. In practice, this card is suited for 2D desktop work, video playback, and legacy titles that use DirectX 11.2 or OpenGL 4.4. The display outputs include 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x VGA, which cover older monitors and basic connectivity.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark array is empty, and the average benchmark score is 0. This means no measured performance data exists in the database for the R5 230. Instead, the theoretical peak metrics must be used: 200.0 GFLOPS FP32, 2.500 GPixel/s pixel fill rate, and 5.000 GTexel/s texture fill rate. These numbers define the absolute ceiling for any workload. The 667 MHz memory clock (1334 Mbps effective) is the only clock speed listed, and it directly determines the 10.67 GB/s bandwidth. The 50th percentile among all GPUs is a relative position, but with no rivals listed, it cannot be translated into specific deltas. The 64-bit memory bus and 10.67 GB/s bandwidth will bottleneck the shading units, as the memory subsystem is significantly weaker than the compute throughput. The 200.0 GFLOPS FP32 is a modest figure for its era, and the 5.000 GTexel/s texture rate further indicates limited texture-heavy performance. Without benchmark scores, these theoretical numbers are the only evidence of its computational capability. The pixel rate of 2.500 GPixel/s, when combined with the narrow memory path, suggests that even simple 3D scenes will be constrained by fillrate and bandwidth rather than compute.

Who Should Consider It

The R5 230 is not a gaming card by modern standards. Its 1024 MB VRAM and 10.67 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution textures or modern game engines. The card supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4, so it can run titles that use these APIs, but the low pixel rate (2.500 GPixel/s) and texture rate (5.000 GTexel/s) will cap frame rates at low resolutions and detail settings. Given the 19 W TDP and no power connectors, it is ideal for legacy office PCs, home theater setups, or basic display output. The 168 mm length and single-slot design allow it to fit in compact cases. The 50th percentile ranking suggests it is a middle-of-the-road card in the database, but that ranking is based on hardware spec, not measured performance. For users needing to drive a DVI, HDMI 1.3a, or VGA display, the R5 230 provides the necessary ports. It is not suitable for high-resolution gaming, as the 10.67 GB/s bandwidth would be a severe constraint. The 64-bit bus width limits memory bandwidth, making high-resolution frame buffers impractical. The 50th percentile is a statistical midpoint, but without benchmark scores, it does not reflect real-world gaming performance. The card's 1024 MB VRAM is the minimum for many older titles, but the 64-bit bus will cause stuttering in texture-heavy scenes.

Memory Subsystem

The R5 230 comes with 1024 MB of DDR3 memory, connected via a 64-bit bus. This yields a total bandwidth of 10.67 GB/s. This is a very narrow memory interface, which directly limits the amount of data that can be transferred between the GPU and VRAM per second. For high resolutions, the frame buffer demands are high, and the 10.67 GB/s bandwidth will struggle to keep up. The 64-bit bus width means that even though the memory clock is 667 MHz (1334 Mbps effective), the throughput is constrained by the narrow path. The 1024 MB capacity is also small, limiting the number of textures and assets that can be stored on the GPU. In practice, this memory subsystem is suited for 2D workloads, light video playback, and older games with low-resolution textures. The pixel rate of 2.500 GPixel/s further indicates that the card cannot fill large framebuffers quickly, making high-resolution gaming impractical. The 5.5M / mm² transistor density is a result of the 40 nm process, but the 64-bit bus remains the limiting factor for data throughput. The effective memory speed of 1334 Mbps is the only clock figure provided, underscoring the card's focus on low power rather than high performance.

Power and Cooling

The R5 230 has a TDP of 19 W, which is extremely low. It requires no auxiliary power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. The suggested power supply is 200 W, which is a modest requirement and compatible with most office and entry-level systems. The card is single-slot, meaning it occupies only one expansion slot, and its length is 168 mm (6.6 inches), allowing it to fit in many small form factor cases. The low TDP means cooling can be handled by a simple heatsink or a small fan, though the exact cooler type is not specified in the data. The absence of power connectors simplifies installation, as no additional cables are needed. The 40 nm process and 370 million transistors contribute to the low power draw, but the architecture is old, so performance is limited. For a system with a 200 W PSU, the R5 230 adds minimal load, leaving headroom for other components. The PCIe 2.0 x16 interface is backward compatible, but it is an older standard, which may limit bandwidth in some scenarios, though the card's low throughput makes this a non-issue. The 19 W TDP is among the lowest in the database, and the absence of power connectors means installation is straightforward. The 200 W PSU suggestion is a conservative recommendation, providing ample headroom.

FAQ

Q: Does the AMD Radeon R5 230 support Vulkan?

A: No, the Vulkan field is null, so it does not support Vulkan. It supports DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the R5 230?

A: The memory bandwidth is 10.67 GB/s, based on 1024 MB of DDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus.

Q: How much power does the R5 230 draw?

A: The TDP is 19 W, and it requires no auxiliary power connectors. The suggested PSU is 200 W.

Q: What is the release date of the R5 230?

A: The release date is April 2, 2014, and it is currently end-of-life.

Q: Does the R5 230 have ray tracing cores?

A: No, the RT cores field is null, so it has no dedicated ray tracing hardware.

Q: What is the process node of the R5 230?

A: The process node is 40 nm, manufactured by TSMC, with 370 million transistors on a 67 mm² die.