ATI FireGL 8700
AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
AMDATI FireGL 8700 Specifications
ATI FireGL 8700 GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The ATI FireGL 8700 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
ATI FireGL 8700 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the ATI FireGL 8700's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The ATI FireGL 8700 by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
AMD's ATI FireGL 8700 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The ATI FireGL 8700's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
ATI FireGL 8700 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the ATI FireGL 8700 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Rage 7 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The ATI FireGL 8700 is built on AMD's Rage 7 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the ATI FireGL 8700 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
AMD's ATI FireGL 8700 Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the ATI FireGL 8700 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the ATI FireGL 8700 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
ATI FireGL 8700 by AMD Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the ATI FireGL 8700 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
AMD API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the ATI FireGL 8700. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
ATI FireGL 8700 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The ATI FireGL 8700 is manufactured by AMD as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the ATI FireGL 8700 by AMD represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
ATI FireGL 8700 Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
About ATI FireGL 8700
The ATI FireGL 8700 is a professional workstation GPU from AMD, built on the R200 chip and Rage 7 architecture. Released on August 13, 2001, this end-of-life product holds a 50th percentile position among all GPUs in the database, indicating a median standing in the overall performance distribution. The card is manufactured on a 150 nm process at TSMC, packing 60 million transistors on a 120 mm² die, resulting in a transistor density of 500.0K per square millimeter. It interfaces via AGP 4x and offers display outputs of 1x DVI and 1x VGA, reflecting its workstation heritage. The specification pack records no average benchmark score and no individual benchmark entries, leaving the percentile rank and theoretical throughput rates as the primary quantitative references.
Benchmark Performance
The database records an average benchmark score of 0 for the ATI FireGL 8700, with no individual benchmark entries listed. This absence of measured scores means that the card's real-world application performance cannot be directly quantified from the data. However, its percentile ranking against all GPUs is 50, which places it exactly at the midpoint of the performance distribution. This is a significant positioning: it indicates that the card is neither a high-end performer nor a bottom-tier part, but rather sits at the median of all GPUs tracked in the database. Theoretical throughput figures provide the only concrete performance context. The card achieves a pixel rate of 1.000 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 2.000 GTexel/s. These numbers are derived from its 8 texture mapping units and 4 render output units. The pixel rate suggests a capacity to fill 1 billion pixels per second, while the texture rate indicates 2 billion texels per second. These figures are modest by any standard, and they align with the card's 50th percentile rank. The lack of nearest rival data in the pack means that direct percentage comparisons against specific competitor cards are unavailable; the percentile field is the only comparative metric that can be referenced. Consequently, the analysis must rely on the theoretical rates and the percentile as the sole indicators of performance positioning.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The ATI FireGL 8700 has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these fields are null in the specification data. This is expected for a card from its era, but it is a critical limitation for any modern workload. Its API support is limited to DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.3, with no Vulkan support listed. DirectX 8.1 represents an early shader model era, while OpenGL 1.3 is a legacy specification. The absence of Vulkan means that the card cannot run any modern graphics applications that rely on that API. The card's feature set is defined by its Rage 7 architecture, which provides 8 texture mapping units and 4 render output units. The specification pack lists no shading units, no FP32 performance, and no FP16 performance, indicating that the card likely relies on fixed-function pipelines or very early programmable shaders. The lack of RT and tensor hardware means that ray tracing and AI-accelerated features are entirely unsupported. For professional use, this limits the card to traditional rasterization tasks. The API support, while limited, was appropriate for the year 2001, but it renders the card incompatible with virtually all current software.
Power and Cooling
The ATI FireGL 8700 does not have a listed TDP in the specification pack, so no exact power draw figure can be stated. However, the suggested PSU requirement is 200 W, which serves as a system-level recommendation. The card uses no external power connectors, drawing all its power from the AGP 4x slot. This is a significant detail, as it implies that the card's power consumption is low enough to be supplied entirely by the slot interface. The card is a single-slot design, which simplifies installation in workstation chassis and leaves room for other expansion cards. The absence of power connectors means that no additional cabling is required, reducing installation complexity. The 200 W PSU recommendation reflects the overall system requirement rather than the card's individual draw, but it suggests that the card is not power-hungry. For legacy systems, this is a practical advantage, as it can be installed in machines with modest power supplies. The single-slot form factor also ensures compatibility with most cases, though the AGP 4x interface limits the host motherboards that can use it.
Who Should Consider It
Given its 50th percentile ranking and modest fillrate (1.000 GPixel/s pixel rate, 2.000 GTexel/s texture rate), the ATI FireGL 8700 is suited for legacy workstation environments that require basic 3D acceleration. The 64 MB VRAM and 8.640 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for lower resolutions and older applications, but the data shows no support for modern high-resolution workloads. The card's end-of-life status means it is only relevant for retro computing, maintaining legacy systems, or running period-specific software. Users seeking high-resolution or high-settings gaming should look elsewhere, as the performance metrics indicate severe limitations. The card's display outputs of 1x DVI and 1x VGA allow connection to older monitors, but the lack of modern outputs like DisplayPort or HDMI is a constraint. The 50th percentile rank suggests that it is a mid-pack performer among all GPUs, but this is a relative position against a database that includes modern cards; in absolute terms, the performance is minimal. For anyone building a period-correct system or needing a basic AGP-era accelerator, this card could serve a purpose, but it is not a viable option for contemporary use.
Memory Subsystem
The memory subsystem consists of 64 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 8.640 GB/s. The memory clock is 270 MHz, with an effective data rate of 540 Mbps. This configuration is extremely limited by modern standards, and the 64 MB capacity is a significant bottleneck for high-resolution textures. At resolutions beyond standard definition, the card would quickly exhaust its frame buffer, leading to texture thrashing or reduced detail settings. The 128-bit bus width is narrow, and the bandwidth figure is low, meaning that memory-intensive tasks will suffer. The effective data rate of 540 Mbps is a doubling of the base 270 MHz clock due to DDR technology, but the absolute numbers remain small. For the era, this was a professional entry-level configuration, but the data clearly shows its constraints. The 64 MB capacity is particularly limiting for workstation applications that often require large frame buffers for complex scenes. The bandwidth of 8.640 GB/s would struggle with high-resolution textures or anti-aliasing, and the card's pixel rate of 1.000 GPixel/s further compounds these limitations. Overall, the memory subsystem is the most restrictive aspect of the card, and it directly impacts the card's suitability for any demanding visual workload.
FAQ
Q: What is the memory size of the ATI FireGL 8700?
A: It has 64 MB of DDR memory.
Q: What API versions does the card support?
A: It supports DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.3, with no Vulkan support listed.
Q: What is the process node used for this GPU?
A: It is manufactured on a 150 nm process at TSMC.
Q: What is the suggested power supply requirement?
A: The suggested PSU is 200 W, and it uses no external power connectors.
Q: What is the bus interface of the card?
A: It uses an AGP 4x interface.
Q: What is the production status and release date?
A: It is end-of-life, released on August 13, 2001.
Q: What are the display outputs available?
A: The card offers 1x DVI and 1x VGA outputs.
How It Compares
The data pack lists no nearest rivals for the ATI FireGL 8700, meaning direct percentage comparisons against specific competitor cards are not available. Its percentile rank of 50 against all GPUs places it at the median of the entire database. In the absence of rival data, the card can be contextualized by its predecessor and successor: the Fire GL and FirePro Terascale. The predecessor represents an earlier generation, while the successor is a later architecture. Without benchmark scores, the comparison is qualitative, but the 50th percentile suggests a balanced position in the overall hierarchy. The lack of rival entries means that any claims about being ahead or behind specific models cannot be substantiated from the provided facts. The card's theoretical rates (1.000 GPixel/s and 2.000 GTexel/s) are the only measurable performance indicators, and they are consistent with a mid-pack legacy part. The transition from Fire GL to FirePro Terascale indicates a generational evolution, but the data does not quantify the performance delta. Therefore, the ATI FireGL 8700's position is defined solely by its percentile and its internal specifications, with no external reference points available.
Compare ATI FireGL 8700 with Other GPUs
Select another GPU to compare specifications and benchmarks side-by-side.
Browse GPUs