ATI FireGL V5000

The ATI FireGL V5000 is an end-of-life workstation graphics card from AMD, released on August 31, 2004, with a launch MSRP of 699 USD. It is built on the R400 architecture using the RV410 chip, fabricated at TSMC on a 110 nm process. The database places it at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, though no direct benchmark scores are recorded for this model.

Benchmark Performance

The FireGL V5000 holds a 50th percentile ranking across all GPUs in the database, which means it sits exactly at the median of the performance distribution. No benchmark scores are recorded for this model, so the percentile and the raw fillrate metrics are the only quantitative anchors. The pixel rate is 3.400 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 3.400 GTexel/s, and these two figures are identical. This symmetry indicates that the 8 texture mapping units and 8 render output units are clocked to deliver equal throughput, avoiding a bottleneck in either stage for typical rasterization. The memory bandwidth of 13.76 GB/s, derived from a 128-bit bus and a 430 MHz memory clock (860 Mbps effective), is the ceiling for data transfer. In practice, the 128 MB frame buffer will limit the complexity of scenes that can be rendered at once.

The 50th percentile suggests that this card is neither a performance leader nor a laggard; it is an average part within the historical GPU landscape. Because there are no recorded benchmark scores, comparisons to other cards must rely on these architectural specifications rather than measured frames per second. The fillrates are modest by modern standards, but for a 2004 workstation card they represent a balanced design. The data shows that the card is capable of consistent output in low-complexity scenes, but it will struggle with high-resolution textures due to the bandwidth and memory constraints. The bandwidth-to-pixel-rate relationship is sufficient for typical color depths at moderate resolutions, but the small memory capacity is the dominant limiting factor. The identical pixel and texture rates also mean that the card will not show a disparity between fillrate-bound and texture-bound workloads, which is a sign of a well-balanced pipeline for its era.

Who Should Consider It

The FireGL V5000 is a professional workstation card, so its intended audience is users running legacy CAD, 2D drafting, or OpenGL-based visualization software. The 128 MB memory and 13.76 GB/s bandwidth indicate that it is best suited for lower resolutions and scenes with minimal texture detail. The DirectX 9.0b and OpenGL 2.0 support limit it to software from the early 2000s era. The single-slot design and lack of power connectors make it a straightforward drop-in for older workstations with a 200 W power supply. However, the 50th percentile ranking and the small memory capacity mean it is not appropriate for modern gaming or high-resolution 3D rendering.

Users who need to run dual monitors will find the 2x DVI outputs useful, but each output will consume a portion of the 128 MB framebuffer. The card is end-of-life, so it is only relevant for retro builds or legacy industrial systems that require its specific feature set. The data does not support any recommendation for high-resolution or texture-heavy workloads; it is a capable card for wireframe and shaded views at moderate resolutions. The professional heritage is evident in its OpenGL 2.0 support, which is a key feature for CAD software of the period. The 128 MB memory is a hard limit for any modern texture-heavy application, so users should avoid high-resolution texture packs. For its intended era, the card is adequate for basic 3D modeling and drafting, but not for animation or complex scene rendering.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the FireGL V5000 consists of 128 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory clock runs at 430 MHz, which translates to an effective data rate of 860 Mbps. The total bandwidth is 13.76 GB/s. This bandwidth is the maximum theoretical throughput, and it is shared across all rendering operations. The 128-bit bus width is a significant factor; it is half the width of many contemporary cards, but the GDDR3 type provides a reasonable data rate for the era. The 128 MB capacity is the most limiting aspect.

For a workstation card, this is sufficient for small framebuffers and low-resolution displays, but it will quickly become exhausted with high-resolution textures or multiple render targets. The two DVI outputs mean that a dual-monitor setup will split the framebuffer, reducing the effective memory available for each display. The bandwidth of 13.76 GB/s is balanced with the 3.400 GPixel/s pixel rate, ensuring that the memory interface does not starve the rendering pipeline in simple scenes. However, for any workload that requires large texture sets, the 128 MB capacity will force texture swapping, which will degrade performance. The 860 Mbps effective data rate is the speed at which data moves across the bus, and it is a fixed parameter that cannot be overclocked beyond the specified value in the database. The GDDR3 memory type is a fast standard for 2004, but the capacity is the primary bottleneck for any serious workstation task.

Power and Cooling

The database does not list a thermal design power (TDP) for the FireGL V5000, so the exact power consumption is not quantified. The card is a single-slot design, and it requires no auxiliary power connectors, drawing all power from the PCIe 1.0 x16 slot. The suggested power supply is 200 W, which is a low requirement. The absence of power connectors indicates that the card's draw is within the slot's power budget, but the precise wattage is not provided. The physical dimensions are 183 mm in length (7.2 inches) and 111 mm in height (4.4 inches), which are compact for a workstation card.

The single-slot form factor ensures that it does not block adjacent slots in the chassis. The 200 W PSU recommendation is the only power-related number in the database, and it suggests that the card is not power-hungry. Cooling is handled by a solution that fits within the single-slot envelope, though the database does not specify whether it is active or passive. Given the lack of a TDP figure, users should rely on the 200 W PSU recommendation and the absence of power connectors as the primary power constraints. The lack of power connectors simplifies cable management, as no PCIe power cables are needed. The 183 mm length is short enough for most mid-tower cases, and the 111 mm height is standard for a PCIe card. The card's power draw is likely modest, but without a TDP number, the 200 W system PSU recommendation is the only guide.

How It Compares

The database does not list any nearest rivals for the FireGL V5000, so direct comparisons to specific competing cards are not available. Instead, the card's position is defined by its product lineage. It succeeds the Fire GL and is succeeded by the FirePro Terascale. The 50th percentile ranking places it at the median of all GPUs, meaning that half of the GPUs in the database are faster and half are slower. Without rival scores, the comparison must be based on architectural features. The RV410 chip and R400 architecture are the defining characteristics.

The 110 nm process node with 120 million transistors on a 156 mm² die yields a transistor density of 769.2K per mm², which is a measure of the design's complexity. The card's performance is therefore a function of its fillrates and memory bandwidth, not of any direct rival measurements. The lack of a nearestRivals list in the database means that any specific performance deltas cannot be calculated. The card stands as a median performer, and its value lies in its professional feature set rather than raw speed. The predecessor Fire GL and successor FirePro Terascale bracket this card chronologically, but no performance data is provided for either in the database. The transistor density of 769.2K per mm² is a measure of the manufacturing efficiency, and the 156 mm² die size is relatively small, which contributes to the low power requirements indicated by the 200 W PSU suggestion.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory size and type of the ATI FireGL V5000?

A: It has 128 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 13.76 GB/s.

Q: Does the FireGL V5000 support DirectX and OpenGL?

A: It supports DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.0. Vulkan is not supported.

Q: What power connectors does the card require?

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

Q: What is the bus interface of this card?

A: It uses a PCIe 1.0 x16 interface.

Q: What are the display outputs?

A: It has 2x DVI and 1x S-Video outputs.

Q: When was the FireGL V5000 released?

A: It was released on August 31, 2004.

Q: What is the process node and transistor count?

A: It uses a 110 nm process at TSMC, with 120 million transistors on a 156 mm² die.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The FireGL V5000 does not have any ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these fields are null in the database. This is expected for a 2004 card, as hardware ray tracing did not exist in that era. The feature set is defined by its API support: DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.0. The lack of Vulkan support means it cannot run modern Vulkan-based applications. The R400 architecture is the underlying design, and the RV410 chip is the specific implementation. The card has 8 texture mapping units and 8 render output units, which handle the rasterization pipeline.

The pixel rate of 3.400 GPixel/s and texture rate of 3.400 GTexel/s are the core throughput metrics. There is no support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, so any such workloads would run on the CPU. The OpenGL 2.0 support is notable for professional CAD applications of that period. The DirectX 9.0b support limits it to DirectX 9-era games and applications. The card is end-of-life, so driver support is likely limited to legacy operating systems. The lack of tensor cores means no AI-accelerated features are available. The absence of Vulkan support is a clear limitation for any modern cross-platform workload. The DirectX 9.0b support is the highest DirectX version available, which constrains the card to a specific generation of software. The R400 architecture does not include any dedicated ray tracing hardware, so the card relies entirely on the CPU for such tasks.