ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT Mac Edition

The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT Mac Edition is a 65 nm TeraScale architecture part from AMD, built on the M76 chip with 390 million transistors and a 153 mm² die. Released in July 2007, it is an MXM-II module intended for portable devices, and the database places it at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. With an average benchmark score of 0, its performance is characterized by its raw throughput figures rather than sampled results. The 2.5M / mm² transistor density reflects the 65 nm process, and the 120 shading units are organized for DirectX 10 workloads.

Who Should Consider It

The data shows a part with 144.0 GFLOPS FP32, a pixel rate of 2.400 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 4.800 GTexel/s. These figures place it firmly in the entry-level segment for its generation. The 256 MB GDDR3 frame buffer and 21.92 GB/s bandwidth mean that high resolutions will quickly exhaust the memory. The 50th percentile placement suggests a median position in the database, but the absolute specifications indicate that this card is best suited for legacy applications, 2D desktop acceleration, or very old 3D titles at low resolution and reduced detail settings. Users expecting modern gaming performance will be disappointed, but those running software from the same era will find it adequate. The 120 shading units provide a baseline for DirectX 10 workloads, though the 4 ROPs limit pixel output.

For a portable device, the performance is sufficient for office productivity, video playback, and casual gaming from the mid-2000s. It is not recommended for any modern 3D application, as the 256 MB memory will cause texture thrashing even at moderate resolutions. The 21.92 GB/s bandwidth is the bottleneck for high-detail textures, so users should stick to low resolutions for 3D workloads. The 50th percentile is a database-wide metric, but the zero benchmark score means this is a theoretical placement. The 4 ROPs and 8 TMUs indicate a part that can handle basic geometry, but pixel-heavy scenes will be constrained. This is a card for those who need a drop-in upgrade for a legacy Mac portable, not for anyone seeking contemporary gaming capability.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The FACT PACK lists no dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, so hardware-accelerated ray tracing is not supported. The API support is limited to DirectX 10.0 (10_0) and OpenGL 3.3, with no Vulkan support. This means the card can handle DirectX 10-class effects, but it lacks the newer feature sets. The 120 shading units operate at the base clock, and the 8 texture mapping units and 4 raster operation units define the texture and pixel processing capabilities. The absence of tensor cores also rules out any AI-accelerated features.

For users interested in modern rendering techniques, the lack of RT and tensor cores is a hard limitation. DirectX 10.0 (10_0) support means it can run games that require Shader Model 4.0, but not later versions. OpenGL 3.3 support allows for some modern open-source applications, but the lack of Vulkan prevents compatibility with newer engines. The 144.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput is the raw compute available for shaders, and it is sufficient for basic lighting and shadows in the era's games. The 2.400 GPixel/s pixel rate and 4.800 GTexel/s texture rate define the fill capabilities, which are modest but functional for the intended workload. No hardware-accelerated ray tracing means any such effects would have to be software-based, which is impractical given the compute limits.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem consists of 256 MB of GDDR3 on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 21.92 GB/s. The memory clock is 685 MHz, translating to 1370 Mbps effective. This configuration is typical for a mid-range mobile part from 2007. The 128-bit bus is a limiting factor; with only 21.92 GB/s, high-resolution textures and large frame buffers will cause stuttering. The 256 MB capacity is the primary constraint for modern workloads, as even moderate resolutions with high-quality assets will exceed this. For the intended portable device use, the bandwidth is sufficient for the era's games at low to medium settings, but it is not future-proof.

The 21.92 GB/s bandwidth is exactly half of what a 256-bit bus would provide, but the 128-bit bus is a cost-saving measure. The 1370 Mbps effective clock is a standard GDDR3 speed for the time. The 256 MB frame buffer is also a limiting factor for anti-aliasing; enabling it will quickly fill the buffer. The 2.400 GPixel/s pixel rate means that the ROPs can only output 2.400 GPixel/s, which is a bottleneck at high resolutions. The 4.800 GTexel/s texture rate is the rate at which textures are sampled, and it is adequate for the era. The 128-bit bus and 256 MB capacity are the two most significant constraints, and they directly impact the card's ability to handle large textures or high display resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory capacity of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT Mac Edition?

A: It has 256 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 21.92 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does this GPU support Vulkan?

A: No, the FACT PACK lists no Vulkan support; it only supports DirectX 10.0 (10_0) and OpenGL 3.3.

Q: What is the process node used for this chip?

A: It is fabricated on a 65 nm process at TSMC, with 390 million transistors on a 153 mm² die.

Q: How many shading units does it have?

A: It has 120 shading units, along with 8 texture mapping units and 4 raster operation units.

Q: What is the effective memory clock speed?

A: The effective memory clock is 1370 Mbps, with a base memory clock of 685 MHz.

Q: What is the pixel fill rate?

A: The pixel fill rate is 2.400 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 4.800 GTexel/s.

Benchmark Performance

The database records no nearest rivals for this part, so direct percentage comparisons are unavailable. The only relative metric is the 50th percentile placement among all GPUs, which indicates a median standing in the overall database. However, the average benchmark score is 0, meaning no sampled results contribute to this percentile. The absolute performance is defined by the FP32 throughput of 144.0 GFLOPS, a pixel rate of 2.400 GPixel/s, and a texture rate of 4.800 GTexel/s. These numbers are modest by modern standards but were competitive for a 2007 mobile part. Without rival deltas, the analysis must rely on these raw figures.

The 50th percentile is a database-wide ranking, but the zero score suggests that this GPU is often untested or has no recorded benchmarks. The 120 shading units and 8 TMUs indicate a part that can handle basic geometry, but the 4 ROPs will bottleneck pixel-heavy scenes. The 144.0 GFLOPS FP32 is the theoretical peak, but real-world performance will be lower due to memory bandwidth constraints. The 2.400 GPixel/s and 4.800 GTexel/s are the fill rates that determine how many pixels and texels can be processed per second, respectively. The 50th percentile is the only comparative metric, but it is not grounded in actual scores, as the average score is 0. The data suggests a part that is neither a standout nor a failure, but rather a middle-of-the-road mobile GPU that was adequate for its time.

Power and Cooling

The FACT PACK does not specify a TDP, suggested PSU, or power connectors. The slot width is listed as 'MXM Module', and the bus interface is MXM-II, confirming this is a mobile module rather than a desktop card. Cooling is therefore dependent on the host portable device's design. The absence of a TDP figure means power draw is not quantified in the data, but the 65 nm process and the mobile form factor suggest a relatively low-power footprint. Users should rely on the original equipment manufacturer's cooling solution, as no aftermarket cooler is applicable to an MXM module.

The lack of a suggested PSU is consistent with a mobile part that draws power from the motherboard or docking station. The 65 nm process node is a factor in power efficiency; smaller nodes typically offer better performance per watt, but 65 nm is older. The 390 million transistor count on a 153 mm² die gives a density of 2.5M / mm², which is modest. The MXM-II interface is a standard for mobile graphics modules, allowing for upgrades in some laptops. The display outputs are 'Portable Device Dependent', meaning the actual ports are determined by the laptop's design, not the GPU itself. Since no TDP is listed, any power consumption figures would be speculative, so the analysis must remain qualitative. The 65 nm process and the mobile design imply that the cooling solution in the host device should be sufficient, provided it is in good working order.