ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 Mac Edition

The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 Mac Edition is a mobile GPU from AMD, built on the TeraScale architecture. It was released on August 27, 2009, and is now end-of-life. It occupies the 50th percentile in the database, indicating it is a median performer. With 800 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, it was a mid-range mobile part of its generation. The chip, codenamed M98, is fabricated on a 55 nm process at TSMC, containing 956 million transistors on a 256 mm² die, for a transistor density of 3.7 million per square millimeter.

Who Should Consider It

This GPU is best suited for users with older laptops or those who need basic 3D acceleration for legacy applications. Its 512 MB GDDR3 memory and 54.40 GB/s bandwidth are modest by modern standards, so it is not appropriate for high-resolution gaming or demanding workloads. The 50th percentile rank suggests it can handle older titles at moderate settings, but users should expect to lower resolution and detail levels for playable frame rates. It is also a candidate for retro gaming or as a secondary display adapter. Because it is an MXM module, it is intended for portable devices, so it is not a desktop upgrade option. The 804.8 GFLOPS of FP32 compute is typical for a mid-range mobile chip of its era, but it is far below current entry-level desktop parts. Users who need to run modern software with DirectX 11 or higher will find this GPU lacking, as it only supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.3. The display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent", meaning the GPU relies on the laptop's built-in panel and any external ports provided by the manufacturer. For those who have a laptop with this GPU and wish to play games from the early 2010s, it can still deliver acceptable performance at lower resolutions with reduced settings, but it will struggle with anything more recent.

How It Compares

The database does not provide any nearest rivals for this GPU, so a direct head-to-head comparison is not possible. However, its position in the overall ranking places it at the 50th percentile, meaning it outperforms half of the GPUs in the database and underperforms the other half. Its specifications, such as the 256-bit memory bus and 800 shader units, are consistent with a mid-range mobile chip from the M9x generation. It sits between its predecessor, the M8x series, and its successor, the Manhattan series, but no specific performance deltas are available. The lack of benchmark scores further limits quantitative comparison. The pixel rate of 8.048 GPixel/s and texture rate of 20.12 GTexel/s are indicative of its fillrate capabilities, which would have been competitive for a 2009 laptop GPU. The 55 nm process and 956 million transistors indicate a mid-range chip for its time, and the 256 mm² die size is typical for that generation. In the context of the entire database, its 50th percentile rank means it is neither a standout nor a laggard, but rather a typical representative of the mid-range segment.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

This GPU does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores. It relies on traditional rasterization techniques. It supports DirectX 10.1 (feature level 10_1) and OpenGL 3.3, but it does not support Vulkan. This means it lacks modern API features such as async compute and explicit multi-GPU, which are common in newer titles. The absence of ray tracing hardware makes it unsuitable for games that require hardware-accelerated ray tracing. For its era, DirectX 10.1 was a significant step, but today it is considered legacy. The lack of Vulkan support also limits its compatibility with newer games that rely on this API for performance. The TeraScale architecture does not include any tensor cores, so machine learning workloads are not supported. Overall, the feature set is firmly rooted in the late 2000s, with no modern acceleration features. The GPU's API support is a clear limitation for any user trying to run contemporary software that expects at least DirectX 11 or Vulkan.

Power and Cooling

The TDP is not listed in the database, but the GPU does not require any auxiliary power connectors. This suggests a relatively low power draw, typical of mobile MXM modules. The slot width is listed as "MXM Module", which means it is designed to be installed in laptops that have an MXM socket. Cooling is typically provided by the laptop's own thermal solution, such as a heat pipe and fan. Because there are no power connectors, the motherboard supplies all power through the MXM interface. Users should ensure their laptop has adequate cooling, but the lack of external power connectors implies that power consumption is within the range of the MXM slot's capability. The 55 nm process node, while not the most efficient, was standard for its time. The absence of a suggested PSU in the database further confirms that this is a mobile part with no external power requirements. The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), which is a standard for mobile graphics modules, and it is compatible with laptops that support this form factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory size and type?

A: The GPU comes with 512 MB of GDDR3 memory.

Q: Does it support Vulkan?

A: No, it supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.3 only.

Q: What is the release date?

A: It was released on August 27, 2009.

Q: How many shading units does it have?

A: It has 800 shading units.

Q: Does it have ray tracing capabilities?

A: No, it lacks dedicated ray tracing cores.

Q: What is the memory bus width?

A: The memory bus is 256 bits wide.

Q: What is the transistor count?

A: It contains 956 million transistors.

Q: What is the process node?

A: It is fabricated on a 55 nm process.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem consists of 512 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 54.40 GB/s. The memory clock is 850 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1700 Mbps. This configuration yields a pixel rate of 8.048 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 20.12 GTexel/s. The 256-bit bus is generous for a mobile GPU, but the 512 MB capacity is limited. At higher resolutions, the frame buffer may become a bottleneck, forcing the GPU to rely on memory compression or lower settings. The bandwidth is sufficient for the pixel and texture rates, but it is not exceptional by modern standards. The FP32 compute of 804.8 GFLOPS is tied to the shading units, and the memory bandwidth is well matched to the compute capability. For a 2009 mobile GPU, this was a balanced design, but today the 512 MB capacity is insufficient for even 1080p gaming with high textures. The effective data rate of 1700 Mbps is a direct result of the 850 MHz memory clock, and the 256-bit bus width allows for a substantial transfer rate per cycle.

Benchmark Performance

No benchmark scores are recorded in the database for this GPU. The average benchmark score is listed as 0, which likely indicates the absence of test results rather than a true performance measurement. However, the GPU's percentile rank of 50 places it exactly at the median of all GPUs in the database. This suggests that it delivers average performance compared to the entire spectrum of GPUs, from integrated graphics to high-end discrete cards. Given its 2009 release and mobile design, it would have been a solid mid-range performer in its day, but it is now far behind contemporary parts. The lack of modern API support and limited memory further constrain its performance in current applications. The pixel rate of 8.048 GPixel/s and texture rate of 20.12 GTexel/s are modest, and the 804.8 GFLOPS of FP32 is a fraction of what modern GPUs offer. Without benchmark data, we rely on these specifications to infer that the GPU would struggle with any modern 3D workload beyond basic desktop compositing. The 50th percentile rank is a broad indicator, but it does not provide granular insight into how this GPU compares to its immediate peers, as no rival data is available.