ATI Mobility Radeon X1600

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 is a mobile graphics processor from AMD, built around the M56 chip using TSMC's 90 nm process. It was released on 2006-01-31 as part of the M5x generation (Mobility X1), positioned between the M2x predecessor and the M6x successor in the product line. The chip integrates 157 million transistors on a 150 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 1.0M per mm². It supports DirectX 9.0c with feature level 9_3 and OpenGL 2.1, and connects to the host system through a PCIe 1.0 x16 interface. The production status is end-of-life.

Benchmark Performance

The database records no benchmark scores for the Mobility Radeon X1600; the benchmark array is empty and the average score is 0. The only quantitative performance signal is the percentile rank of 50, which places the card at the exact midpoint of all GPUs tracked in the database. That midpoint position tells a clear story: this is neither a high-flying part nor a bottom-feeder, but a squarely average mobile GPU from its era.

The fixed-function throughput figures reinforce that reading. The card has 4 texture mapping units and 4 raster operation units, producing a pixel rate of 1.800 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 1.800 GTexel/s. The identical pixel and texture rates indicate a balanced design where each ROP is matched with a single TMU. In practical terms, this means the card can push about 1.8 billion pixels per second and sample 1.8 billion texels per second — enough for moderate resolutions and detail settings, but with no headroom for heavy anti-aliasing or large texture filters.

The memory clock runs at 470 MHz, or 940 Mbps effective, across a 128-bit bus. That configuration yields 15.04 GB/s of bandwidth. When set against the 1.800 GPixel/s pixel rate, the bandwidth is sufficient to feed the fill rate without creating an obvious bottleneck, but it is not generous. Games that stream large textures or use high-resolution render targets will feel the constraint.

Because no rival scores or delta percentages are recorded, the percentile rank is the only comparative metric available. A 50th percentile standing means half of the tracked GPUs perform better and half perform worse, which is a useful baseline for anyone evaluating this card in a legacy context. The absence of benchmark data is itself informative: this is a part that was rarely tested in isolation, and its performance must be inferred from the fixed-function specifications rather than from direct measurements.

Who Should Consider It

The Mobility Radeon X1600 is a DirectX 9.0c (9_3) part, so its natural home is a system running software from the mid-2000s era. The 256 MB GDDR3 frame buffer and 128-bit bus provide enough memory bandwidth — 15.04 GB/s — for the game textures and color buffers typical of that period. The 1.800 GPixel/s pixel rate handles fill-rate-bound effects like alpha blending, particle effects, and multi-pass rendering at moderate resolutions and settings.

This is not a card for high-resolution gaming. The 256 MB memory capacity and 15.04 GB/s bandwidth will struggle with large texture sets and high-depth buffers. Users who want to play older DirectX 9 titles at lower resolutions and medium detail settings will find the card adequate. Those who need modern API features — Vulkan is absent, and OpenGL tops out at 2.1 — should look at newer hardware. The card's 50th percentile rank suggests it is a reasonable match for a mid-range laptop of its time, not for a gaming flagship.

For a retro gaming build or a period-correct laptop restoration, the X1600 covers the majority of games released around its launch window. The DirectX 9.0c (9_3) feature set is broad enough for that era's titles, and the 256 MB memory is sufficient for their texture budgets. The 128-bit bus and 15.04 GB/s bandwidth support 32-bit color at the resolutions those games targeted. If the goal is to run modern titles or use contemporary APIs, this is not the right part.

Power and Cooling

The FACT PACK does not specify a TDP, a suggested PSU wattage, or power connector requirements for this card. The data that is available provides indirect context: the chip is manufactured on a 90 nm process at TSMC, contains 157 million transistors, and measures 150 mm². The 90 nm node was a mature process for the era, and the transistor count is modest by today's standards, but no thermal or electrical figures are provided to quantify the power draw.

As a mobile part, the X1600 would rely on the laptop's thermal solution rather than an aftermarket cooler. The bus interface is PCIe 1.0 x16, and no auxiliary power connectors are listed in the data. Because the card is end-of-life, no new cooling solutions are being developed for it, and replacement parts would come from existing inventory or used markets. The absence of a TDP figure means any power-supply recommendation would be speculative, so the data simply does not support a specific PSU rating.

What can be said qualitatively: the 90 nm process and 157 million transistors are consistent with a modest thermal footprint for a mobile part of that generation. The lack of any listed power connectors suggests the card was designed to draw power through the PCIe 1.0 x16 slot alone. For a laptop integration, the cooling solution would be dictated by the chassis design, not by the GPU alone.

How It Compares

The database lists no nearest rivals for the Mobility Radeon X1600, so there are no rival names, scores, or delta percentages to cite. The product lineage provides the only positional reference: the M2x predecessor and the M6x successor bracket this chip in AMD's mobile roadmap. The X1600 belongs to the M5x generation (Mobility X1), which is characterized by the 90 nm process and the Ultra-Threaded SE architecture.

Within that generation, the 50th percentile rank places the X1600 at the midpoint of the database's GPU population. That is a useful anchor: it means the card is not a standout performer, but it is also not a laggard. The 4 TMUs, 4 ROPs, 256 MB GDDR3, and 128-bit bus are all consistent with a mid-range mobile part. Without rival data, further comparison is not possible from the FACT PACK alone.

The predecessor M2x and successor M6x provide a generational frame. The X1600's position in the M5x line means it inherits the Ultra-Threaded SE architecture and the 90 nm process, while the M6x successor follows it in the product line — though the data does not specify the M6x's characteristics. For a buyer looking at used laptops, the X1600 sits in the middle of a three-generation arc, offering a balanced feature set for its time.

Memory Subsystem

The Mobility Radeon X1600 ships with 256 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory clock is 470 MHz, which translates to 940 Mbps effective, and the resulting bandwidth is 15.04 GB/s. For a 2006-era mobile part, 256 MB was a common capacity, and GDDR3 was a standard high-bandwidth memory type for the period.

The 128-bit bus width is the most significant limiter in the memory subsystem. It caps the data transfer rate between memory and the GPU core, and at higher resolutions — where larger textures, deeper color buffers, and more complex shaders demand more data — the 15.04 GB/s figure becomes the binding constraint. The pixel rate of 1.800 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1.800 GTexel/s are well matched to this bandwidth; none of the three figures dramatically exceeds the others, indicating a balanced design. For users running at moderate resolutions, the memory subsystem is adequate. For those pushing higher resolutions or using heavy texture filtering, the 128-bit bus and 15.04 GB/s bandwidth will show their limits.

The memory type is GDDR3, which was a high-bandwidth option in the 2006 timeframe. The 470 MHz clock and 940 Mbps effective rate are modest by later standards, but they are consistent with the card's overall positioning. The 256 MB capacity is the entire frame buffer, so users cannot expand it; the memory size is fixed at the factory. This makes the card best suited to games and applications designed for 256 MB or less.

FAQ

Q: What DirectX version does the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 support?

A: It supports DirectX 9.0c with feature level 9_3, along with OpenGL 2.1. Vulkan support is not listed in the data.

Q: How much memory does the card have, and what type is it?

A: The card has 256 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 128-bit bus, with a total bandwidth of 15.04 GB/s.

Q: What is the memory clock speed?

A: The memory runs at 470 MHz, which is 940 Mbps effective.

Q: What are the pixel and texture fill rates?

A: The pixel rate is 1.800 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 1.800 GTexel/s, produced by 4 ROPs and 4 TMUs.

Q: When was this GPU released, and is it still in production?

A: It was released on 2006-01-31 and is now end-of-life.

Q: What process node and transistor count does the chip use?

A: The chip is built on a 90 nm process at TSMC, with 157 million transistors on a 150 mm² die, for a density of 1.0M per mm².