ATI Mobility Radeon X1700

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 is a mobile graphics processor from AMD, built on the 90 nm process at TSMC using the Ultra-Threaded SE architecture. It targets the legacy DirectX 9.0c (9_3) era, with a die size of 150 mm² housing 157 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 1.0M per mm². With a production status of end-of-life, it was released on January 31, 2006, succeeding the M5x and preceding the M7x generations. The data shows a benchmark percentile ranking of 50 against all GPUs, placing it exactly at the median of the database, though its average benchmark score is zero, indicating no standardized test results are available for direct numeric comparison.

Who Should Consider It

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 is positioned for users operating in a strictly legacy software environment. Given its DirectX 9.0c (9_3) API support and OpenGL 2.1, this GPU is suitable for applications and games released during the mid-2000s that rely on shader model 3.0 features. The 256 MB of GDDR3 memory, paired with a 128-bit bus, suggests a resolution ceiling around 1280x720 or 1024x768 for contemporary titles of its era; higher resolutions would likely strain the 12.80 GB/s bandwidth and the 1.900 GPixel/s pixel fill rate.

Benchmark results indicate that this card sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it is neither a standout performer nor a bottom-tier option. For users with a collection of early-to-mid 2000s games that do not require DirectX 10 or later, the X1700 can handle medium detail settings at lower resolutions. However, the absence of any modern API support, including Vulkan, makes it unsuitable for any current software. The 4 texture mapping units and 4 render output units further cap its ability to handle texture-heavy scenes or high anti-aliasing settings; users should consider it for basic 3D acceleration rather than demanding visual fidelity.

The 90 nm process node and the chip design, codenamed M66, indicate a mid-range mobile solution of its time. Those seeking to run productivity applications from that era, such as early 3D modeling tools that leverage OpenGL 2.1, may find the X1700 adequate. Yet, for any task involving modern APIs or high-resolution textures, the data clearly shows this GPU is out of its depth, and the lack of a launch MSRP means no pricing context is available to frame its original market segment.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 does not include any ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these technologies were not part of the Ultra-Threaded SE architecture. The data confirms no RT cores and no tensor cores are present, meaning hardware-accelerated ray tracing is entirely unsupported. Similarly, there is no support for Vulkan, and the DirectX support is capped at version 9.0c with the 9_3 feature level, which limits the GPU to pixel shader 2.0 and 3.0 capabilities.

The feature set is defined by its fixed-function pipeline and early programmable shaders. With 4 TMUs and 4 ROPs, the X1700 can perform basic texture filtering and rasterization, but it lacks any dedicated hardware for compute workloads or AI acceleration. The texture rate of 1.900 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 1.900 GPixel/s are identical, indicating a balanced but modest throughput. OpenGL 2.1 support provides a path for older cross-platform applications, but no modern extensions are available.

For users evaluating this GPU today, the feature set is purely historical. There is no hardware video decoding beyond what the era offered, no multi-display capabilities are listed, and the PCIe 1.0 x16 bus interface is the sole connection method. The absence of a Vulkan driver and the DirectX 9_3 ceiling mean that any software requiring newer API features will fail to run. In essence, the X1700 is a fixed-function rasterizer with limited programmable shading, suitable only for its contemporary software ecosystem.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals field in the data is empty, which means there are no direct comparative benchmarks or deltaPct values available for the ATI Mobility Radeon X1700. Consequently, a positional analysis against specific competitor GPUs cannot be performed using quantitative scores. The only available reference point is the percentileVsAllGpus figure of 50, which positions the X1700 exactly at the midpoint of the entire GPU database. This suggests that, in the aggregate historical distribution of GPUs, half are faster and half are slower, but no specific rival names or performance deltas are provided.

Without rival data, the comparison must rely on architectural context. The X1700’s predecessor, the M5x, and its successor, the M7x, bracket its generation, but no scores are given for either. The chip M66 is unique to this model, and the 90 nm process is typical of its release period. Given the lack of nearest rival entries, any claim about outperforming or underperforming a specific card would be unsupported. The data simply shows a median standing in the overall distribution, with no granular breakdown of where it falls relative to peers.

This absence of comparative data is itself informative. It indicates that the X1700 was not a widely benchmarked or competitive part in the database’s sampling, likely due to its mobile nature and the era’s limited standardized testing. Users should interpret the 50th percentile as a neutral signal: the GPU is neither a high-water mark nor a laggard in the grand scheme of all GPUs tracked, but its practical utility is constrained by its age and API limitations.

Power and Cooling

The FACT PACK does not include a TDP (thermal design power) value for the ATI Mobility Radeon X1700, nor does it list a suggested PSU wattage or power connector requirements. As a mobile GPU, it was designed to operate within the thermal envelope of a laptop chassis, but the exact power draw is unspecified. The absence of power connector data suggests that the X1700 draws power solely from the motherboard or a dedicated MXM-style interface, rather than requiring external PCIe power connectors typical of desktop cards.

The 90 nm process node, while large by modern standards, was efficient for its time, and the 157 million transistors on a 150 mm² die imply a moderate power footprint. The memory clock of 400 MHz with 800 Mbps effective data rate for the GDDR3 memory adds to the overall power consumption, but again, no aggregate figure is provided. For a system integrator or end-user, the lack of a TDP means any cooling solution must be evaluated qualitatively; a capable air cooler designed for mid-range mobile GPUs from the mid-2000s would suffice.

Since no slot width is listed, the X1700 likely occupied a standard mobile form factor, and the PCIe 1.0 x16 interface dictates the electrical connection. The data does not specify whether active cooling (fans) or passive heatsinks were used, and no thermal solution details are present. Given the end-of-life status, replacement parts are scarce, and any maintenance would require sourcing legacy components. The key takeaway is that power and cooling specifications are largely undocumented in this dataset, so users must rely on the era’s typical mobile GPU requirements.

FAQ

Q: What DirectX version does the ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 support?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 9.0c with the 9_3 feature level, which is the highest API version available.

Q: Does the X1700 support Vulkan or ray tracing?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists no Vulkan support, and there are no RT cores or tensor cores present, so hardware ray tracing is unavailable.

Q: How much memory does the X1700 have, and what type is it?

A: It has 256 MB of GDDR3 memory, with a 128-bit bus width and a bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s.

Q: What is the memory clock speed of the X1700?

A: The memory runs at 400 MHz, which translates to 800 Mbps effective data rate.

Q: What is the manufacturing process and transistor count?

A: The chip is built on a 90 nm process at TSMC, containing 157 million transistors on a 150 mm² die.

Q: When was the X1700 released, and what is its production status?

A: It was released on January 31, 2006, and its production status is end-of-life.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the ATI Mobility Radeon X1700 consists of 256 MB of GDDR3 memory, connected via a 128-bit bus. This configuration yields a memory bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s, calculated from the 400 MHz memory clock with an 800 Mbps effective data rate. For the era, this was a modest bandwidth figure, suitable for 32-bit color depth at resolutions of 1280x1024 or lower, but it becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions or with heavy texture usage.

The 128-bit bus width is a key constraint, as it limits the amount of data that can be transferred between the GPU and memory per clock cycle. In practice, this means that the X1700 is best suited for games and applications that use moderate texture sizes, such as those from 2004-2006. The 256 MB capacity was adequate for the shader models of DirectX 9.0c, where texture-heavy scenes could fit within the framebuffer, but open-world titles with large draw distances would likely exceed this capacity, causing texture thrashing.

At high resolutions, such as 1600x1200 or above, the 12.80 GB/s bandwidth would be insufficient to maintain smooth frame rates, as the pixel fill rate of 1.900 GPixel/s also caps output. The combination of 4 ROPs and the modest bandwidth suggests that the X1700 is a 720p-class GPU at best. For users with a 1080p display, the GPU would require significant reductions in detail settings and resolution scaling to achieve playable performance. The GDDR3 type was a step up from DDR2 in terms of efficiency, but the effective speed of 800 Mbps is low by any modern standard, reinforcing the X1700’s status as a legacy part.