ATI Radeon 7500 LE

The ATI Radeon 7500 LE is an AMD-manufactured graphics card built on the RV200 chip using the Rage 7 architecture, part of the Radeon R200 generation. Fabricated at TSMC on a 150 nm process, the chip integrates 60 million transistors across an 83 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 722.9K per square millimeter. Released on August 13, 2001, the card is now end-of-life, positioned between the Radeon R100 and Radeon R300 in the product lineage. The database lists no benchmark scores for this card, but its percentile rank against all GPUs is 50, placing it exactly at the median of the distribution.

Benchmark Performance

The absence of benchmark scores in the FACT PACK means that real-world performance cannot be quantified from the database. However, theoretical fill rates are provided: the pixel rate is 500.0 MPixel/s, and the texture rate is 1.500 GTexel/s. These figures represent the maximum rate at which the card can write pixels to the framebuffer and process texture samples, respectively. The memory bandwidth of 5.600 GB/s further constrains performance, as data transfer between the GPU and memory is often a limiting factor in graphics workloads. The card's percentile of 50 indicates that, within the database's ranking of all GPUs, it sits exactly in the middle—half of the entries are faster, half are slower—but without actual scores, the precise distribution remains unknown. The database also lists no nearest rivals, so no percentage deltas can be calculated for direct comparison.

The memory clock is 175 MHz, with an effective data rate of 350 Mbps. While this effective rate is low, the 128-bit bus width helps achieve a bandwidth of 5.600 GB/s. The card's texture mapping units (6 TMUs) and render output units (2 ROPs) drive the pixel and texture rates, but the absence of shader units or FP32 performance figures leaves a gap in understanding its computational throughput. The average benchmark score is 0, which further confirms that no performance measurements have been recorded. Given the lack of comparative data, the only meaningful performance indicators are the theoretical rates and the median percentile.

Power and Cooling

The Radeon 7500 LE has a TDP of 23 W, a remarkably low power draw that aligns with its modest specifications. The suggested power supply rating is 200 W, which is sufficient for a system containing this card. No power connectors are required, meaning the card draws all its power from the AGP 4x slot. The slot width is single-slot, so it occupies only one expansion slot in a chassis. The low TDP implies that a simple passive heatsink or a small active cooler would be adequate, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact cooling solution. The card's power efficiency is a direct consequence of the 150 nm process and the limited number of functional units—6 TMUs and 2 ROPs. For a system with a 200 W PSU, this card is unlikely to stress the power delivery.

Who Should Consider It

Given its specifications, the Radeon 7500 LE is suited for legacy systems that require basic 2D and 3D acceleration. The 64 MB of DDR memory, paired with a 128-bit bus and 5.600 GB/s bandwidth, provides enough capacity and throughput for lower resolutions and older applications. The card supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3, so it can run software that relies on these APIs. The display outputs—1x VGA and 1x S-Video—indicate connectivity for CRT monitors and television sets, making it a candidate for retro computing or media playback. The low TDP and single-slot design allow it to fit into compact or older systems without additional power cabling. However, the limited memory and bandwidth will likely constrain performance at higher resolutions or with texture-heavy workloads. The card's end-of-life status means it is not intended for current software, but for users with an AGP 4x motherboard and a need for basic acceleration, it remains a functional option.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK lists no nearest rivals for the Radeon 7500 LE, so direct comparisons to other GPUs are impossible from the available data. The card's percentile of 50 places it at the median of the database, but without rival names or scores, we cannot determine its standing relative to specific products. The card's predecessor is the Radeon R100, and its successor is the Radeon R300, but no specifications for these are provided, so a generational comparison cannot be quantified. The absence of nearestRivals in the database is a significant limitation for any comparative analysis. We can only note that the card belongs to the Radeon R200 generation, which includes the 7500 series, but no other members are listed. Consequently, any attempt to assess its competitive position must rely solely on the theoretical metrics and the median percentile.

Memory Subsystem

The Radeon 7500 LE is equipped with 64 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory clock runs at 175 MHz, with an effective data rate of 350 Mbps. This configuration yields a bandwidth of 5.600 GB/s, which is the rate at which data can be read from or written to memory. For a card of this era, 64 MB is a modest capacity, limiting the size of textures and the framebuffer. At higher resolutions, the memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, as more pixels and texture data must be transferred per frame. The 128-bit bus width is a moderate design, but the relatively low memory clock keeps the bandwidth in check. The pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.500 GTexel/s are also dependent on memory access, so the overall performance is constrained by the 5.600 GB/s figure. For applications that require large textures or high-resolution framebuffers, this memory subsystem will likely be insufficient.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory size of the ATI Radeon 7500 LE?

A: The card has 64 MB of DDR memory.

Q: What is the TDP of the card?

A: The TDP is 23 W, with a suggested PSU of 200 W.

Q: Which APIs does the card support?

A: It supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3.

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

A: The chip is fabricated on a 150 nm process at TSMC.

Q: What is the bus interface?

A: The card uses AGP 4x.

Q: What is the production status?

A: It is end-of-life, released on August 13, 2001.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Radeon 7500 LE does not have dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as indicated by the null values in the FACT PACK. The card's feature set is defined by its support for DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3. DirectX 7.0 predates ray tracing APIs, so no hardware acceleration for such effects is possible. The card's architecture, Rage 7, was designed before the advent of AI-accelerated workloads, and the absence of tensor cores confirms that machine learning tasks are not supported. The rendering pipeline consists of 6 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 2 render output units (ROPs), which drive the pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 1.500 GTexel/s. The display outputs are limited to 1x VGA and 1x S-Video, providing analog connectivity only. This feature set is consistent with a card from the early 2000s, focusing on traditional rasterization rather than advanced effects.