ATI Radeon 9500 PRO

The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO is a single-slot AGP 8x graphics card built on the R300 architecture, manufactured by AMD at TSMC's 150 nm process node. The die contains 110 million transistors on a 215 mm² footprint, yielding a transistor density of 511.6K per square millimeter. The card ships with 128 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 8.640 GB/s of bandwidth at a 270 MHz memory clock (540 Mbps effective). Its fixed-function pipeline consists of 8 texture mapping units and 8 raster operation units, producing a pixel rate of 2.200 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 2.200 GTexel/s. In the benchmark database, the card holds a 50th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 0 due to the absence of recorded benchmark entries. The card supports DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0, and is listed as end-of-life, released on September 30, 2002, succeeding the Radeon R200 and preceding the Radeon R400 AGP.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark database records an average score of 0 for the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO, with no individual benchmark entries present in the fact pack. This zero score does not reflect a lack of capability; rather, it indicates that no synthetic or game-based workloads have been logged for this part. The card's global percentile ranking of 50 places it exactly at the median of all GPUs in the database, meaning half of all tracked graphics cards are faster and half are slower. This median positioning is consistent with the card's fixed-function throughput metrics. The pixel rate of 2.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 2.200 GTexel/s are numerically identical, indicating a symmetric balance between the 8 texture mapping units and 8 raster operation units. The memory subsystem provides 8.640 GB/s of bandwidth from a 128-bit DDR bus running at 270 MHz with a 540 Mbps effective data rate. This bandwidth is allocated to feed the 2.200 GPixel/s fill rate, and the ratio suggests that for typical DirectX 9.0 workloads of the era, the memory interface does not starve the pixel pipeline. The 128 MB frame buffer is a standard capacity for this class, allowing moderate resolution rendering without excessive texture swapping. The 150 nm process node, with 110 million transistors on a 215 mm² die, yields a transistor density of 511.6K per square millimeter, which is a defining characteristic of the R300 architecture. The absence of recorded benchmark scores means the 50th percentile is the sole quantitative performance indicator, but the architectural data provides a coherent picture of a mid-range part.

How It Compares

The fact pack's nearestRivals field is empty, so no direct competitor cards with delta percentages are available for comparison. Consequently, the analysis must rely on the global percentile and the card's own specifications to establish its position. The 50th percentile ranking places the Radeon 9500 PRO in the middle of the entire GPU distribution, which is a typical position for a product targeting the mainstream segment of its generation. Without rival data, the card cannot be compared against specific names, but its standing can be inferred from its fill rates and memory bandwidth relative to the historical context of the R300 generation. As a successor to the Radeon R200 and a predecessor to the Radeon R400 AGP, the 9500 PRO occupies a transitional point in AMD's product line. The R200 lineage suggests a step up in DirectX support, while the R400 AGP successor indicates that the 9500 PRO is an early implementation of the R300 architecture. The card's single-slot design and lack of power connectors, with a suggested 200 W power supply, position it as an accessible upgrade for systems with limited power headroom. The AGP 8x bus interface is a key feature, offering higher bandwidth than earlier AGP revisions. The display output configuration of 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video covers standard analog and digital connections of the period. The absence of Vulkan support, listed as null, indicates that this card predates the Vulkan API, relying solely on DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0.

Who Should Consider It

The 50th percentile ranking suggests that the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO is suitable for users seeking a median level of graphics performance. Given the DirectX 9.0 (9_0) support, the card is appropriate for early DirectX 9.0 titles, though the 128 MB memory and 8.640 GB/s bandwidth will limit texture-heavy scenes. The 2.200 GPixel/s pixel rate indicates that standard display resolutions with moderate settings are within reach, but higher resolutions will strain the fill rate. The 8 texture mapping units and 8 raster operation units provide a balanced pipeline for the era's shader models. The 200 W suggested power supply and absence of power connectors make the card easy to install in systems with modest power supplies. The single-slot form factor allows it to fit in compact chassis. The OpenGL 2.0 support extends its utility to applications that rely on that API. The card's end-of-life status means it is a legacy product, but for users running software that matches its API support, it remains a functional option. The 150 nm process and 110 million transistor count indicate a mature manufacturing node, and the 215 mm² die size is moderate for the time. The 128-bit memory bus, while narrower than some high-end parts, is paired with 128 MB of DDR memory to deliver a cohesive memory subsystem. The AGP 8x interface is a requirement for motherboards of that era, and the 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video outputs cover common display connections. For those running DirectX 9.0 applications at standard resolutions, the 2.200 GTexel/s texture rate and 2.200 GPixel/s pixel rate provide a predictable baseline.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO?

A: The card has 128 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, with a memory clock of 270 MHz (540 Mbps effective), delivering 8.640 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Which graphics APIs are supported?

A: The fact pack lists DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0 support. Vulkan support is not listed.

Q: Does the card have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No, the fact pack lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The pipeline is fixed-function with 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs.

Q: What are the display outputs?

A: The card provides 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video outputs.

Q: What is the power requirement?

A: The suggested power supply is 200 W, and the card requires no power connectors.

Q: What is the process node and die size?

A: The card is built on a 150 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 215 mm² and 110 million transistors.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both fields are null in the fact pack. This absence is consistent with its fixed-function design, where the 8 texture mapping units and 8 raster operation units handle all rendering tasks. The card's feature set is defined by its API support: DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0. The DirectX 9.0 (9_0) support enables pixel shader and vertex shader models of that generation, while OpenGL 2.0 provides a cross-platform interface. The lack of Vulkan support indicates the card predates that API. The memory subsystem features 128 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, with a 270 MHz clock and 540 Mbps effective rate, yielding 8.640 GB/s of bandwidth. The pixel rate of 2.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 2.200 GTexel/s are equal, reflecting the symmetric allocation of TMUs and ROPs. The card connects via AGP 8x and outputs to 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video. The 150 nm process node, 110 million transistors, and 215 mm² die size are key manufacturing attributes, with a transistor density of 511.6K per square millimeter. The card is single-slot, has no power connectors, and suggests a 200 W power supply. The production status is end-of-life, with a release date of September 30, 2002. The absence of tensor cores means no machine learning acceleration is available, and the lack of ray tracing cores means no hardware-accelerated ray tracing is present. The fixed-function pipeline relies on the 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs for all geometry and pixel processing, which is a straightforward design for the DirectX 9.0 era.