RADEON

ATI Radeon 9500 PRO

AMD graphics card specifications and benchmark scores

128 MB
VRAM
MHz Boost
TDP
128
Bus Width

ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Specifications

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ATI Radeon 9500 PRO GPU Core

Shader units and compute resources

The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.

TMUs
8
ROPs
8
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ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Clock Speeds

GPU and memory frequencies

Clock speeds directly impact the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO by AMD dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.

GPU Clock
275 MHz
Memory Clock
270 MHz 540 Mbps effective
GDDR GDDR 6X 6X

AMD's ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Memory

VRAM capacity and bandwidth

VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.

Memory Size
128 MB
VRAM
128 MB
Memory Type
DDR
VRAM Type
DDR
Memory Bus
128 bit
Bus Width
128-bit
Bandwidth
8.640 GB/s
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ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Theoretical Performance

Compute and fill rates

Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.

Pixel Rate
2.200 GPixel/s
Texture Rate
2.200 GTexel/s
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R300 Architecture & Process

Manufacturing and design details

The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO is built on AMD's R300 architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.

Architecture
R300
GPU Name
R300
Process Node
150 nm
Foundry
TSMC
Transistors
110 million
Die Size
215 mm²
Density
511.6K / mm²
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AMD's ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Power & Thermal

TDP and power requirements

Power specifications for the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO to maintain boost clocks without throttling.

Power Connectors
None
Suggested PSU
200 W
📐

ATI Radeon 9500 PRO by AMD Physical & Connectivity

Dimensions and outputs

Physical dimensions of the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.

Slot Width
Single-slot
Bus Interface
AGP 8x
Display Outputs
1x DVI1x VGA1x S-Video
Display Outputs
1x DVI1x VGA1x S-Video
🎮

AMD API Support

Graphics and compute APIs

API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.

DirectX
9.0 (9_0)
DirectX
9.0 (9_0)
OpenGL
2.0
OpenGL
2.0
📦

ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Product Information

Release and pricing details

The ATI Radeon 9500 PRO is manufactured by AMD as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO by AMD represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.

Manufacturer
AMD
Release Date
Oct 2002
Production
End-of-life
Predecessor
Radeon R200
Successor
Radeon R400 AGP

ATI Radeon 9500 PRO Benchmark Scores

📊

No benchmark data available for this GPU.

About ATI Radeon 9500 PRO

For creators evaluating the compute performance of legacy hardware, the ATI Radeon 9500 PRO presents a fascinating case study from the dawn of the programmable shader era. Based on the R300 architecture, this card was among the first to offer robust support for DirectX 9.0, a critical leap for real-time 3D content creation. How does its four parallel pixel pipelines hold up for modern GPU-accelerated tasks like video filtering or texture baking? The 128 MB of DDR memory, while modest by today's standards, was a respectable pool for handling intermediate assets at common resolutions of the time. Could its memory bandwidth sustain the data throughput needed for complex particle simulations or lightmap generation? The card's floating-point precision, a key factor for accurate computations, was a significant step up from its predecessors.

  • Four parallel pixel pipelines for parallel processing tasks.
  • Full DirectX 9.0 support enabling advanced shader operations.
  • 128 MB DDR memory for asset and texture storage.
  • AGP 8x interface for high-speed data transfer to the CPU.

When assessing the 3D rendering capabilities of this Radeon 9500 PRO, one must consider its position as a pioneering but ultimately constrained solution. Its support for vertex and pixel shaders 2.0 unlocked new levels of visual fidelity for real-time previews in applications like 3ds Max or Maya circa 2003. But with only half the pixel pipelines of its flagship sibling, the 9700 PRO, how much of a bottleneck would creators face when manipulating dense meshes or complex materials? The rendering performance of this card was highly dependent on driver optimization to efficiently manage its resources. For offline rendering, its role would have been limited to viewport acceleration rather than final frame computation. Was the visual quality of its output, including anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering, sufficient for making critical artistic decisions?

  • Vertex and Pixel Shader 2.0 support for complex material rendering.
  • Smoothvision anti-aliasing for improved image quality in viewports.
  • Key frame rate performance for interactive model manipulation.
  • Hardware transform and lighting to offload work from the main CPU.

Driver support and stability are paramount for any workstation component, and the legacy status of the AMD Radeon 9500 PRO raises important questions. While AMD's Catalyst drivers were renowned for their feature sets during this period, how do modern operating systems handle such aged hardware? Could a creator reliably run this graphics card on a current Windows 10 or Linux build for a retro workstation? The AGP 8x interface itself is a major point of consideration, as modern motherboards have long abandoned this slot, necessitating a period-correct system build. For a stable, dedicated workstation built from era-appropriate parts, this particular Radeon model could offer a consistent, known-good experience. However, the feasibility of sourcing reliable drivers and troubleshooting potential conflicts is a significant hurdle.

  • Legacy Catalyst driver support for period-correct operating systems.
  • AGP 8x interface compatibility requiring specific vintage motherboards.
  • Potential stability on lightweight Linux distributions with open-source drivers.
  • Consideration for a dedicated, period-accurate workstation build.

The NVIDIA Equivalent of ATI Radeon 9500 PRO

Looking for a similar graphics card from NVIDIA? The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 offers comparable performance and features in the NVIDIA lineup.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080

NVIDIA • 8 GB VRAM

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