ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256-bit

The ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256-bit is an AGP 8x graphics card from AMD’s Radeon R300 generation, built around the R350 chip and the R300 architecture. Fabricated by TSMC on a 150 nm process, the die contains 117 million transistors across 215 mm², producing a transistor density of 544.2K per mm². The product is end-of-life and carries a database percentile of 50 against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 0.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is built around 128 MB of DDR memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is 340 MHz, with an effective data rate of 680 Mbps. When combined with the 256-bit interface, that yields 21.76 GB/s of peak memory bandwidth.

The 256-bit bus is the strongest part of this configuration. A wide bus allows more data to move per clock cycle, which helps feed the 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs. The memory bandwidth of 21.76 GB/s is meaningful for the DirectX 9.0 (9_0) era, but the 128 MB capacity is the more restrictive constraint. At high resolutions, the framebuffer and texture working set can exceed what 128 MB can hold on-board. Once that limit is hit, the card must either reduce the resolution, lower texture detail, or rely on slower spillover paths.

In practice, the memory subsystem is balanced around the card’s target workload: 128 MB of DDR is best suited to uses with small-to-moderate memory footprints. The 256-bit bus provides enough throughput for those workloads, but it cannot manufacture capacity. High-resolution scenarios will likely stress the framebuffer capacity before they stress the 21.76 GB/s bandwidth. This is a memory system where bus width is generous, capacity is limited, and effective speed is tied directly to the 340 MHz / 680 Mbps DDR signaling.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The data sheet does not list any ray tracing cores or tensor cores. That means no dedicated hardware acceleration is documented for those workloads. The feature set is instead defined by API compatibility: DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0 are supported, while Vulkan is not listed.

The R350 chip belongs to the R300 architecture, and the fixed-function pipeline is specified at 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs. Pixel rate is 3.040 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 3.040 GTexel/s. These are the primary throughput figures in the specification, and they indicate a pipeline that is designed for conventional rasterization rather than compute-heavy effects.

The bus interface is AGP 8x, which is an older expansion interface. Display outputs include 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video, meaning the card supports analog and digital display connections from the same set of outputs. The API list includes DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0, so the intended software environment is one built around those APIs. There is no Vulkan support in the listed specifications.

Because no ray tracing or tensor core counts are present, the card cannot be positioned as a hardware-accelerated ray tracing product. Its feature set is centered on the R300-generation fixed-function pipeline and the API support of that era. The absence of Vulkan further narrows modern software compatibility.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark results are not populated for this entry. The average benchmark score is 0, and the nearestRivals array is empty, so there are no deltaPct values to quote against competing products. Without benchmark scores, a direct performance ranking cannot be established from the data.

The specification does provide raw throughput numbers. The pixel rate is 3.040 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 3.040 GTexel/s. At 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs, those numbers mean the aggregate pixel and texture throughput are equal. That is consistent with a balanced design where neither texture fetching nor pixel output is dramatically ahead of the other.

The percentile vs all GPUs is 50. However, because the average benchmark score is 0, this percentile cannot be interpreted as a measured performance midpoint. It is a positional value in the database, not a result derived from executed benchmarks. Any comparison against other GPUs would require populated benchmark scores and nearest-rival deltas, neither of which is present.

The data therefore shows a card with a defined fill-rate envelope but no recorded frame-rate data. The 3.040 GPixel/s and 3.040 GTexel/s rates are the closest available performance indicators. They describe the maximum rate at which the rasterization and texturing stages can operate, but they do not translate into a benchmark score without actual tests.

How It Compares

There are no nearest rival entries stored for the ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256-bit. As a result, this section cannot provide percentage deltas against direct competitors. There are no rival names, scores, or deltaPct values to analyze.

The only structural comparison points available in the fact pack are the card’s predecessor and successor. The predecessor is the Radeon R200, and the successor is the Radeon R400 AGP. This places the card between two generations in AMD’s AGP product lineage. It uses the R350 chip and belongs to the R300 architecture, which is the architectural generation that defines its feature set.

Because the production status is end-of-life, the database treats it as a legacy product. The average benchmark score of 0 and empty nearestRivals list mean there is no quantitative basis for head-to-head positioning within this data set. The card sits in the product stack by generation and architecture, not by measured performance deltas.

Who Should Consider It

The data points to users who need DirectX 9.0 (9_0) or OpenGL 2.0 support on an AGP 8x motherboard. The 128 MB DDR framebuffer and 21.76 GB/s bandwidth are best matched to workloads that do not require a large amount of resident graphics memory. High-resolution settings will put pressure on the 128 MB capacity, so lowering resolution or texture detail is the practical approach when memory demand grows.

The 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs, paired with 3.040 GTexel/s and 3.040 GPixel/s, define a modest fill-rate envelope. This suits applications that are aligned with the R300-generation feature set. Software written for DirectX 9.0 (9_0) and OpenGL 2.0 is the targeted environment. Users expecting Vulkan support or hardware-accelerated ray tracing should look elsewhere, since the data lists neither.

The card’s power and cooling profile also matters. It is single-slot, has a 47 W TDP, requires a single Molex power connector, and is paired with a suggested 200 W power supply. For legacy AGP systems with limited power delivery, that is a restrained specification. The 256-bit bus provides bandwidth, but the memory capacity and feature set are the deciding factors for what this card can handle.

FAQ

Q: How much memory does the ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256-bit have?

A: It has 128 MB of DDR memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 340 MHz and an effective data rate of 680 Mbps.

Q: What memory bandwidth does it provide?

A: The memory subsystem provides 21.76 GB/s of bandwidth, based on the 256-bit bus and effective DDR data rate.

Q: Which APIs are supported?

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

Q: Does it have ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No ray tracing core or tensor core counts are present in the data.

Q: What power and cooling requirements are listed?

A: The TDP is 47 W, the card is single-slot, and it requires 1x Molex power connector. The suggested PSU is 200 W.

Q: What are the display outputs?

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

Power and Cooling

The TDP is 47 W, which is a low power draw for a graphics card of this class. The card uses a single-slot cooler design, meaning it occupies one expansion slot. Power is supplied through one Molex connector, and the suggested power supply rating is 200 W.

The combination of a 47 W TDP and a 200 W suggested PSU indicates a modest system power envelope. The single-slot design further reduces the physical footprint. The AGP 8x bus interface is the connection used to communicate with the host system. No additional power connector is listed beyond that single Molex connector. The power and cooling data describes a card that can fit into AGP systems without demanding high-capacity power supplies or multi-slot cooling arrangements.