ATI Radeon DDR VIVO OEM

The ATI Radeon DDR VIVO OEM is an end-of-life graphics card built around the Rage 6 architecture and manufactured by AMD at TSMC's 180 nm process. It packs 30 million transistors on a 115 mm² die, with a transistor density of 260.9K per mm². Released on August 13, 2001, the card uses the AGP 4x bus interface and ships with 64 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus. The database ranks it at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, though its average benchmark score is recorded as 0, meaning no performance samples exist in the dataset.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for this card is minimal. The average benchmark score is 0 and the benchmark array is empty, so the only quantitative performance signal is the 50th percentile rank. That percentile places the card at the exact midpoint of all GPUs tracked in the database: half of all recorded graphics processors rank below it, half above. This is a positional statement, not a speed measurement, but it indicates that the card was neither a flagship nor a budget part in its generation.

The fill-rate specifications tell the real story. The Rage 6 core integrates 6 texture mapping units and 2 raster operation units. The pixel rate is 332.0 MPixel/s, while the texture rate reaches 996.0 MTexel/s. The ratio between these two figures — texture rate is exactly three times pixel rate — reflects the 6-to-2 ratio of TMUs to ROPs. In practical terms, the card can apply textures at a much higher rate than it can rasterize pixels, which means fill-rate-bound scenes will hit the pixel pipeline wall first. The 2 ROPs are the bottleneck, and this is typical of a card designed for an era when resolutions were lower and pixel throughput demands were modest.

The memory clock is 166 MHz with a 332 Mbps effective data rate, and the 128-bit bus converts that into 5.312 GB/s of bandwidth. This bandwidth figure is sufficient for the texture rate of 996.0 MTexel/s — the memory subsystem can feed the texture units without stalling in most cases — but it is not generous. When the card is pushed to higher resolutions, the combination of a 2-ROP backend and 5.312 GB/s of bandwidth will limit performance.

API support is restricted to DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3, with no Vulkan support recorded. This places the card in the fixed-function pipeline generation, before programmable shaders became mainstream. The 180 nm process, 30 million transistors, and 115 mm² die size are all consistent with early-2000s mid-range hardware. The 260.9K per mm² transistor density is a direct consequence of those two figures.

Memory Subsystem

The Radeon DDR VIVO OEM carries 64 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus. The memory clock runs at 166 MHz, and because the memory is DDR, the effective data rate is 332 Mbps. Peak bandwidth is 5.312 GB/s.

The 128-bit bus is the critical design choice here. At 166 MHz, a 64-bit bus would deliver half the bandwidth, so the 128-bit interface is what enables the 5.312 GB/s figure. DDR memory further helps by transferring data on both clock edges, which is why the effective rate is double the clock.

For its era, 64 MB was a standard framebuffer capacity, and the DDR type was an upgrade over single-data-rate SDRAM. However, the capacity is a hard limit at high resolutions. A 64 MB framebuffer cannot hold the color, depth, and texture data required by high-resolution rendering; the card is confined to the resolution and detail levels that fit within that budget.

The bandwidth of 5.312 GB/s is modest. It is enough to support the card's texture rate of 996.0 MTexel/s, but it does not leave headroom for heavy multi-texturing or large texture caches. At higher resolutions, the memory subsystem becomes the limiting factor because the framebuffer grows and the bandwidth demand increases. Users should expect the card to perform best at lower resolutions with moderate detail settings.

The 166 MHz memory clock is also worth noting in context: it is a low clock by modern standards, but the DDR effective rate of 332 Mbps and the 128-bit bus compensate to produce a usable bandwidth figure. The card is a product of its time, and its memory subsystem is well matched to its fill-rate capabilities.

Who Should Consider It

This card is a candidate for a narrow set of use cases. Its DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3 API support means it can run games and applications from the early 2000s that do not require programmable shaders. The 64 MB framebuffer and 5.312 GB/s bandwidth suit lower resolutions and medium detail settings; at higher resolutions, the pixel rate of 332.0 MPixel/s and the 2 ROPs will become the bottleneck.

The AGP 4x bus interface makes it compatible with motherboards from that era, and the 200 W suggested PSU requirement is low, so it fits in systems with modest power supplies. The single-slot design keeps installation simple. The display outputs — 1x VGA and 2x S-Video — make it suitable for multi-display or video-output applications, though the S-Video outputs are analog and limited in modern use.

This card is not appropriate for modern gaming or GPU-accelerated workloads. Its DirectX 7.0 ceiling and 64 MB memory exclude it from contemporary software. It is best suited to retro builds, period-correct systems, or as a legacy display adapter for older software that requires AGP and fixed-function API support. The 50th percentile ranking suggests it was a mainstream part at launch, not a high-end one, so expectations should be set accordingly.

FAQ

Q: What chip and process node does the ATI Radeon DDR VIVO OEM use?

A: It uses the Rage 6 chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 180 nm process, with 30 million transistors on a 115 mm² die and a transistor density of 260.9K per mm².

Q: How much memory does it have, and what is the bus width?

A: It has 64 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, with a memory clock of 166 MHz and an effective data rate of 332 Mbps, yielding 5.312 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: What API versions does it support?

A: It supports DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3. No Vulkan support is recorded.

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

A: It was released on August 13, 2001, and its production status is end-of-life.

Q: What display outputs does it offer?

A: It offers 1x VGA and 2x S-Video outputs.

Q: What is its performance ranking in the database?

A: It sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 0, indicating that no benchmark samples are recorded for it.

How It Compares

The database records no nearest rivals for this card, so direct score comparisons with specific competitors are not available. Its position in the product stack is defined by its predecessor and successor: the Rage 4 came before it, and the Radeon R100 followed it. Without rival scores, the comparison must rest on the card's own specifications and its place in the timeline.

Against its predecessor, the Rage 4, the Radeon DDR VIVO OEM represents a clear generational step. It introduces DDR memory, a 128-bit bus, and a larger transistor budget — 30 million transistors on the Rage 6 chip. The 6 TMUs and 2 ROPs, combined with a 5.312 GB/s memory bandwidth, indicate a substantial improvement in fill rate and memory throughput over the older part, though the Rage 4's exact specifications are not recorded in the database.

Against its successor, the Radeon R100, the picture is less defined because no specifications for the R100 are listed. The Radeon DDR VIVO OEM's 50th percentile ranking places it in the middle of the field, and its end-of-life status confirms that it has been superseded. The successor presumably improved on the Rage 6 architecture, but without data, that remains an inference from the product sequence.

In the absence of rival data, the most defensible statement is that this card occupies a middle position in the database's ranking — the 50th percentile — with specifications consistent with a mainstream DirectX 7.0-era product. Its 2 ROPs and 332.0 MPixel/s pixel rate are the limiting factors, and its 64 MB framebuffer and 5.312 GB/s bandwidth define its practical ceiling. The card is a competent fixed-function part from its generation, but it is firmly end-of-life.