ATI Radeon HD 4520

The ATI Radeon HD 4520 is a low-power entry-level graphics card from AMD's R700 generation, built on the RV710 chip using a 55 nm process at TSMC. It contains 242 million transistors on a 73 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 3.3 million per square millimeter. Released in December 2009, this part has since reached end-of-life status. In the benchmark database, it holds a percentile rank of 50 among all GPUs, indicating a median standing, though its absolute compute resources are minimal.

Benchmark Performance

The database does not contain any direct benchmark scores for this card, so the analysis relies on its theoretical peak rates. The card delivers 96.00 GFLOPS of FP32 compute, a figure that is typical of the most basic discrete GPUs. Its pixel fill rate is 2.400 GPixel/s, and its texture fill rate is 4.800 GTexel/s. These rates are derived from the 80 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 render output units. The memory clock operates at 400 MHz, which translates to an effective data rate of 800 Mbps. These specifications place the card at the very bottom of the performance ladder. The 50th percentile ranking is somewhat misleading, as it reflects the entire database, which includes many older and equally weak parts. In practice, the HD 4520 will handle 2D desktop environments and very old 3D titles, but it will struggle with any game released after its launch. The lack of benchmark scores in the database suggests that it was never a popular subject for testing, likely due to its limited gaming relevance. The pixel and texture rates are direct consequences of the low ROP and TMU counts, and the FP32 throughput is a fraction of what a mid-range card of its era would offer, though no specific rival data is available to quantify this gap.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The HD 4520 does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these technologies were not part of the TeraScale architecture. Its API support is confined to DirectX 10.1, specifically the 10_1 feature level, and OpenGL 3.3. There is no Vulkan support, which means the card cannot run any Vulkan-based applications. The display outputs consist of a single DVI port, a single HDMI 1.3a port, and a single DisplayPort 1.0 port. These outputs allow for connection to a variety of monitors, but the lack of modern API support severely limits its utility. For example, games that require DirectX 11 or higher will simply not launch. The absence of tensor cores also rules out any machine learning or AI-accelerated features. This card is strictly a legacy part for basic display output and retro gaming. The DirectX 10.1 support is a step above the earlier DirectX 10, but it is behind the DirectX 11 that became standard later. The HDMI 1.3a and DisplayPort 1.0 outputs are similarly dated, lacking the higher bandwidth of newer revisions.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is one of the most limiting aspects of the HD 4520. It is equipped with 512 MB of DDR2 memory, which is a very small capacity by modern standards. The memory bus is only 64 bits wide, and the resulting bandwidth is a meager 6.400 GB/s. This bandwidth is insufficient for high-resolution textures or complex shaders. At resolutions such as 1080p, the card will likely run out of memory, leading to texture pop-in and severe frame rate drops. The narrow bus width further exacerbates the issue, as the memory controller cannot transfer data quickly enough to keep the 80 shading units busy. For the card's intended use case of basic 2D acceleration and light 3D, the 512 MB capacity is adequate, but it is a hard ceiling for any modern workload. The DDR2 type also implies higher latency compared to later memory types, though the card's low compute throughput means this is not the primary bottleneck. The 6.400 GB/s bandwidth is lower than the memory bandwidth of many integrated graphics solutions from the same period, making it a clear weak point.

Power and Cooling

The power characteristics of the HD 4520 are exceptionally modest. It has a TDP of 25 W, which is among the lowest for any discrete GPU. It requires no auxiliary power connectors, drawing all necessary power from the PCIe 2.0 x16 slot. The suggested power supply rating is 200 W, making it compatible with virtually any desktop system. The card is a single-slot design with a length of 168 mm, or 6.6 inches. This compact size and low power draw make it suitable for small form factor builds or as a silent upgrade for an old office PC. The low TDP also means that cooling is not a concern; a simple passive heatsink or a small fan would be sufficient, although the exact cooler is not specified. The absence of power connectors simplifies installation, as no additional cables are required. The 25 W TDP means the card can be powered by the motherboard alone, and the 200 W suggested PSU is a conservative figure that ensures compatibility with even the weakest power supplies.

How It Compares

The database currently lists no nearest rivals for the ATI Radeon HD 4520. This absence of comparative data means that percentage deltas cannot be calculated. However, the 50th percentile ranking provides a general reference point. In the context of its product lineage, it succeeds the Radeon R600 series and precedes the Evergreen series. The HD 4520's specifications—80 shaders, 4 ROPs, and 6.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth—place it at the absolute entry level. Without rival names or scores, the analysis must rely on the card's own metrics. The 50th percentile is a median position, but given the card's age and end-of-life status, this ranking likely reflects the inclusion of many similarly weak legacy parts. For any user comparing this card to a modern integrated GPU, the HD 4520 would likely be slower, but such comparisons are outside the scope of the available data. The lack of rivals also suggests that the card is not a common subject for benchmarking, likely due to its limited performance and niche appeal. Given the end-of-life status and the lack of benchmark scores, the HD 4520 is best viewed as a historical artifact rather than a viable gaming option.