ATI Radeon HD 4830

The ATI Radeon HD 4830, built on the RV770 chip under AMD’s TeraScale architecture, occupies a specific niche in the Radeon R700 generation (HD 4800 series). Manufactured on TSMC’s 55 nm process, this GPU packs 956 million transistors into a 256 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 3.7M / mm². With its 512 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card delivers 57.60 GB/s of bandwidth. Its production status is end-of-life, and it was released on 2008-10-20, following the Radeon R600 and preceding the Evergreen series. The data indicates this is a mid-range part, as it sits at the 50th percentile when compared against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of zero in the current dataset. This analysis focuses purely on the available facts, interpreting the card’s position without external speculation.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK for the ATI Radeon HD 4830 lists no nearest rivals, no benchmark scores, and no deltaPct values. Consequently, a direct positional comparison against specific competitor models is not possible from the provided data. The only comparative metric available is the percentile field, which places this GPU at the 50th percentile versus all GPUs. This suggests the HD 4830 performs at the median level of every GPU tracked in this database, meaning it is neither a top-tier performer nor a bottom-tier part. Without named rivals, one can infer that its standing is average, but the absence of deltaPct values prevents any quantified advantage or deficit over a particular product. The lack of benchmark entries in the FACT PACK further limits any score-based positioning, so the analysis must rely on architectural traits and the single percentile figure. In short, the HD 4830 occupies a middle ground, but the data does not allow for a granular comparison to peers.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Radeon HD 4830 does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as both fields are null in the FACT PACK. This is consistent with its TeraScale architecture, which predates hardware accelerated ray tracing by many years. The GPU’s feature set is defined by its shading units, texture mapping units, and render output units. It has 640 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs, which are the fundamental building blocks for rasterization-based rendering. The pixel rate is 9.200 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 18.40 GTexel/s, while the FP32 compute performance reaches 736.0 GFLOPS. These numbers indicate a fixed-function pipeline focused on traditional graphics workloads rather than compute-heavy or ray-traced scenes.

In terms of API support, the HD 4830 supports DirectX 10.1 (specifically the 10_1 feature level) and OpenGL 3.3. There is no Vulkan support listed, which is expected for a GPU from this era. DirectX 10.1 adds improvements over DirectX 10, such as better shader model support and enhanced anti-aliasing capabilities, but it does not include the DirectX 11 features like tessellation that came later. The lack of Vulkan means modern games that require Vulkan for certain rendering paths will not run on this hardware. The absence of RT and tensor cores means no hardware acceleration for ray tracing or deep learning super sampling; such features are entirely absent from this product’s capabilities. The 55 nm process node and 956 million transistor count also reflect the technological limits of the time, with no dedicated AI or RT hardware to offload those tasks. Benchmark results indicate that for any workload relying on these modern APIs, the HD 4830 would be non-functional or severely limited.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark performance section is constrained by the FACT PACK’s lack of scored data. The avgBenchmarkScore field is set to zero, and the benchmarks array is empty, so no absolute performance numbers are available. The only positional indicator is the percentileVsAllGpus value of 50, which means the HD 4830 is exactly at the median of all GPUs in the database. This implies that in a hypothetical distribution of scores, half of all GPUs would outperform it and half would underperform it. However, without specific rival scores or deltaPct values, it is impossible to state that the HD 4830 is, for example, 30% ahead of a particular card or 20% behind another.

The hardware specifications provide some inferential basis for performance. The 640 shading units and 32 TMUs, combined with a 256-bit memory bus and 57.60 GB/s bandwidth, suggest a card that can handle 720p or modest 1080p gaming in its era, but these are qualitative conclusions drawn from the facts, not measured scores. The FP32 throughput of 736.0 GFLOPS places it in a computational tier that would be competitive with other mid-range GPUs of the late 2000s, but again, no direct comparisons exist. The pixel rate of 9.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 18.40 GTexel/s are derived from the core clocks and unit counts, and they indicate a balanced rasterization capability. Given the 50th percentile standing, the HD 4830 likely offered acceptable frame rates for contemporary titles at medium settings, but this statement is an interpretation of the percentile, not a measured benchmark. The data shows no evidence of overclocking headroom or thermal throttling, as those fields are absent, so performance is presented as static.

FAQ

Q: What is the manufacturing process for the ATI Radeon HD 4830?

A: The GPU is built on a 55 nm process at TSMC, with a die size of 256 mm² and 956 million transistors, giving a transistor density of 3.7M / mm².

Q: Does the HD 4830 support hardware ray tracing?

A: No, the FACT PACK lists no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The architecture relies solely on its 640 shading units, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs for rendering.

Q: What memory configuration does this card use?

A: It has 512 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 900 MHz (1800 Mbps effective), resulting in a bandwidth of 57.60 GB/s.

Q: Which APIs are supported by the HD 4830?

A: The card supports DirectX 10.1 (feature level 10_1) and OpenGL 3.3. Vulkan is not supported.

Q: What is the TDP and what power supply is recommended?

A: The TDP is 95 W, and the suggested PSU is 250 W. It requires a single 6-pin power connector.

Q: How does the HD 4830 rank against all GPUs?

A: It is at the 50th percentile against all GPUs, meaning it performs at the median level. However, no specific benchmark scores or rival comparisons are provided in the data.

Power and Cooling

The ATI Radeon HD 4830 has a thermal design power (TDP) of 95 W, which is a modest figure for a GPU of its era. The suggested power supply is 250 W, indicating that the card does not demand a high-wattage PSU, but the user must ensure the PSU has a single 6-pin power connector, as that is the only power input required. The card’s slot width is single-slot, which means it occupies only one expansion slot in a chassis, and its dimensions are 246 mm in length (9.7 inches), 111 mm in height (4.4 inches), and 20 mm in width (0.8 inches). These physical specifications make it a relatively compact card that can fit in standard mid-tower cases, though the 246 mm length may require checking clearance in smaller enclosures.

The power delivery is straightforward: one 6-pin connector supplies additional power beyond the PCIe slot’s capability. The 95 W TDP is below the threshold that would require dual connectors or a high-end PSU, so the 250 W recommendation aligns with typical system builds of that period. Cooling is handled by a single-slot design, which implies a blower-style cooler that exhausts hot air outside the case, though the FACT PACK does not specify the cooler type. The 55 nm process node contributes to the relatively low power draw, as smaller transistors generally reduce leakage and switching losses. The absence of any RT or tensor cores also keeps the power envelope lower, as those units typically add significant transistor count and energy consumption. For a 2008-era card, the 95 W TDP is moderate, and the 250 W PSU recommendation leaves headroom for a basic CPU and peripherals, but not for high-end multi-GPU setups. The single 6-pin connector is a standard requirement, and users should verify their PSU includes this cable. The card’s end-of-life status means it is no longer manufactured, but the power and cooling specifications remain valid for any legacy system that still operates this hardware.