ATI Radeon HD 5730

The ATI Radeon HD 5730 is a 40 nm Evergreen-generation graphics card from AMD, built on the TeraScale 2 architecture with the Redwood chip. It pairs 400 shading units, 20 texture mapping units, and 8 render output units with 1024 MB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 64.00 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory operates at 1000 MHz with a 4 Gbps effective data rate, and the card delivers 620.0 GFLOPS of FP32 compute. Released on 2011-02-25, the HD 5730 holds the 50th percentile position among all GPUs tracked in the benchmark database, placing it exactly at the median of the performance distribution. With a 64 W TDP and a single-slot design, it was positioned as a mainstream part in AMD's HD 5700 lineup, and it is now end-of-life.

Who Should Consider It

The HD 5730's specifications define a clear performance envelope. The 1024 MB GDDR5 frame buffer and 128-bit memory interface limit texture and geometry complexity, while the 64.00 GB/s bandwidth and 620.0 GFLOPS FP32 throughput cap shader-heavy workloads. These figures, combined with the 50th percentile ranking, indicate that the card is appropriate for users running legacy software, older 3D titles, or desktop productivity at modest resolutions. The 6.200 GPixel/s pixel fill rate and 15.50 GTexel/s texture rate are the binding constraints for fill-bound scenes. At high-definition resolutions with high-detail settings, the card would be stretched; at lower resolutions and reduced settings, it remains functional.

The single-slot form factor and 64 W TDP make it attractive for small-form-factor or low-power builds where a full-height dual-slot card cannot fit. The three display outputs — DVI, HDMI 1.3a, and VGA — provide flexible connectivity for multi-monitor setups, though the VGA output suggests an era when analog displays were still common. Users with a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and a 250 W power supply can install this card without upgrading the rest of the system. The 40 nm process and 627 million transistors on a 104 mm² die indicate a modestly complex chip that, combined with the 64 W TDP, does not generate excessive heat. This reinforces its suitability for constrained chassis environments where cooling and power delivery are limited.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The HD 5730 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The TeraScale 2 architecture predates hardware-accelerated ray tracing, so all lighting and shadowing is handled via traditional rasterization and compute shaders. API support includes DirectX 11.2 with the 11_0 feature level and OpenGL 4.4; there is no Vulkan support. The DirectX 11.0 feature level means the card supports tessellation and compute shaders from that generation, but not the newer features added in later DirectX revisions. The absence of Vulkan is notable: modern cross-platform engines that default to Vulkan on Windows will not run on this card.

Display connectivity is provided through 1x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x VGA. HDMI 1.3a supports high-definition output at standard refresh rates. There is no DisplayPort output, which limits high-refresh-rate or high-resolution monitor support. For users who need hardware ray tracing, tensor operations, or Vulkan compatibility, the HD 5730 offers none of these; it is strictly a rasterization-era product. With only 400 shading units and no tensor cores, any AI or tensor workloads are entirely out of scope. The card's feature set is firmly anchored to the 2011-era DirectX 11 ecosystem.

Benchmark Performance

The database contains no individual benchmark scores for the HD 5730, and the aggregate score is 0. The single positioning metric available is the 50th percentile rank across all GPUs, which places the card at the median of the tracked performance distribution. This percentile is consistent with the card's theoretical specifications. The FP32 throughput of 620.0 GFLOPS, texture rate of 15.50 GTexel/s, and pixel rate of 6.200 GPixel/s are all mid-pack figures for the 2011 era. The 8 ROPs and 20 TMUs are modest counts, and the 64.00 GB/s memory bandwidth is a clear constraint for higher resolutions.

The 1000 MHz memory clock with a 4 Gbps effective data rate on a 128-bit bus produces that 64.00 GB/s figure, which is adequate for lower-resolution workloads. The 50th percentile rank means that in any given benchmark suite, half of the tracked GPUs would outperform the HD 5730 and half would trail it. This is not a card that excels in any particular metric; it is a balanced, median performer. The pixel rate of 6.200 GPixel/s, derived from the 8 ROPs, is the lowest of the card's throughput figures relative to its peers, suggesting that fill-rate-bound scenes will be the first to show strain. The texture rate of 15.50 GTexel/s from 20 TMUs is comparatively stronger, which helps in texture-heavy but not pixel-heavy workloads. For a user evaluating this card today, the percentile is the most informative single number — it situates the HD 5730 exactly in the middle of the GPU landscape.

How It Compares

No rival comparison data is available for the HD 5730 in the database, so there are no delta percentages to cite against competing products. The card's generational context, however, is well-defined. It succeeds the Radeon R700 series and is succeeded by the Northern Islands generation. The Redwood chip used in the HD 5730 is a 104 mm² die with 627 million transistors on TSMC's 40 nm process, yielding a transistor density of 6.0M per square millimeter. That density figure is a useful indicator of the chip's complexity relative to its physical size.

Compared to its R700 predecessor, the HD 5730 brings the TeraScale 2 architecture and DirectX 11 support. Compared to its Northern Islands successor, it lacks the architectural refinements of that newer generation. The 50th percentile rank provides the only quantitative comparison point: it is a median card. Users moving from a Radeon R700 product would see a generational step forward in API support and efficiency; users considering a Northern Islands card would find a more modern feature set there. Without rival scores, the percentile and the architectural context are the best available guides to the HD 5730's standing in the market.

Power and Cooling

The HD 5730 is rated at a 64 W TDP, a modest figure that reflects the efficiency of the 40 nm TSMC process and the Redwood chip's relatively small 104 mm² die. AMD recommends a 250 W power supply for systems using this card. The card is a single-slot design, taking up one expansion slot in a chassis. Its length is 168 mm (6.6 inches), which fits in most mid-tower and many compact cases. The 40 nm fabrication process with 627 million transistors contributes to the low power draw; the transistor density of 6.0M per square millimeter indicates a moderate level of integration for the era. No power connector information is listed for this card, and the 64 W TDP is a modest figure. The combination of a 64 W TDP, 250 W PSU recommendation, and single-slot cooling makes the HD 5730 an easy drop-in upgrade for pre-built systems with limited power and space. As an end-of-life product, thermal performance will depend on the condition of the specific unit, but the low TDP suggests that even a modest cooling solution is sufficient.