ATI Radeon HD 5850

The ATI Radeon HD 5850 is an AMD graphics card built on the TeraScale 2 architecture, using the Cypress chip from the Evergreen (HD 5800) generation. It was manufactured by TSMC on a 40 nm process, integrating 2,154 million transistors into a 334 mm² die for a transistor density of 6.4 million transistors per square millimeter. The card launched on 2009-09-29 with a launch MSRP of 299 USD. It is a dual-slot board measuring 241 mm by 111 mm by 37 mm, using a PCIe 2.0 x16 interface. Its production status is end-of-life; it succeeded the Radeon R700 family and was followed by Northern Islands. The database record contains an empty benchmark list, an average benchmark score of 0, and a percentile standing of 50 among all GPUs.

Benchmark Performance

The nearestRivals array in the fact pack is empty, so there are no rival names, scores, or deltaPct values to report. This section therefore cannot offer percentage leads or deficits against specific competitors. The only relative placement available is the 50th percentile, which puts the card in the exact middle of the tracked GPU population. The average benchmark score is listed as 0, and no individual benchmark workloads are populated, meaning the measured score side of the record is blank.

What the data does provide are raw throughput figures. The GPU delivers 2.088 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 52.20 GTexel/s of texture fill, and 23.20 GPixel/s of pixel fill. These rates are driven by a configured array of 1440 shading units, 72 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The shading units feed the 2.088 TFLOPS FP32 path, the 72 TMUs supply the 52.20 GTexel/s texture rate, and the 32 ROPs drive the 23.20 GPixel/s pixel rate. No FP16 figure is listed, and no base or boost core clock is present in the record. The only clock listed is the memory clock of 1000 MHz, with a 4 Gbps effective data rate.

Without workload scores, these theoretical rates are the best available measure of computational capability. They describe a part whose raw throughput is consistent with a 50th-percentile placement. The empty score array is the definitive limitation of the benchmark record; any performance statement must rest on the listed pixel, texture, and compute figures rather than on measured application results.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The fact pack lists no RT cores and no tensor cores for the Radeon HD 5850, so dedicated hardware for ray tracing and tensor-accelerated workloads is absent from the feature set. API support is limited to DirectX 11.2 (11_0) and OpenGL 4.4; Vulkan is not listed. Display connectivity is provided by two DVI outputs, one HDMI 1.3a output, and one DisplayPort 1.1 output.

The DirectX entry, labeled 11.2 with an 11_0 feature level, defines the pipeline and shader capabilities at the API level. OpenGL 4.4 is the highest OpenGL version listed in the record. The absence of a Vulkan field means no Vulkan API level is asserted. With no RT cores and no tensor cores, the feature set does not include dedicated silicon for hardware ray tracing or tensor-based operations. The data instead points to the 1440 shading units and the 2.088 TFLOPS FP32 path as the compute resources available for all shading work. The display output set is fixed at 2x DVI, 1x HDMI 1.3a, and 1x DisplayPort 1.1, which defines the available monitor connectivity.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is built around 1024 MB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, producing 128.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The stated memory clock is 1000 MHz, with a 4 Gbps effective data rate. For high-resolution workloads, the combination of 1024 MB capacity and 128.0 GB/s bandwidth is the relevant constraint. The 256-bit bus is the path between the GPU and its memory pool, and with 4 Gbps effective GDDR5 signaling, the resulting bandwidth figure is 128.0 GB/s.

This bandwidth figure is what a benchmark-based comparison would use to evaluate memory-bound scenarios. The memory clock is the only populated clock field; base and boost core clocks are null. The 1024 MB capacity is the total VRAM, and GDDR5 is the memory type. The 256-bit interface width, 4 Gbps effective transfer rate, and 128.0 GB/s bandwidth together define the memory ceiling for texture streaming and framebuffer access. For scenes that require large amounts of resident geometry or high-resolution textures, the 1024 MB pool and 128.0 GB/s pipe are the limits set by this specification.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array contains no entries, so there are no named rival GPUs to compare against in this record. The only comparative metric is the 50th percentile among all GPUs, which places the card below the top half and above the bottom half of the tracked population. The predecessor, Radeon R700, and successor, Northern Islands, bracket this product’s generation, but the fact pack assigns them no scores or specifications. Without rival entries or deltaPct values, this page cannot state that one product is a certain percentage ahead of another.

The data instead provides a single ordinal position: 50th percentile. That rank is the total of its standing versus other GPUs in the database. The aggregate score of 0 and the empty benchmark list mean no measured rival deltas exist. In the absence of workload-specific results, the raw compute and memory figures are the only quantitative basis for positioning. The 50th-percentile placement remains the sole rank-based comparison available.

Power and Cooling

The Radeon HD 5850 is rated at a TDP of 151 W, and the suggested power supply is 450 W. Power is delivered through two 6-pin PCIe connectors. The cooling solution is dual-slot in width; the card measures 37 mm wide, 241 mm long, and 111 mm tall. In inches, those dimensions are 9.5 by 4.4 by 1.5.

The 151 W TDP and 450 W PSU recommendation together define the electrical requirement for a system. Two 6-pin connectors are necessary, which is the relevant cabling constraint for installation. The dual-slot footprint and 37 mm width indicate the cooling assembly occupies two expansion slots. The 241 mm length informs case compatibility, and the 111 mm height sets clearance expectations. Production status is end-of-life, so the product is no longer in active production, but the power and cooling specifications remain the basis for any installation assessment. The 450 W suggested power supply, 2x 6-pin connector requirement, and dual-slot cooler requirements are the figures a builder needs when planning a system around this GPU.