ATI Radeon LE

The ATI Radeon LE is an end-of-life graphics card built on the Rage 6 architecture, manufactured by AMD at TSMC's 180 nm process. It integrates 30 million transistors on a 115 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 260.9K per mm². The card ships with 32 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 4.736 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 148 MHz, achieving an effective 296 Mbps. The fixed-function pipeline comprises 6 texture mapping units and 2 raster operation units, producing a texture rate of 888.0 MTexel/s and a pixel rate of 296.0 MPixel/s. The card uses an AGP 4x bus interface and offers a single VGA display output. It is a single-slot design with no power connectors, and the suggested PSU rating is 200 W. Released on April 30, 2001, it sits between the Rage 4 and the Radeon R100 in AMD's lineup. Benchmark results indicate a 50th percentile placement among all GPUs, though the average benchmark score is zero, reflecting the absence of recorded scores in the database.

Benchmark Performance

The database lists no recorded benchmark scores for the ATI Radeon LE, resulting in an average score of 0. This zero is not a performance measurement but a placeholder for an unpopulated benchmark suite. Despite this, the card holds a 50th percentile placement across all GPUs, meaning it sits exactly at the median of the database's population. This is a curious outcome: a card with no scores can still claim a median rank, which implies that the percentile is derived from the card's theoretical specifications or its historical position, not from actual test results. The theoretical limits are defined by its fixed-function pipeline. With 6 TMUs and 2 ROPs, the card can process 888.0 MTexel/s of texture data and 296.0 MPixel/s of pixel output. These numbers are modest even for the early 2000s, and they are directly tied to the memory subsystem. The 128-bit bus, paired with 32 MB of DDR memory, provides 4.736 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock of 148 MHz yields an effective 296 Mbps, which is numerically distinct from the pixel rate but equally modest. The lack of rival data means no delta percentages can be calculated, so the 50th percentile is the only comparative anchor. Half of the GPUs in the database are faster, and half are slower, but without actual scores, the magnitude of that gap remains unknown. The card's end-of-life status and release date of April 2001 place it in the early days of consumer 3D acceleration, and its fillrate figures suggest a modest performance envelope.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Radeon LE does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores; both fields are null in the specification. This absence is expected for a card from 2001, but it is worth stating explicitly because modern benchmarks often assume such hardware. The card's API support is limited to DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3, with no Vulkan support. DirectX 7.0 was the last version to rely heavily on fixed-function pipelines, and OpenGL 1.3 similarly predates shader-based rendering. Without tensor cores, there is no machine learning acceleration, and without RT cores, real-time ray tracing is impossible. The 6 TMUs and 2 ROPs handle traditional rasterization, but they cannot execute compute shaders or geometry shaders. The 1x VGA display output is the only video interface, which means no DVI, HDMI, or DisplayPort. This limits the card to analog monitors and single-display setups. The Rage 6 architecture, while a step forward from the Rage 4, still operates within the constraints of its era. The 180 nm process and 30 million transistors are small by modern standards, but they were competitive at the time. The lack of Vulkan support is particularly notable, as Vulkan is a modern low-level API that this card cannot use. For any application requiring hardware-accelerated ray tracing or tensor operations, the Radeon LE is entirely unsuitable.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK lists no nearest rivals for the ATI Radeon LE, so direct comparative deltas cannot be computed. This absence is notable because the database typically populates rival lists for cards with benchmark data, but the Radeon LE's zero average score leaves it without a reference point. Its 50th percentile placement, however, provides a relative anchor: it sits at the median of all GPUs. Without rival names or delta percentages, any statement about relative performance would be speculative. The card's predecessor is the Rage 4 and its successor is the Radeon R100, indicating a clear generational lineage within AMD's product stack. The Rage 6 architecture, manufactured on a 180 nm process, was a step forward from the older Rage 4, but without benchmark scores, the magnitude of that step cannot be quantified. The 50th percentile suggests it is neither a standout nor a laggard in the database's historical context. In the absence of rival data, the only concrete comparisons are to its own predecessor and successor. The Rage 4 likely had lower fillrates and memory bandwidth, while the Radeon R100 likely introduced improvements, but these are inferences from the architecture names, not from measured scores. The database's percentile ranking places the card exactly at the midpoint, which could be interpreted as a balanced position, but it is more likely an artifact of the empty benchmark array. For a card with no scores, the percentile is a placeholder rather than a performance verdict.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the ATI Radeon LE?

A: It has 32 MB of DDR memory on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 4.736 GB/s. The memory clock is 148 MHz, achieving an effective 296 Mbps.

Q: Does the card support ray tracing?

A: No. It has no RT cores or tensor cores, and its API support is limited to DirectX 7.0 and OpenGL 1.3, with no Vulkan support.

Q: What is the pixel fill rate?

A: The pixel rate is 296.0 MPixel/s, and the texture rate is 888.0 MTexel/s, derived from 6 TMUs and 2 ROPs.

Q: What power supply is recommended for this card?

A: The suggested PSU rating is 200 W. The card uses no auxiliary power connectors, drawing all power from the AGP 4x slot.

Q: What is the process node and die size?

A: The card is built on TSMC's 180 nm process, with a die size of 115 mm² and 30 million transistors, yielding a transistor density of 260.9K per mm².

Q: What is the release date and production status?

A: It was released on April 30, 2001, and is now end-of-life. Its predecessor is the Rage 4, and its successor is the Radeon R100.

Power and Cooling

The ATI Radeon LE does not list a TDP figure, so no thermal design power can be stated. However, the suggested power supply rating is 200 W, which is modest by any standard. The card requires no power connectors, meaning it draws all its power from the AGP 4x slot. This low-power footprint is consistent with its 180 nm process and 30 million transistors, though the lack of a TDP number leaves exact consumption unknown. The card is a single-slot design, and its cooling solution is not specified, but the absence of power connectors implies a simple passive or low-profile cooler. The 1x VGA output is the only display interface. For builders, a 200 W PSU is sufficient for the card alone, but modern systems will likely need a separate power supply for the rest of the system. The single-slot form factor makes it easy to install in legacy AGP motherboards. The lack of power connectors also means that the card does not burden a system's power delivery infrastructure, which is a benefit for older power supplies with limited rails. The suggested 200 W PSU rating is a conservative figure, likely accounting for the entire system rather than just the card. Since the card has no TDP, users cannot estimate heat output directly, but the 180 nm process and low transistor count suggest minimal thermal output. The card's end-of-life status means replacement cooling parts are scarce, but the simple design likely requires only a basic heatsink.

Who Should Consider It

The ATI Radeon LE is a legacy product, and its 50th percentile placement and zero benchmark scores indicate that it is not a contender for modern workloads. Its 32 MB memory and DirectX 7.0 support restrict it to early 2000s software, and its 296.0 MPixel/s pixel rate and 888.0 MTexel/s texture rate set a hard ceiling on resolution and detail settings. For users running Windows 98 or early XP systems with AGP 4x slots, this card can handle basic 2D and early 3D titles at low settings. The 128-bit bus and 4.736 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for the era's textures, but not for anything beyond that. Collectors seeking a piece of AMD's Rage 6 architecture might find it interesting, but its end-of-life status and lack of driver support make it impractical for daily use. The 50th percentile ranking suggests it is not the worst card in the database, but without benchmark scores, there is no evidence of any particular strength. For anyone building a period-correct system, the card's single VGA output and AGP 4x interface are the defining features. The card cannot handle modern resolutions or settings, and its DirectX 7.0 support means it cannot run games that require DirectX 8 or later. The lack of Vulkan support further limits its utility. The card's 6 TMUs and 2 ROPs are the primary bottleneck, as they cap the fillrate at 888.0 MTexel/s and 296.0 MPixel/s, respectively. Users should expect very low frame rates even in early 3D games. The suggested 200 W PSU is easy to accommodate, but the card's age means it is best suited for retro builds or as a display adapter for basic tasks.