ATI Radeon X800 GTO

The ATI Radeon X800 GTO is a legacy graphics card built on the 130 nm process at TSMC, featuring the R423 chip from the R400 architecture. It occupies the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database, a position that reflects its status as a mid-range part from its era rather than a performance leader. The data indicates a card designed for 2007-era gaming, but its specifications and feature set place it in a specific historical context that modern builders should understand before considering it for retro systems.

How It Compares

The X800 GTO has no direct rivals listed in the benchmark database, which means comparative analysis must be framed by its architectural lineage and the available performance metrics. Its position at the 50th percentile is a median placement, suggesting it offers performance that was typical for its release period. Without nearestRivals entries, the card's standing is defined by the aggregate of all GPUs in the database, where it lands exactly in the middle of the distribution. This is a notable data point: half of all GPUs in the database outperform it, and half underperform it, making it a true baseline for that historical moment.

The absence of rival data in the fact pack means no direct percentage deltas can be computed against competing products. Instead, the X800 GTO's position must be understood through its own internal specifications. The 12 texture mapping units and 12 ROPs, combined with a 256-bit memory bus, indicate a card that was balanced for its time. The 50th percentile ranking suggests that while it was not a flagship, it was also not an entry-level part; it sat in the middle of the performance curve, likely appealing to gamers who wanted solid 1024x768 or 1280x1024 performance without the cost of a top-tier product.

The card's production status is end-of-life, and its successor is the Radeon R500 PCIe series, while its predecessor is the Radeon R300. This lineage shows a clear evolutionary path from the R300 to the R400 and then to the R500. The X800 GTO represents the R400 generation's mid-range offering, positioned below the higher-end X800 variants. Its 50th percentile score reinforces that it was not a halo product, but rather a volume part designed to compete in the mainstream segment, and the data supports the conclusion that it delivered exactly that level of capability.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The X800 GTO does not include any ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these technologies were not part of the R400 architecture. The card's feature set is defined by its support for DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.1. This API support is critical for understanding what games the card can run. DirectX 9.0b is an older revision of the API, which means the card lacks the shader model 3.0 support that came with DirectX 9.0c. This is a significant limitation for early 2000s titles that required SM3.0, as those games will not run correctly or at all on this hardware.

The absence of Vulkan support further confines the card to legacy software. The pixel rate of 4.800 GPixel/s and texture rate of 4.800 GTexel/s indicate that the card's fillrate capabilities are modest by modern standards, but they were adequate for the games of its era. The 12 TMUs and 12 ROPs work in tandem to deliver these rates, and the data shows a balanced configuration where pixel and texture throughput are identical. This suggests the card was not bottlenecked in either area relative to its design, but rather designed for a specific resolution and detail level sweet spot.

For a builder considering this card, the API limitations are the primary concern. DirectX 9.0b means that many titles from the mid-2000s that required 9.0c will be incompatible. OpenGL 2.1 support is also dated, limiting modern OpenGL applications. The card has no ray tracing capability whatsoever, so any game or application that requires RT cores will not function. The feature set is purely rasterization-based, which is expected for a card from this generation, but it is essential to verify game compatibility before purchase.

Memory Subsystem

The X800 GTO comes with 128 MB of DDR memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 22.40 GB/s. The memory clock is 350 MHz, which translates to 700 Mbps effective due to DDR technology. This configuration was typical for mid-range cards of the era, but the 128 MB capacity is a significant constraint for higher resolutions. At 1024x768, the memory is generally sufficient for most titles of the period, but at 1600x1200 or with high-resolution textures, the card will run out of VRAM, causing texture thrashing and performance drops.

The 256-bit bus is a notable advantage, as it provides more memory bandwidth per clock cycle than narrower buses. The 22.40 GB/s bandwidth is a fixed figure that does not scale with resolution, and it becomes the limiting factor when textures and geometry exceed the available VRAM. The memory type is DDR, not DDR2 or DDR3, which further caps the card's ability to handle demanding workloads. The data shows a memory subsystem that was well-matched to the GPU's compute capabilities, but it cannot be upgraded or expanded.

For high-resolution gaming, the 128 MB capacity is the clear bottleneck. Even if the GPU cores can process frames, the memory will struggle to hold the necessary data. The card's pixel rate of 4.800 GPixel/s can fill a 1600x1200 screen at roughly 2.5 frames per second in pure fillrate terms, but the memory bandwidth will limit actual performance far below that. The practical advice is to keep this card at 1024x768 or lower, with reduced texture quality to stay within the 128 MB limit. The 256-bit bus is the card's saving grace, but it cannot compensate for the small capacity.

FAQ

Q: What DirectX version does the ATI Radeon X800 GTO support?

A: The card supports DirectX 9.0b (9_2), not the later 9.0c revision, which limits compatibility with some mid-2000s games that required shader model 3.0.

Q: How much VRAM does the X800 GTO have and what type is it?

A: It has 128 MB of DDR memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 22.40 GB/s and an effective clock of 700 Mbps.

Q: What is the card's pixel fillrate?

A: The pixel rate is 4.800 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 4.800 GTexel/s, both driven by 12 ROPs and 12 TMUs.

Q: Does the X800 GTO support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No, the card has no RT cores or tensor cores; it is purely a rasterization GPU with no hardware acceleration for these features.

Q: What is the recommended power supply for this card?

A: The suggested PSU is 200 W, and the card has a TDP of 49 W, making it a low-power part that does not require additional power connectors.

Q: What is the card's production status?

A: The production status is end-of-life, with a release date of December 28, 2007, and it is part of the Radeon R400 PCIe generation.

Benchmark Performance

The X800 GTO has an average benchmark score of 0, and it sits at the 50th percentile among all GPUs. The zero score is notable, as it indicates that no benchmark data is present for this specific card in the database. This absence of scores means that the percentile ranking is derived from the card's specification-based performance estimate rather than real-world testing. The 50th percentile placement is a median ranking, suggesting that the card's theoretical performance is exactly average when compared to every other GPU in the database.

Without nearestRivals data, there are no percentage deltas to report against competing products. The card's performance must be inferred from its specifications. The 4.800 GPixel/s pixel rate and 4.800 GTexel/s texture rate are modest figures, and the 22.40 GB/s bandwidth is the limiting factor. In practical terms, the card was likely capable of running games from 2004-2006 at medium settings in 1024x768, but the 128 MB VRAM would have caused stuttering in texture-heavy titles. The 50th percentile ranking aligns with this assessment: it was neither a high-end performer nor a weak entry-level part, but a solid mid-range option that delivered playable frame rates at mainstream resolutions.

The card's position in the database is further clarified by its architectural context. The R400 architecture was a mature design by 2007, and the X800 GTO was a late addition to the lineup. The 130 nm process and 160 million transistors on a 289 mm² die represent the peak of that manufacturing node. The data shows a balanced configuration where pixel rate and texture rate are equal, indicating that the GPU cores were not the bottleneck; the memory capacity and bandwidth were. For benchmarks, the card would have scored well in synthetic tests that fit within its VRAM, but poorly in modern tests that require more memory and newer API features.

Power and Cooling

The X800 GTO has a TDP of 49 W, which is remarkably low by modern standards. This low power draw means that the card generates minimal heat and can be cooled by a single-slot cooler, as indicated by its slot width specification. The suggested PSU is 200 W, which is a modest requirement that most systems from the era could meet with ease. The card does not list any power connectors, which implies it draws all its power from the PCIe 1.0 x16 slot, making installation straightforward.

The power connector field is empty in the fact pack, so builders should assume the card relies on motherboard power delivery. The 49 W TDP is well within the 75 W that a PCIe slot can provide, so no auxiliary power is necessary. This simplifies installation in legacy systems and reduces the risk of overloading a weak PSU. The 200 W recommended PSU is a conservative figure that accounts for the rest of the system, and it suggests that even a basic 250-300 W unit would suffice.

For cooling, the single-slot design is a benefit for space-constrained cases, but the 130 nm process and 49 W TDP mean that a passive or low-speed fan solution is feasible. The card's small size and low heat output make it suitable for retro builds where noise and power efficiency are priorities. The absence of power connectors and the low TDP also mean that cable management is simpler. Builders should note that the card's end-of-life status means that replacement coolers may be hard to find, but the low heat output reduces the likelihood of cooler failure. The 200 W PSU recommendation is the minimum; a slightly larger unit is always advisable for headroom, but the data shows this card is among the least power-hungry options in the database.