ATI Radeon X800 PRO

The ATI Radeon X800 PRO, released on April 30, 2004, is a single-slot graphics card from AMD built on the R423 chip using the R400 architecture. Fabricated on a 130 nm process at TSMC, it contains 160 million transistors on a 289 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 553.6K per mm². The card carries 256 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a memory clock of 450 MHz (900 Mbps effective) and a resulting bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s. It features 12 texture mapping units and 12 render output units, achieving a pixel rate of 5.700 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 5.700 GTexel/s. With a TDP of 48 W, it requires a 200 W suggested power supply and one Molex connector. The card supports PCIe 1.0 x16, outputs 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video, and is now end-of-life. Its launch MSRP was 399 USD.

Benchmark Performance

The database does not include synthetic benchmark scores for the ATI Radeon X800 PRO; the `benchmarks` array is empty and the average benchmark score is recorded as 0. However, the hardware specifications provide a basis for estimating its performance tier. The card’s percentile ranking among all GPUs is the 50th percentile, which places it exactly at the median of the database’s performance distribution. This indicates that, based on the aggregate of its hardware characteristics, the X800 PRO sits in the middle of the GPU landscape—neither a high-end enthusiast part nor a low-end budget option, but a mainstream performer of its generation.

The pixel rate of 5.700 GPixel/s and the texture rate of 5.700 GTexel/s are identical, reflecting a balanced design where the 12 ROPs and 12 TMUs operate at the same clock. This symmetry suggests that the card can handle both fill-rate-bound and texture-bound workloads without a bottleneck in either direction. In practice, this means that for games or applications that rely on pixel shading and texture sampling in equal measure, the X800 PRO should deliver consistent throughput. The memory bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s, derived from the 256-bit bus and the 450 MHz memory clock, is the other critical performance factor. While this figure is modest by later standards, it is sufficient to feed the 256 MB frame buffer and the card’s rendering pipelines, particularly for the DirectX 9.0b (9_2) era in which it was released.

Given the lack of recorded benchmark scores, the 50th percentile serves as the primary quantitative indicator of performance. It implies that the X800 PRO outperforms roughly half of all GPUs in the database and is outperformed by the other half. This median position is consistent with a card that targets mainstream 1024×768 or 1280×1024 gaming, though the absence of specific frame-rate data prevents a more precise recommendation.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Radeon X800 PRO does not include dedicated ray tracing cores; the `rtCores` field is null. Similarly, it has no tensor cores, as the `tensorCores` field is also null. This is expected for a GPU from 2004, as ray tracing acceleration and tensor-based AI features were not part of the graphics landscape at that time. The card relies entirely on traditional rasterization techniques, which were the standard for rendering in its era.

The API support is limited to DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.1. DirectX 9.0b is a specific feature level that includes support for pixel shader 2.0 and vertex shader 2.0, but it does not include later extensions such as Shader Model 3.0, which were introduced in DirectX 9.0c. OpenGL 2.1 provides a similar level of functionality. The card does not support Vulkan, as the `vulkan` field is null; Vulkan was not introduced until 2016, well after this card’s release. The absence of Vulkan means that the X800 PRO cannot run modern Vulkan-based applications or games that require that API.

The feature set is therefore anchored to the early 2000s. The card includes a single DVI output, a VGA output, and an S-Video output, covering analog and early digital display connectivity. The lack of HDMI or DisplayPort reflects the connectivity standards of the time. For users of modern monitors, an adapter or a different GPU would be necessary.

How It Compares

The ATI Radeon X800 PRO sits between two generations in the Radeon product line. Its predecessor is the Radeon R300 series, and its successor is the Radeon R500 PCIe series. As a member of the Radeon R400 PCIe generation, it represents a transitional point—moving from the AGP interface of the R300 era to the PCIe 1.0 x16 interface used here. The card’s PCIe 1.0 x16 bus interface is a key differentiator from its predecessor, which likely used AGP, though the database does not specify the R300’s interface. The successor, Radeon R500 PCIe, would continue with PCIe and introduce newer architectural features, but no specifications for that generation are provided in the fact pack.

In terms of overall performance, the 50th percentile ranking places the X800 PRO at the median of all GPUs in the database. This means that it is neither a standout performer nor a laggard. When compared to the broader GPU market, the card’s 12 TMUs, 12 ROPs, and 28.80 GB/s of memory bandwidth are mid-range figures. The equal pixel and texture rates suggest a balanced design that could compete with other mainstream cards of its time, though the database does not list any direct rivals or their scores. Without nearestRivals data, a more granular comparison is impossible.

The card’s 48 W TDP is low by today’s standards, but it was a reasonable power draw for a mainstream card in 2004. The 200 W suggested power supply is modest, indicating that the card could be installed in typical desktop systems of that era without requiring a high-wattage PSU. The single-slot design and Molex power connector further emphasize its mainstream positioning.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory size and type of the ATI Radeon X800 PRO?

A: The card has 256 MB of GDDR3 memory.

Q: What is the memory bus width and bandwidth?

A: The bus width is 256 bit, and the bandwidth is 28.80 GB/s.

Q: What API versions does the card support?

A: It supports DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.1. It does not support Vulkan.

Q: What is the power consumption and recommended PSU?

A: The TDP is 48 W, and the suggested power supply is 200 W.

Q: What is the release date and launch MSRP?

A: It was released on April 30, 2004, with a launch MSRP of 399 USD.

Q: Does the card support ray tracing?

A: No, it does not have dedicated ray tracing cores.

Who Should Consider It

The ATI Radeon X800 PRO is a product of its time. Its 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates that it delivers median performance, suitable for mainstream gaming workloads of the early 2000s. The card’s balanced pixel and texture rates, along with 256 MB of GDDR3 memory, make it adequate for games that were designed around DirectX 9.0b. Users who play titles from that era—typically running at resolutions like 1024×768 or 1280×1024—would find this card capable of handling the graphical demands without excessive compromise. The 28.80 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for the texture sizes and buffer requirements of those games, though it would struggle with the high-resolution, high-texture workloads of later years.

The card is not suitable for modern gaming or applications that require DirectX 11 or higher, Vulkan, or ray tracing. Its API support is limited to DirectX 9.0b and OpenGL 2.1, which excludes most contemporary software. For collectors or retro-build enthusiasts, the X800 PRO offers a faithful representation of mid-2000s graphics hardware, with a low 48 W TDP that is easy to power. The single-slot design and Molex connector make installation straightforward in period-appropriate systems. However, for anyone seeking to play modern titles or use GPU-accelerated compute, this card is not a viable option.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the ATI Radeon X800 PRO consists of 256 MB of GDDR3 memory arranged on a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is 450 MHz, which translates to an effective data rate of 900 Mbps due to double data rate signaling. The product of the bus width (256 bits) and the effective clock (900 Mbps) yields a memory bandwidth of 28.80 GB/s. This bandwidth is a crucial factor for rendering performance because it determines how quickly the GPU can read and write texture data, frame buffers, and other graphics data.

At 28.80 GB/s, the X800 PRO’s memory bandwidth is adequate for the rendering pipelines it employs. The 12 TMUs can fetch textures at a rate of 5.700 GTexel/s, and the 12 ROPs can write pixels at 5.700 GPixel/s. To sustain these rates, the memory system must supply enough data per second. The 28.80 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for typical workloads of the DirectX 9.0b era, where texture sizes were smaller and resolutions were lower than today’s standards. However, as resolutions increase and texture detail grows, the demand on memory bandwidth rises. The 256 MB capacity also limits the amount of texture data that can be resident on the GPU, which could cause performance drops in games that exceed that capacity, forcing the GPU to stream data from system memory via the PCIe 1.0 x16 bus.

The choice of GDDR3 memory was a step forward from the older DDR and DDR2 technologies, offering higher bandwidth per pin. The 256-bit bus width is a wide interface that helps achieve the 28.80 GB/s figure. For high-resolution gaming, the memory bandwidth would be a limiting factor; at 1280×1024 or above, the card might struggle to maintain smooth frame rates in texture-heavy scenes. The 50th percentile ranking suggests that the card is not at the extreme high end, and the memory subsystem is a key reason for that positioning. In summary, the X800 PRO’s memory configuration—256 MB, GDDR3, 256-bit, 28.80 GB/s—provides a balanced but not exceptional foundation for its era.