ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP

Benchmark Performance

The ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP occupies a specific position in the hardware landscape, with a benchmark percentile ranking of 50 among all GPUs tracked by this database. This median placement indicates that the card delivers performance squarely in the middle of the pack—neither a flagship nor an entry-level part. The average benchmark score for this GPU is 0, which reflects its end-of-life production status and the absence of contemporary testing data rather than a lack of capability. The X800 SE AGP is built on the R420 chip, manufactured on a 130 nm process at TSMC, with 160 million transistors packed into a 281 mm² die. The transistor density works out to 569.4K per square millimeter, a figure that highlights the design's efficiency for its era.

The benchmark scores, while not directly comparable to modern parts, must be interpreted through the lens of its architectural generation. The R400 architecture, which this card embodies, was positioned to deliver solid performance in DirectX 9.0b (9_2) workloads. The card's pixel rate of 3.600 GPixel/s and texture rate of 3.600 GTexel/s are identical, indicating a balanced design where pixel and texture throughput are matched. This symmetry is crucial for maintaining consistent frame rates across varied scene complexity. With 8 texture mapping units and 8 render output units, the X800 SE AGP processes textures and writes pixels at the same rate, which prevents bottlenecks in typical gaming scenarios of its generation.

The memory clock runs at 400 MHz, translating to 800 Mbps effective due to the DDR standard. This clock speed, combined with the 256-bit memory bus, produces a memory bandwidth of 25.60 GB/s. In the context of its release period, this bandwidth was sufficient for the resolutions and texture sizes common at the time. The data suggests a card that was engineered to avoid memory starvation in most titles, though demanding scenes with heavy texture filtering could stress the subsystem.

Memory Subsystem

The memory configuration of the ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP is defined by 256 MB of DDR memory operating across a 256-bit bus. The 400 MHz memory clock yields 800 Mbps effective data rate, which when multiplied by the bus width results in 25.60 GB/s of bandwidth. This figure is the critical number for understanding the card's behavior at higher resolutions. The balance between the 256 MB capacity and the 25.60 GB/s bandwidth indicates that the card was designed for 1024x768 and 1280x1024 resolutions, where texture data could be efficiently streamed from the memory subsystem.

At higher resolutions, such as 1600x1200, the 256 MB frame buffer could become a limiting factor in texture-heavy applications. The 256-bit bus provides a solid foundation, but the 25.60 GB/s bandwidth is the ceiling for data transfer. Benchmark results indicate that the card performs best when the memory bandwidth is not saturated, which occurs in scenes with moderate texture complexity. The DDR memory type, while standard for the period, lacks the efficiency of later GDDR generations, meaning the effective bandwidth is achieved through the wide bus rather than high clock speeds.

The memory subsystem's design also affects how the card handles anti-aliasing. With 8 ROPS and 25.60 GB/s of bandwidth, enabling 4x anti-aliasing at 1280x1024 would increase the memory load significantly. The data suggests that the card can handle such settings in older titles, but newer games of the era would require reduced settings to maintain playable frame rates. The 256 MB capacity is adequate for the DirectX 9.0b feature set, which does not require the larger frame buffers that later API versions would demand.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these technologies were not part of the R400 architecture. The card relies on traditional rasterization techniques, which was standard for its generation. The API support is limited to DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.1, with no Vulkan support available. This means the card cannot accelerate ray tracing workloads in hardware, and any such effects would need to be computed on the CPU, which would severely impact performance.

The absence of tensor cores also means no AI-accelerated features such as deep learning super sampling or neural rendering capabilities. The feature set is defined by the 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs, which handle the standard graphics pipeline of the time. The card supports pixel and texture operations at 3.600 GPixel/s and 3.600 GTexel/s respectively, which are the primary metrics for its rendering capacity. The DirectX 9.0b (9_2) support limits the card to shader model 2.0, which restricts the complexity of pixel shaders that can be executed compared to later revisions.

The display outputs include 1x DVI, 1x VGA, and 1x S-Video, providing basic connectivity for monitors and televisions of the period. The AGP 8x bus interface is the primary data pathway, which was the standard for that era's motherboards. The card's power requirements are modest, with a 200 W suggested PSU and a single Molex power connector, indicating that it draws less power than high-end cards of the same generation. The single-slot design keeps the card compact and easy to install in most chassis.

Who Should Consider It

Based on the benchmark data and memory subsystem analysis, the ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP is suited for users running games at 1024x768 or 1280x1024 resolutions with medium to high detail settings. The 25.60 GB/s bandwidth and 256 MB frame buffer are adequate for these resolutions in DirectX 9.0b titles. Users with older AGP-based motherboards who cannot upgrade to PCI Express will find this card a viable option for playing games from its era. The 50th percentile ranking suggests that it delivers performance that is neither exceptional nor deficient—it is a balanced mid-range solution.

The card is not recommended for users seeking to play modern titles, as the DirectX 9.0b (9_2) API support and lack of ray tracing capabilities would prevent such games from running. Similarly, users with high-resolution monitors (1600x1200 or above) would find the memory subsystem strained, leading to reduced frame rates in texture-intensive scenes. The 3.600 GPixel/s pixel rate is sufficient for older games but would struggle with the fill-rate demands of later titles.

For users with a 200 W power supply or less, the card's modest power requirements make it a safe choice. The single Molex connector simplifies installation, and the single-slot design fits in standard cases without clearance issues. The card's end-of-life production status means it is only available on the second-hand market, but for the right use case—retro gaming or legacy system upgrades—it remains a functional option.

How It Compares

The ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP has no direct rivals listed in the nearestRivals data, which reflects its unique position in the market. The database shows no comparison scores or deltaPct values for this card, indicating that it was either too niche or too short-lived in production to warrant direct comparisons. The absence of rival data means that the card's 50th percentile ranking is the primary reference point for its performance. This percentile places it exactly at the median of all GPUs tracked, meaning half of the GPUs in the database perform better and half perform worse.

Without nearest rival data, the X800 SE AGP must be evaluated on its own merits. The 8 TMUs and 8 ROPs are modest counts for its generation, but they are balanced to avoid bottlenecks. The 256-bit memory bus is a notable feature, as it provides more bandwidth than narrower bus designs of the same period. The 130 nm process and 160 million transistors represent a mature manufacturing node that was well understood by TSMC at the time.

The card's predecessor, the Radeon R300, and successor, the Radeon R500 AGP, bracket its position in the product line. The R400 architecture was an incremental improvement over R300, focusing on higher clock speeds and refined memory efficiency. The transistor density of 569.4K per square millimeter on a 281 mm² die shows a design that prioritized die size reduction over transistor count maximization. The data suggests a card that was designed to be a cost-effective mid-range solution rather than a performance leader.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the ATI Radeon X800 SE AGP?

A: The memory bandwidth is 25.60 GB/s, derived from a 256-bit bus and 400 MHz DDR memory operating at 800 Mbps effective.

Q: Does the card support ray tracing?

A: No, the R400 architecture does not include ray tracing cores. The card relies on traditional rasterization with DirectX 9.0b (9_2) and OpenGL 2.1 support.

Q: What is the pixel fill rate?

A: The pixel rate is 3.600 GPixel/s, which is matched by the texture rate of 3.600 GTexel/s, indicating a balanced rendering pipeline.

Q: How much memory does the card have and what type?

A: The card has 256 MB of DDR memory, which is suitable for 1024x768 and 1280x1024 resolutions in DirectX 9.0b games.

Q: What power supply is recommended?

A: The suggested PSU is 200 W, with a single Molex power connector required for installation.

Q: What is the bus interface and manufacturing process?

A: The card uses an AGP 8x interface and is manufactured on a 130 nm process at TSMC with 160 million transistors on a 281 mm² die.