Matrox QID LP PCI

The Matrox QID LP PCI is a niche, end-of-life graphics card built around the proprietary MP-A4 chip on the MP architecture, produced by UMC. It holds a median position in the benchmark database, sitting at the 50th percentile against all GPUs, though its average benchmark score is zero, indicating that no standardized performance data has been recorded for it. The card was released on 2004-12-16, features a single-slot design, and targets a specific legacy market segment with its unique feature set.

How It Compares

The QID LP PCI has no listed nearest rivals in the benchmark database, which means direct comparative analysis against specific competing products is not possible from the available data. Its 50th percentile ranking places it exactly at the midpoint of all tracked GPUs, but this is a statistical position rather than a performance endorsement, as the zero average benchmark score suggests the card either has not been subjected to standard testing or produces results that fall below measurable thresholds.

Without nearestRivals data, the card’s competitive standing must be inferred from its architectural specifications. The MP-A4 chip, manufactured on an unspecified process node by UMC, delivers a pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s and a texture rate of 2.000 GTexel/s. These figures are modest by any modern standard, and the card’s end-of-life production status confirms it has been superseded. The absence of rival comparisons in the database means that any claims about its relative performance would be speculative, so the analysis must rely on its absolute specifications.

The card’s bus interface is PCI-X, which is a legacy server-oriented bus rather than the consumer PCIe standard. This limits its compatibility to older motherboards and reinforces its positioning as a specialized product for industrial or embedded systems. The display outputs are 2x LFH60, a connector type that requires adapter cables for standard monitors, further indicating a non-consumer focus.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The QID LP PCI does not include any ray tracing cores or tensor cores. The architecture MP, as implemented in the MP-A4 chip, provides no hardware acceleration for ray-traced lighting or AI-based tensor operations. This is consistent with the card’s release era and its DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.5 API support, both of which predate any ray tracing or tensor core functionality.

The API support is limited to DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.5, with no Vulkan support listed. This means the card cannot run modern graphics workloads that require DirectX 11 or later, Vulkan, or OpenGL 4.x features. The absence of these APIs effectively restricts the card to very old software titles or custom applications designed for its specific era.

The feature set is further defined by the absence of shading units (null), though it does include 8 texture mapping units (TMUs) and 2 render output units (ROPs). The texture rate of 2.000 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s are derived from these fixed-function units. The card’s memory operates at 300 MHz with 600 Mbps effective data rate, which is extremely low by contemporary standards.

Power and Cooling

The QID LP PCI has no listed TDP value, which is notable given the card’s age and architecture. However, the suggested PSU requirement is 200 W, indicating that the card is designed to operate within a low-power system envelope. The card requires no power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCI-X bus slot itself.

The cooling solution is a single-slot design, which means the card occupies only one expansion slot and uses a passive or low-profile active cooler. The physical dimensions are 168 mm in length (6.6 inches), with no height or width specified. This low-profile form factor (LP in the name) makes it suitable for compact chassis, though the PCI-X interface limits its installation to compatible motherboards.

The power connector requirement is listed as “None,” which simplifies installation from a cabling perspective. The absence of a TDP figure means that thermal management expectations must be inferred from the suggested 200 W PSU, which is a conservative recommendation for a system containing this card. The card’s end-of-life status suggests that long-term reliability in modern systems is not a primary consideration.

FAQ

Q: What is the release date of the Matrox QID LP PCI?

A: The card was released on 2004-12-16, and its production status is listed as end-of-life.

Q: What is the memory size and type on this card?

A: It has 128 MB of DDR memory with a 64-bit bus width, providing a bandwidth of 4.800 GB/s.

Q: Does the card support ray tracing?

A: No, the card has no ray tracing cores or tensor cores, and its API support is limited to DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.5.

Q: What power supply is recommended for a system with this card?

A: The suggested PSU is 200 W, and the card requires no auxiliary power connectors.

Q: What type of display outputs does the card provide?

A: It features 2x LFH60 connectors, which are legacy multi-monitor outputs requiring adapters for standard displays.

Q: What is the card’s benchmark percentile ranking?

A: It sits at the 50th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of zero.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the QID LP PCI is sparse: the average benchmark score is 0, and the nearestRivals list is empty. This means there are no exact percentage deltas to report against competing products. The 50th percentile ranking is a statistical artifact that does not reflect actual performance, as the zero score indicates no measurable results from standard benchmark suites.

In the absence of rival scores, the card’s performance must be evaluated through its raw throughput metrics. The pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s and texture rate of 2.000 GTexel/s are the only quantitative performance indicators available. These figures are dramatically lower than any modern GPU, and even compared to mid-range cards from the same era, they would likely place the card in the entry-level segment.

The memory bandwidth of 4.800 GB/s, derived from a 64-bit bus and DDR memory at 300 MHz, is a severe bottleneck for any texture-heavy workload. The 128 MB VRAM capacity limits texture caching to very small scenes. The card’s API support for DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.5 further caps its benchmark potential, as modern benchmarks will not run on this hardware. The data suggests that the card was never intended for performance benchmarking but rather for specific multi-display or embedded applications.

Who Should Consider It

Given the zero average benchmark score and the 50th percentile ranking, the QID LP PCI is not suitable for any gaming or general-purpose graphics workload. The card’s specifications — 128 MB VRAM, 4.800 GB/s bandwidth, and 500.0 MPixel/s pixel rate — indicate it can handle only the most basic 2D output or very low-resolution 3D tasks from the DirectX 8.1 era.

The card’s 2x LFH60 display outputs suggest it was designed for multi-monitor setups in industrial, medical, or financial environments where multiple low-resolution displays are required without high performance. The PCI-X bus interface and single-slot form factor make it a fit for legacy server or workstation motherboards that lack PCIe slots. The suggested 200 W PSU is low, making it suitable for power-constrained systems.

Users with modern software or high-resolution monitors should not consider this card, as its DirectX 8.1 and OpenGL 1.5 API support will not run contemporary applications. The end-of-life production status means no driver updates or support are forthcoming. This card is only relevant for those maintaining vintage hardware or needing a specific legacy multi-output solution.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem of the QID LP PCI consists of 128 MB of DDR memory, which is minuscule by any modern standard. The memory type is DDR, operating at 300 MHz with a 600 Mbps effective data rate. The bus width is 64 bit, which is half the width of many entry-level cards from the same period, and the resulting bandwidth is 4.800 GB/s.

This bandwidth is sufficient for basic 2D framebuffer operations but will severely constrain any 3D rendering, especially at higher resolutions. The 128 MB capacity means that textures must be swapped frequently from system memory, and the pixel rate of 500.0 MPixel/s limits fill-rate-heavy effects. The ROP count of 2 further restricts the card’s ability to output pixels efficiently.

For high-resolution displays, the memory subsystem is inadequate. The 64-bit bus and low clock speed create a bottleneck that cannot be overcome by the MP-A4 chip’s other features. The card’s 2x LFH60 outputs are designed for low-resolution or text-based displays, not modern high-density panels. In practical terms, the memory subsystem limits the card to resolutions and color depths common in the early 2000s, with no headroom for today’s graphical demands.