Radeon 7500
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| Radeon 7500 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Radeon 7500 |
| Codename | RV200 |
| Created | October 2001 |
| Discontinued | 2003 |
| Designer | ATI Technologies |
| Fab | TSMC |
| Process | 0.15 µm |
| Transistors | 30 million |
| Bus interface | AGP 4x |
| Memory type | DDR SDRAM |
| Memory size | 64 MB |
| Core clock | 290 MHz |
| Memory clock | 230 MHz (460 MHz effective) |
| Direct3d | DirectX 8.0 |
| Opengl | OpenGL 1.3 |
Radeon 7500. Introduced by ATI Technologies in October 2001, the Radeon 7500 was a mainstream graphics processing unit based on the refined Radeon R100 architecture. Positioned between the budget Radeon 7200 and the high-end Radeon 8500, it aimed to deliver strong DirectX 8.0 performance for its price segment. The card was notable for its dual-display capabilities via HydraVision technology and found use in both desktop and mobile configurations, notably within Apple Inc.'s Power Mac G4 systems.
Specifications
The GPU, codenamed RV200, was fabricated by TSMC using a 0.15 µm process and contained approximately 30 million transistors. It featured a 128-bit memory interface supporting 64 MB of DDR SDRAM. The core operated at 290 MHz, with memory clocked at 230 MHz (460 MHz effective). Its AGP 4x interface was standard for the era, and it supported the DirectX 8.0 and OpenGL 1.3 application programming interfaces. Key rendering units included two pixel pipelines, each capable of processing three textures per clock, and a single vertex shader unit.
Features
A primary feature was its integrated dual RAMDAC and TMDS transmitter, enabling dual-monitor support through ATI HydraVision software. This made it appealing for business and productivity users. It also supported SmoothVision, ATI's brand for full-scene anti-aliasing, and HyperZ technology for improved memory bandwidth efficiency. For video playback, it included Video Immersion enhancements. The chip was also used in mobility form factors, branded as Mobility Radeon 7500, for laptops from manufacturers like Dell and Compaq.
Architecture
The architecture was a derivative of the original Radeon R100 design, sharing its fundamental Charisma Engine and Pixel Tapestry pipeline organization. The Charisma Engine handled transform, clipping, and lighting, including hardware vertex shaders as defined by DirectX 8.0. The Pixel Tapestry unit offered advanced per-pixel effects. Refinements in the RV200 core included higher clock speeds and optimizations to the HyperZ occlusion culling system, improving fill rate and memory bandwidth utilization compared to the earlier Radeon 7200.
Performance
In contemporary benchmarks, the Radeon 7500 offered competent performance in titles like Quake III Arena and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which relied heavily on the OpenGL API. Its DirectX 8.0 support allowed it to run games such as Max Payne and Serious Sam well, though it lacked the advanced programmable shader performance of the competing GeForce3 Ti 200 from NVIDIA. Its dual-display feature set gave it an advantage in professional 2D applications, and it was a popular choice for Apple's Mac OS 9 and early Mac OS X systems.
Market reception and legacy
The card was generally well-received as a cost-effective upgrade from older GeForce2 or Radeon 7200 cards, praised for its image quality and multi-monitor support. It faced stiff competition from NVIDIA's GeForce4 MX series. Its legacy is tied to its role in popularizing dual-display setups in the mainstream market and its widespread adoption in the Power Mac G4 line. The RV200 architecture also served as the basis for subsequent integrated graphics solutions within ATI's IGP chipsets for platforms like AMD's Athlon XP processors.
Category:ATI graphics processing units Category:Graphics cards Category:Computer hardware introduced in 2001