Introduction

NVIDIA’s “GT” line of graphics cards have been a thorn in ATI’s side for quite a few months now. On the high-end, the GeForce 6800 GT shares the RADEON X800 PRO’s $400 price point, but features a 16 pipeline architecture versus the X800 PRO’s 12 pipeline configuration (remember, ATI disables one quad on X800 PRO, while the X800 XT and X800 XT Platinum Edition have all four quads enabled). To help offset this, ATI clocks the X800 PRO at 475MHz, 125MHz faster than the GeForce 6800 GT, but in most benchmarks this just isn’t enough, as the GeForce 6800 GT finishes ahead of the RADEON X800 PRO in most cases.

Meanwhile, in the mainstream segment, NVIDIA’s GeForce 6600 GT has already earned a popular following among enthusiasts, even though it’s only been on the market a couple of months. ATI and NVIDIA have both implemented 8 pipeline parts which are paired to a 128-bit memory interface, but ATI has been unable to supply the market with their top mainstream entrant, the X700 XT. Instead they’ve been forced to rely on slower X700 PRO cards. The X700 PRO is a good card, in testing we’ve found it delivers performance capable of challenging the RADEON 9800 XT in some cases, dusting the RADEON 9800 PRO in the process, but just doesn’t have the clocks to compete with the GeForce 6600 GT.

The X800 XL and GeForce 6800 GT

RADEON X850 XT PE and X800 XL

This has put ATI in a bind that they’ve had a difficult time escaping from, as they haven’t been able to solve their problems with X700 XT, and their answer to the GeForce 6800 GT, the RADEON X800 XT, has also had its fair share of supply problems. ATI needed to come up with an answer, and they needed it quickly if they wanted to maintain they market share gains they grabbed from NVIDIA in the first half of 2004.

ATI’s solution is two-pronged: R430 and R480.

We discussed ATI’s R480 chip (RADEON X850 XT/RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition) a few weeks ago, so we won’t rehash it again, today we’re here to examine ATI’s solution for the mainstream segment, R430.

RADEON X800 XT poses with the X800 XL (on right)

R480 versus R430

ATI’s RADEON lineup
Model	Pixel Pipelines	Core Clock (MHz)	Memory Memory Clock (MHz)	Memory size and type	MSRP	Board configuration
RADEON X850 XT Platinum Edition	16	540	590	256MB GDDR3	$549	DVI/DVI VIVO
RADEON X850 XT	16	520	540	256MB GDDR3	$499	DVI/DVI VIVO
RADEON X850 PRO	12	520	540	256MB GDDR3	$399	DVI/VGA/VIVO
RADEON X800 XL	16	400	500	256MB GDDR3	$299	DVI/VGA/TV-Out
RADEON X800	12	400	350	128MB	$199	DVI/VGA/TV-Out

R430 is born

ATI’s R430 chip is based on the exact same technology found in today’s RADEON X800 line. ATI has simply tweaked the production method, using TSMC’s smaller 0.11-micron manufacturing process rather than the 0.13-micron process used on today’s R420 chips like the X800 PRO. By moving to a smaller process, ATI is able to get more chips per silicon wafer, effectively reducing their production costs. As a result, ATI then passes these savings on to the consumer, as the baseline R430 card, RADEON X800, will be priced at only $200, making it the first 12-pipeline graphics card to hit the $200 price point. (Originally ATI planned to sell the RADEON X800 for $249). The RADEON X800 features a 400MHz graphics core with 350MHz memory (700MHz effective). Just above it lies the RADEON X800 XL. The X800 XL features a 16-pixel pipeline architecture, just like the RADEON X800 XT/X850 XT Platinum Edition lines, with the graphics core running at 400MHz.

This card has its sights squarely on NVIDIA’s GeForce 6800 GT, but with the price tag of a GeForce 6800!