ATI's Radeon 9600 Pro likely to be slower than older 9500?

Zardon · Mar 19, 2003, 05:00 PM

An interesting article over at The Sun today, opps I meant the Inquirer.

Quote:

Bigger numbers for products do not necessarily mean faster products, and we've learned that's especially so with ATI's up and coming Radeon 9600 PRO.

This card -- based on RV300 marchitecture â€“ will be ATI's first 0.13 micron example and isn't expected to be released for another four to six weeks, to coincide with the launch of the NV31, or the FX5600 Ultra.

We expect that even though the ATI offering will be clocked faster than the Radeon 9500 Pro, it won't be any faster.

Sources at CeBIT said that there isn't much money to be earned from the Radeon 9500 Pro either, as it uses the R300, the same as for the the 9700 Pro.

The Radeon 9600 Pro will end up slower but cheaper to make a balance between price and performance, but from the manufacturer's point of view it is really a gold mine since the production cost is much lower.

We're not sure whether the name 9600 Pro is the right for this product from a performance point of view, but ATI is likely to say that it is the right name, because of its new core, its production and the additional technology.

Marketing is a great science that we try to learn and understand each and every day.

All the juicy gossip is here

FuNsTeR · Mar 19, 2003, 05:18 PM

that is shocking a new card that is slower than its predocessor

Zardon · Mar 19, 2003, 05:20 PM

well I think I wouldnt base too much on anything that is on the inquirer. lets wait until we see the benchies.

MSX · Mar 20, 2003, 01:16 AM

I'd also guess that it'll be a better overclocker. 9500 made for overclockers and cheeper? Hmm, sounds good to me... We will wait and see.

merry · Mar 20, 2003, 06:13 AM

Well, it sais it's slower than the 9500pro, and it should be right - in a sense. 9600 will be clocked 400 MHz vs 275 for 9500/pro, which is sure faster, but - like the 9500 - will only feature 4 pixel pipelines vs 8 for the 9500pro. All have 1 texture units per pipe (nvidia cards feature 2).

Meaning? Well, I don't know. I translates into a smaller pixel fillrate (1.1 9500/2.2 9500pro/1.6 9600). Though, memory bw is higher (expectable at 400 MHz core/300 MHz mem), so is processing speed... we'll just have to wait, eh?

The figures are from this article at Tom's

Vampyromaniac · Mar 20, 2003, 07:18 AM

man, if that's the 9600pro, then what have they done to the plain 9600?

merry · Mar 20, 2003, 11:06 AM

There isn't any, afaik

merry · Mar 20, 2003, 11:28 AM

Sorry, there is:

Quote:

Radeon 9600 PRO 128MB DDR (400/600) - available April 2003 - price: $169-$199,-
Radeon 9600 64/128MB DDR (325/400) - available April 2003 - price: $149-$169,-

(same article @tom's)

The 325 VPU clock suggests a .15u tech (the pro version is the first .13u chip from ATI). If the 9600 is still .13u, would make a nice oc-er

Anyway, we'll see in April, or even June, with the Sapphire/Gygabyte cheaper versions...

Mar 19, 2003, 05:18 PM	#2
FuNsTeR Caledonian and Proud Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Darkest Ayrshire Posts: 1,305 Rep Power: 88 System Specs	that is shocking a new card that is slower than its predocessor __________________ "They say when you play a Microsoft CD backwards you can hear satanic messages ..... but that's nothing, if you play it forward it will install Windows"

Mar 20, 2003, 06:13 AM	#5
merry gargouille Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha Posts: 962 Rep Power: 0	Well, it sais it's slower than the 9500pro, and it should be right - in a sense. 9600 will be clocked 400 MHz vs 275 for 9500/pro, which is sure faster, but - like the 9500 - will only feature 4 pixel pipelines vs 8 for the 9500pro. All have 1 texture units per pipe (nvidia cards feature 2). Meaning? Well, I don't know. I translates into a smaller pixel fillrate (1.1 9500/2.2 9500pro/1.6 9600). Though, memory bw is higher (expectable at 400 MHz core/300 MHz mem), so is processing speed... we'll just have to wait, eh? The figures are from this article at Tom's __________________ There is a war between the ones who say there is a war and the ones who say there isn't. ~~Leonard Cohen

Mar 20, 2003, 07:18 AM	#6
Vampyromaniac confutatis maledictis Join Date: May 2002 Location: somewhere dark Posts: 5,974 Rep Power: 77 System Specs	merry man, if that's the 9600pro, then what have they done to the plain 9600? __________________ *Digitalis 3.3* Athlon 64 3000 // ASUS K8V SE Deluxe // 1024MB PC3200 (2-2-2-10 1T) ATI All-In-Wonder 9700 Pro // 20" Dell 2005FPW (DVI) M-Audio Revo 7.1 + Philips Acoustic Edge // Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 320/16 Western Digital WD3200KS + 120/8 Seagate 7200.7 NEC ND-3550A 16x DVD±RW + Lite-On 52x24x CD-RW Antec Sonata case // 480W Antec TruePower personal bests \|\| Aq'3: 46796 \| 3D'01: 20461 \| 3D'03: 6336 \| 3D'05: 2677 \| PC'04: 4605 \| PC'02: 7691,9092,1250

Mar 20, 2003, 11:06 AM	#7
merry gargouille Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha Posts: 962 Rep Power: 0	There isn't any, afaik __________________ There is a war between the ones who say there is a war and the ones who say there isn't. ~~Leonard Cohen

Mar 19, 2003, 05:20 PM	Thread Starter #3
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	well I think I wouldnt base too much on anything that is on the inquirer. lets wait until we see the benchies.

Mar 20, 2003, 01:16 AM	#4
MSX Burning the frozen... Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,201 Rep Power: 0	I'd also guess that it'll be a better overclocker. 9500 made for overclockers and cheeper? Hmm, sounds good to me... We will wait and see.