ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 and NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5650: Taking on DX9
by Andrew Ku on September 14, 2003 11:04 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
ATI - Mobility Radeon 9600
As you know, the Mobility Radeon 9600 (code named M10) and Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro (also code named M10) are mobile versions of the desktop Radeon 9600 (RV350). Seeing as we have already gone over that graphic processor, we won’t bore you with the details (read more here). Recapping from our last mobile graphics preview, the Radeon 9600 (including both mobile version) are produced on a 0.13 micron process, incorporates some serious memory controller optimizations, a new version of Hyper-Z compression technology, and support for component output. Power specifications, according to ATI technical documents, notes that the Mobility Radeon 9600 runs at 1.0V, and consumes 0.5W in Windows idle. We have still not been able to track down the maximum power consumption specification.
Since our preview, not much has changed in the clocks of the Mobility Radeon 9600. The official clock speeds are still at 350MHz core clock and 300MHz DDR memory clock (600MHz effective). So far, the highest frequencies in a shipping system that we have been notified of are 350MHz core clock and 270MHz memory clock. Despite market issues, we have been able to take a look at a Mobility Radeon 9600 system clocked at 350MHz core clock and 250MHz core clock.
We have had reports of memory timing and AGP issues with the Mobility Radeon 9600 A13 revision, and lately, we were informed that this problem was related to non-Intel chipset based mobile systems. But even with a non-Intel chipset based mobile system, the problems weren’t guaranteed to appear. ATI’s A14 revision of this chip solves this problem, while we should note that A13 will not encounter any problems of this nature on an Intel chipset based mobile system.
We covered Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro in past mobile graphics preview, which features OVERDRIVE, inherently higher clock speeds, and GDDR2-M, but we have still not been able to see any designs that feature this product. We are expecting to see some desktop replacement and high-end gaming notebooks that feature Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro sometime in early Q4. For a more detailed look into Mobility Radeon 9600 and Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro, read our original preview.
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Anonymous User - Thursday, October 23, 2003 - link
The Mobility Radeon 9600 with 128MB is available from Compaq/HP.MR9600 Pro:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/3219...
Mobility FireGL T2:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/3219...
So go get yourself one today! Coz I am!
-Ad
Anonymous User - Thursday, October 9, 2003 - link
There are some people around that are developers. I personally use OpenGL for all my CG projects and there is no comparison for OpenGL. Traditionally nvidia used to have the upper hand in OpenGL (my Golden Sample Ti4200 runs better than Radeon 9700). I'm not favouring nvidia or ati. What I need is something that performs under OpenGL and not DX9...Dell inspiron 8600 is a great choice, but it comes with 5650 Go. It is reasonably cheap and extremely powerfull. Easy to get (online) or via a university (my case). Although ATI is faster under DX9, it is not supported by the big names (Dell, Toshiba, Compaq...). So if 5650 is even 80% as fast as 9600 under OpenGL, it IS a choice for me... If it is yet again 400% slower... NO
Please give us some OpenGL numbers!!!
Even Quake 3 will do, GLExcess, whatever...
Thanks
Yannis
Norwich, UK
Andrew Ku - Monday, September 29, 2003 - link
#43 Well the different results aren't unexpected. You used a different resolution. :)Anonymous User - Saturday, September 27, 2003 - link
I'd like to see a couple openGL tests included in the comparison.Thanks.
Anonymous User - Thursday, September 18, 2003 - link
I get different results!I have a Dell Inspiron 8600 with the NVidia 5650 running AquaMark3. I'm using the driver that Dell ships with the 8600 (version 4.4.8.2). I get VASTLY better results on than what's posted in this article. Below, I'm taking my results vs. the article's Radeon numbers:
Frames per second (FPS)
My results Results from article
Chapter Go5650 Go5650 Radeon9600 fps
1 22.30 11.64 25.97
2 9.38 4.23 6.68
3 16.15 8.87 15.00
4 6.52 5.15 11.27
5 14.72 9.31 19.93
6 14.28 8.47 17.96
7 18.27 9.92 17.08
8 13.00 6.63 12.56
9 9.47 4.67 7.93
I submitted my results to Aquatech's results board under my user name "RonSchaaf" I ran the test multiple times with the same results, running with the Aquatech defaults.
Big Note: I just double-checked everything and I ran my tests at 1024x768x32, No FSAA, 4x Anisotropy, Maximum Details, with the Driver set to Maximum Quality. But I can't run at 1280x1024 like was done for the article because the Aquatech program won't let me change setting without springing for the "Professional" version.
Anonymous User - Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - link
Nice review.It is a good idea you tested the DX9 power of the cards and not some driver or game "optimisations"
Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - link
#34 Said: "Download 51.75 and run the test. Then tell us what you see. What a bunch of CRAP."Your right... with Det 51.75 they'd see a bunch of CRAP. Take a look at these image quality results: http://www.gamersdepot.com/hardware/video_cards/at...
btw, the accoding to nVidia, the det 51.75 isn't ready to be installed on any machine yet. Kind of funny how that didn't stop them from saying it was the only valid version for benching hl 2...
http://www.techconnect.ws/modules.php?name=News&am...
Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - link
I agree with shalmanese)
Anonymous User - Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - link
I didn't see a mention of the speed of the CPU used.Anyone know? (I might have missed it, but it wasn't on the benchmark setup page)
I know it's a P-M, but at what speed?
Shalmanese - Monday, September 15, 2003 - link
Eh, I thought all in all ,it was a pretty ordinary review, lots of mistakes throughout.First of all, your graph numbers are up to 6 significant figures, round them down to even fps or 1 decimal place at the very least.
While theoretical comparisons laughing at how much the ATI card beat the nVidia card are all very pleasant, some indication for people who may have wanted to BUY these cards, what sort of performance they were in for might be nice as well. This means adding the NV3X and the DX8 codepath figures for HL2 etc. Also, a Go4200 and a Mobility 9000 thrown in might have been good as well but I understand that time may have not been adequate.
I also noticed that the CPU wasn't listed for the laptop. Is this part of the NDA info? Seems unusual as this is normally given.
pg1:
"Mobility Radeon 9600 in North America" should be "THE Mobility..."
"...between Mobility Radeon 9600..." again, missed a THE ... infact, its all throughout the article.
" You may have seen other media report benchmark scores that have been called into question. In our time spent benchmarking the two mobile graphics processors, we have yet to be able to recreate a similar scenario."
huh? you've yet to create a benchmark that has been called into question? What are you trying to say?
pg2:
"specifies that the Mobility Radeon 9600 consumes 1.0V while running, and 0.5W in Windows idle." Is that V or W? theres no point telling us what voltage the chip is running at when working. Give us wattage figures.
pg3: again, you give a V figure.
Shalmanese