ATI Radeon 9800 XT vs GeForce FX 5600

VS

Aggregate performance score

We've compared GeForce FX 5600 and Radeon 9800 XT, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.

FX 5600
2003
128 MB DDR, 37 Watt
0.03

ATI 9800 XT outperforms FX 5600 by a whopping 400% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.

Place in the ranking14851424
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Power efficiency0.060.17
ArchitectureRankine (2003−2005)Rage 9 (2003−2006)
GPU code nameNV31R360
Market segmentDesktopDesktop
Release date6 March 2003 (21 year ago)1 October 2003 (21 year ago)

Detailed specifications

General parameters such as number of shaders, GPU core base clock and boost clock speeds, manufacturing process, texturing and calculation speed. Note that power consumption of some graphics cards can well exceed their nominal TDP, especially when overclocked.

Core clock speed325 MHz412 MHz
Number of transistors80 million117 million
Manufacturing process technology130 nm150 nm
Power consumption (TDP)37 Watt60 Watt
Texture fill rate1.3003.296
ROPs48
TMUs48

Form factor & compatibility

Information on compatibility with other computer components. Useful when choosing a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. For desktop graphics cards it's interface and bus (motherboard compatibility), additional power connectors (power supply compatibility).

InterfaceAGP 8xAGP 8x
Width1-slot1-slot
Supplementary power connectorsNone1x Molex

VRAM capacity and type

Parameters of VRAM installed: its type, size, bus, clock and resulting bandwidth. Integrated GPUs have no dedicated video RAM and use a shared part of system RAM.

Memory typeDDRDDR
Maximum RAM amount128 MB256 MB
Memory bus width128 Bit256 Bit
Memory clock speed250 MHz365 MHz
Memory bandwidth8 GB/s23.36 GB/s

Connectivity and outputs

Types and number of video connectors present on the reviewed GPUs. As a rule, data in this section is precise only for desktop reference ones (so-called Founders Edition for NVIDIA chips). OEM manufacturers may change the number and type of output ports, while for notebook cards availability of certain video outputs ports depends on the laptop model rather than on the card itself.

Display Connectors1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video

API compatibility

List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.

DirectX9.0a9.0
OpenGL1.5 (2.1)2.0
OpenCLN/AN/A
VulkanN/AN/A

Synthetic benchmark performance

Non-gaming benchmark results comparison. The combined score is measured on a 0-100 point scale.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark score. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

FX 5600 0.03
ATI 9800 XT 0.15
+400%

Passmark

This is the most ubiquitous GPU benchmark. It gives the graphics card a thorough evaluation under various types of load, providing four separate benchmarks for Direct3D versions 9, 10, 11 and 12 (the last being done in 4K resolution if possible), and few more tests engaging DirectCompute capabilities.

FX 5600 12
ATI 9800 XT 56
+367%

Gaming performance

Let's see how good the compared graphics cards are for gaming. Particular gaming benchmark results are measured in FPS.

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 0.03 0.15
Recency 6 March 2003 1 October 2003
Maximum RAM amount 128 MB 256 MB
Chip lithography 130 nm 150 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 37 Watt 60 Watt

FX 5600 has a 15.4% more advanced lithography process, and 62.2% lower power consumption.

ATI 9800 XT, on the other hand, has a 400% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 6 months, and a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.

The Radeon 9800 XT is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce FX 5600 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600
GeForce FX 5600
ATI Radeon 9800 XT
Radeon 9800 XT

Comparisons with similar GPUs

We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.

Community ratings

Here you can see the user ratings of the compared graphics cards, as well as rate them yourself.


3.1 65 votes

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4.3 15 votes

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about this comparison, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.