ATI Radeon 9800 XT vs GeForce FX 5900
Aggregate performance score
We've compared GeForce FX 5900 and Radeon 9800 XT, covering specs and all relevant benchmarks.
ATI 9800 XT outperforms FX 5900 by an impressive 67% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
GPU architecture, market segment, value for money and other general parameters compared.
| Place in the ranking | 1456 | 1422 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Architecture | Rankine (2003−2005) | Rage 9 (2003−2006) |
| GPU code name | NV35 | R360 |
| Market segment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Release date | 12 May 2003 (21 year ago) | 1 October 2003 (21 year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $399 | no data |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance to price ratio. The higher, the better.
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 speed | 400 MHz | 412 MHz |
| Number of transistors | 135 million | 117 million |
| Manufacturing process technology | 130 nm | 150 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | no data | 60 Watt |
| Texture fill rate | 3.200 | 3.296 |
| ROPs | 4 | 8 |
| TMUs | 8 | 8 |
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).
| Interface | AGP 8x | AGP 8x |
| Length | 218 mm | no data |
| Width | 1-slot | 1-slot |
| Supplementary power connectors | 1x Molex | 1x 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 type | DDR | DDR |
| Maximum RAM amount | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Memory bus width | 256 Bit | 256 Bit |
| Memory clock speed | 425 MHz | 365 MHz |
| Memory bandwidth | 27.2 GB/s | 23.36 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 Connectors | 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video | 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video |
API compatibility
List of supported 3D and general-purpose computing APIs, including their specific versions.
| DirectX | 9.0a | 9.0 |
| OpenGL | 1.5 (2.1) | 2.0 |
| OpenCL | N/A | N/A |
| Vulkan | N/A | N/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.
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.
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 | 0.09 | 0.15 |
| Recency | 12 May 2003 | 1 October 2003 |
| Maximum RAM amount | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Chip lithography | 130 nm | 150 nm |
FX 5900 has a 15.4% more advanced lithography process.
ATI 9800 XT, on the other hand, has a 66.7% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 4 months, and a 100% higher maximum VRAM amount.
The Radeon 9800 XT is our recommended choice as it beats the GeForce FX 5900 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions concerning choice between the reviewed GPUs, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Comparisons with similar GPUs
We selected several comparisons of graphics cards with performance close to those reviewed, providing you with more options to consider.
