Radeon 9500 = Radeon 9500 Pro = Radeon 9700?

[mbilla]

This I have found at
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Jan/bch20030109018091.htm

Concerning Radeon ATI 9500 pro etc.  Claim: Hardware is identical and a performance bonus can be gained merely through software.  Perhaps interesting for A1.

Bye Manou

[Hattig]

Yeah, all 4 cards use the same R300 core, with features or speed cut down.

R9500 with 64MB uses 4 pipelines and 128 bit memory bus.
R9500 with 128MB uses 4 pipelines and 256 bit memory bus.
R9500Pro uses 8 pipelines
R9700 uses 8 pipelines and 256 bit memory bus
R9700Pro is faster than the 9700

So you can software upgrade the R9500 to either a 9500Pro or a 9700 (depending on the amount of installed memory), and then overclock to get a faster 9500Pro or a 9700Pro.

Nice, eh?

[Glaucus]

So you can software upgrade the R9500 to either a 9500Pro or a 9700 (depending on the amount of installed memory), and then overclock to get a faster 9500Pro or a 9700Pro.

I assume when you say software upgrade you mean card BIOS, right?  Well, that's really nothing new, most graphics cards can be overclocked.  I'm overclocking my GeForce2 Ti to be faster then a GeForce2 Ultra using a little tool called PowerStrip (for Windows of course).  I haven't tried any BIOS updates but I think the only difference between those two cards is the GPU & ram speed.

  - Mike

[odin]

This article is not just about overclocking cards. It's 'hiding' hardware components which still are on the card. Or something....I'm not that into graphic cards to understand the technical bit very well =).

[Hattig]

I mean enabling disabled features on the core itself. Namely going from 4 pipelines to 8.

[Valan]

If old cards can be as good as newer cards then what is the true potential of the latest cards?

Will we hear in a years time that these new cards can be even better still?

Just a thought
Valan

[Oli_hd]

Hi,
Im not that shocked about this, In the PC world a graphics card company is considered dead if it hasnt launched anything in three months so your going to find that there are lots of cards by the one company which only has tiny differences but are sold as very different cards, This includes things like extra memory, TV out, TV capture card and things like that, All of which the GPU (Graphics chip) can use but for cost dont always use them.
Its going to be something the new Amiga magazines will have to address quite well as we are a bit better than the normal computer user so the word "Pro" will beg the question "Whats different about it" (In a place like PC World they would just try and explain the card is for use in large companys where as the basic model will "Accelerate your web browsing" or some other bull.)

Anyway enough about that from me  ;-)

[Hammer]

@Hattig
Market segmentation is typical in the X86 world…

Only could boost GeF 4TI 4200 to 4600 if one over clocked it OR download mini-drivers patch to make GeF 4 TI into Quattro 4.

What about hacked Audigy drivers(EMU10K2) for Sblive cards (EMU10K1) as another example?