Radeon Mobility 9600

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Is there any chance we'll see this GPU in the next PowerBook? I've heard whisperings that this might be what is holding up the Aluminum 15" PB. Has anyone heard the same?



It's supposed to be 50% faster than a GeForce4 4200 Mobile and twice as fast as the Radeon Mobility 9000.



Here's ATI's website listing technical features.



And here's a press release:



Quote:

ATI unleashes the MOBILITY? RADEON? 9600 family of mobile visual processors



World's first mobile DirectX® 9.0 VPU features innovative overdrive and memory technologies, astonishing performance levels, vivid cinematic imagery and an upgradeable graphics architecture



Thursday March 13, 2003



MARKHAM, ON ? Delivering a powerful combination of innovative technologies and revolutionary performance levels to the mobile graphics space, ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT) unveiled the MOBILITY? RADEON? 9600 family of mobile visual processors today at a worldwide launch event at CeBIT.



The MOBILITY RADEON 9600 will be the first mobile graphics processor to ship with hardware support for the richest Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0 feature set and version 2.0 programmable pixel and vertex shaders, which are required for dramatic, true-to-life cinematic special effects.



Using an extraordinarily efficient 3D core delivering 12 pixel shader operations per clock cycle, MOBILITY RADEON 9600 easily outperforms the competitor?s fastest mobile graphics chips, and astonishingly, delivers up to 50% more performance than the fastest competing desktop graphics processors in key benchmarks, including the industry-standard 3DMark 2003 Pixel Shader 2.0 test.



?The MOBILITY RADEON 9600 family is so far ahead of the curve that for the first time, we see mobile graphics processors that deliver cinematic imagery, performance and features superior to the competitor?s highest-end desktop products,? said Phil Eisler, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Integrated Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. ?With the launch of the MOBILITY RADEON 9600 Pro family, ATI is continuing to build a commanding lead in both the desktop and mobile spaces, and has again delivered world-class visual processors to the market.?



The MOBILITY RADEON 9600 family for the first time provides OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) with the ability to design notebooks with user-upgradeable graphics. Its unique, flexible architecture implements full pin and driver compatibility across multiple product generations, which dramatically simplifies design and lowers costs.



MOBILITY RADEON 9600 is a multimedia powerhouse with comprehensive hardware acceleration for encode, decode and de-blocking of MPEG-2 and streaming video formats, and is the overwhelming choice of OEMs for a new breed of portable entertainment notebooks. MOBILITY RADEON 9600 is the first and only mobile graphics chip to integrate an HDTV encoder, enabling component output to wide-screen HDTVs.



MOBILITY RADEON 9600 is also the first and only mobile visual processor to support GDDR2-M memory, which delivers DDR-2 memory speeds while significantly extending battery life through innovative power saving technology. The specification for GDDR2-M memory technology was developed by a team of ATI engineers in conjunction with tier-one memory vendors. MOBILITY RADEON 9600 gives OEMs the choice of using either discrete memory, or one of three variants that offer up to 128 MB of memory integrated onto the chip package, another industry first.



MOBILITY RADEON 9600 extends ATI?s leadership in notebook graphics power management, giving users both the longest battery life and highest performance. Manufactured using the leading-edge 0.13 micron TSMC manufacturing process, MOBILITY RADEON 9600 supports a low 1.0V core voltage, with power consumption as low as 0.5W in idle condition. Active power is at the same level as the previous generation, even though performance and features have increased dramatically.



The impressive list of new features found in the MOBILITY RADEON 9600 includes:

ATI?s SMARTSHADER? 2.0 technology, which allows users to experience complex, movie-quality effects in next-generation 3D games and applications; Uniquely, ATI offers full-precision floating point color, coupled with full performance, at all times;

OVERDRIVE?, the world?s first thermally-controlled over-clocking system that uses an on-chip thermal sensor to scale engine speeds based on the notebook thermal environment, giving improved gaming performance; ..3

HyperM?, a matrix of memory bandwidth optimizing technologies that includes support for GDDR-2M memory, which offers users improved graphics performance and longer battery life, and the industry?s best lossless z-compression and color compression technology for better visual quality and performance;

SMOOTHVISION? 2.1; the best anti-aliasing ever in a mobile VPU, utilizing 6 unique texture samples per pixel and ATI patented gamma correction, as well as 16X anisotropic filtering. SMOOTHVISION 2.1 enhances image quality by removing jagged edges and bringing out fine texture detail, without compromising performance;

POWERPLAY? 4.0, a significantly enhanced version of ATI?s industry-leading power management technology which extends battery life in all applications, by dynamically adjusting clock speeds and other settings based on user activity; and

Support for AGP8X.

ATI is continuing to rapidly introduce revolutionary new architectures and moving high-end technologies into the mobile market at a fast pace. In addition to shipping both a standard and a feature and performance enhanced ?PRO? variant of the MOBILITY RADEON 9600, ATI will also begin shipping the MOBILITY RADEON 9200 mobile visual processor, which offers improved performance over the award-winning MOBILITY RADEON 9000, and includes support for AGP 8X.



Notebooks powered by the MOBILITY RADEON 9600 family will ship in notebooks this spring. Launch partners include Actebis, Alienware, Asus, Clevo, ECS, FIC, Fujitsu-Siemens, Gericom, HP, Medion, Media Markt, Mitac, NEC, Uniwill, and Voodoo PC.




One of the neatest things about the Radeon 9600 Mobility is ATI's OverDrive technology. Depending on the thermal environment, the Radeon 9600 Mobility will overclock itself to deliver it's highest possible performance.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 46
    If the next 15" PB had that, I would buy it in a heartbeat. That would be AWESOME!!! A true portable gaming Powerbook!
  • Reply 2 of 46
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    Interesting !
  • Reply 3 of 46
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    Wow. That is impressive...I'm still happy with my RADEON 9000 in my PB after 6 months--I generally don't do anything that tasks it too much.
  • Reply 4 of 46
    This would sure be a great addition... One thing I would LOVE to see Apple do, though, is design a way to change out graphics cards. But who am I kidding? This is Apple for goodness sakes!
  • Reply 5 of 46
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Jeremiah Rich

    This would sure be a great addition... One thing I would LOVE to see Apple do, though, is design a way to change out graphics cards. But who am I kidding? This is Apple for goodness sakes!



    I read over at Xlr8yourmac.com, that the newest 15" PB has a removable grafixcard, and tried to follow up on it by posting in AI's Current Hardwre forum, but got no responses.. So maybe...
  • Reply 6 of 46
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by T'hain Esh Kelch

    I read over at Xlr8yourmac.com, that the newest 15" PB has a removable grafixcard, and tried to follow up on it by posting in AI's Current Hardwre forum, but got no responses.. So maybe...



    Nope, no removable graphixcard - sorry. Saw some pictures of the 17" innards at some site, and it looked like it was soldered to the motherboard.
  • Reply 7 of 46
    flounderflounder Posts: 2,674member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by NETROMac

    Nope, no removable graphixcard - sorry. Saw some pictures of the 17" innards at some site, and it looked like it was soldered to the motherboard.



    I think he was implying that maybe the "newest 15"PB" that was refered to is one that hasn't yet seen the light of day...
  • Reply 8 of 46
    Ya. I was talking about the new one. I think it would be cool if it was "officially supported" though. I read that the current one is interchangeable as well, but often with Dells on the pc side, they have removable ones, but if you try to change it it does not work sometimes. At least that is what I think I remember reading at Tomshardware....
  • Reply 9 of 46
    netromacnetromac Posts: 863member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Jeremiah Rich

    Ya. I was talking about the new one. I think it would be cool if it was "officially supported" though. I read that the current one is interchangeable as well, but often with Dells on the pc side, they have removable ones, but if you try to change it it does not work sometimes. At least that is what I think I remember reading at Tomshardware....



    Oh, sorry... i should have read your post better

    I don't think anyone should expect a removable graphix card on the new one though. And if it were exchangeable, who would make such a card??? I don't think there is a big enough market for such an upgrad to defend developement cost. I don't mind if I'm wrong though.
  • Reply 10 of 46
    Oh yeah. I know it will not happen, it is just me wishing.
  • Reply 11 of 46
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    EDIT: Whoops, this has already been posted.
  • Reply 12 of 46
    existenceexistence Posts: 991member
    AMDZone has a preview of teh Radeon 9600 Mobility and has this to say. Emphasis mine.



    http://www.amdzone.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1255



    Quote:

    Home and Business Multimedia



    ATI is known for quality DVD playback and the 9600 as expected has MPEG encoding for that purpose as well as PVR support and time shifting applications that allow for TIVO like functions. They also provide options for a video port input for TV tuner capabilities. Fullstream is also incorporated to enhance streaming video applications on the internet. ATI has also put in support for widescreen LCDs and HDTV. If you are thinking that all of these features of the 9600 are similar to their All In Wonder desktop video editing line you are correct. It appears that most of those features are present providing for a mobile version of the All In Wonder.







    Upgradeability and Design Flexibility



    ATI has taken great care to provide for options for upgradeability and design flexibility. Their Flexfit designs in flexibility from with their pin compatible parts that allow for notebook manufacturers to easily change configurations and targeted markets by allowing them to swap out discrete graphics memory sizes as well as the option to upgrade a design from integrated to discrete. If demand is seen to be higher for 128MB versions they can simply swap out the chip in the design upgrading a model that was previously supporting say 64MB or creating a entire new line based on the same design. They also have the option of starting with an integrated solution like the IGP 320M or Mobility Radeon 7000 IGP and adding in a discrete graphics module using the Mobility Radeon 9000, 9200, or 9600.



    This opens up new possibilities of upgradeable laptop graphics. This is possible on some current laptop designs, but it takes few tricks with your laptop maker to get the card to upgrade the unit. It is possible now according to ATI for one to purchase an integrated graphics laptop, and at a later day also purchase a discrete video upgrade to say a 9600. We asked ATI if it would some day be possible to walk into a Best Buy or Fry's and purchase an upgrade card. It definitely is, and they feel some notebook resellers may offer this as a feature to compete in the market. We certainly hope that this becomes a reality soon as mobile gaming looks to be more and more of a reality.




  • Reply 13 of 46
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    The next 12" PowerBook better not have the NVIDIA GeForce 420 that's for sure. It brings the whole computer down, it would otherwise be the finest computer Apple has made to date, perhaps with the exception of the color classic and 2400c.
  • Reply 14 of 46
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Jeremiah Rich

    This would sure be a great addition... One thing I would LOVE to see Apple do, though, is design a way to change out graphics cards. But who am I kidding? This is Apple for goodness sakes!





    Well Ati has takin care of that with there new hardwear. The 9200 and 9600 will be installed using a zif type slot and so will the next several revs. just as long as a autherized repair shop installes it you can upgrade to newer gpu's. Then again Apple may choose not to sapport this fetcher.
  • Reply 15 of 46
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    A few things then.



    ATI vs nVidia, as Moto and IBm have shown, it is in Apple's best interest to have two suppliers on board as much as possible.



    I believe the nVidia GF4go mx and 4200 product all support a similar mini package module. While this isn't user upgradeable, it should make it easy for Apple to swap one part in favor of another with relative ease. Given that it's all AGP, it should probably make flipping from nVidia to ATI and back easier as well.



    The 9600 certainly looks impressive, but for what we have right now there isn't much to distinguish the ATI and nVidia mobile products.



    The Direct performance means nothing to us as mac users, so when we look at OpenGL, the 9000 and GF 440 Go put up similar numbers on the mac, and the so do the 7500 and GF4 420 go in the iBook and PB12 respectively.



    Apple can more or less pick and choose on a balance of supply cost and performance.





    What IS troubling is the move from ATI to possibly make laptop gfx upgradeable to the masses. PC manufacturers would latch on and Apple wouldn't because of Job's obsession with making hermetically sealed disposable machines. Right now, a mac laptoip suffers no appreciable expansion penalty relative to their PC counterparts, if ATI is successful, then Apple's laptops will start looking as comparatively limited as their desktop machinery
  • Reply 17 of 46
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    The 9600 is not holding up the 15, an issue of total redesign is.



    A new screen will have a slightly changed footprint, that will take a slightly changed mobo and internals. Will apple rewor all those to supply ostensibly the same calibre of machine? No, too much money for a machine that will be little changed from the current one.



    The 15 can ONLY be updated when faster G4's or the 970 arrives in BOTH the 17 and 15. Untill then it'd just be a lot of work to make a new model that's not any faster than the old one.



    I'd look for the 17 and 15 to get cheaper at the next update. A superdirve 15 really ought to come in under 2500 at this point, and the combo version, no more than 2200, once the more cost effective Al case and 15.4" screen go into it.
  • Reply 18 of 46
    In either case, I'm getting impatient. I need to replace my 667 TiBook.
  • Reply 19 of 46
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    Considering the 17 only recently debuted, I think you're waiting until near x-mas time for a 15" replacement.
  • Reply 20 of 46
    Damn you Steve Jobs... jk
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