In October 2008, the ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics card debuted on the entry-level graphics accelerator market. Moreover, this adapter was intended for both desktop computing systems and laptops. Moreover, in both cases, it was positioned by the manufacturer as a discrete graphical entry-level solution. It is the specifications of this adapter, as well as its capabilities, that will be considered in this short review.
Accelerator Specialization
The graphics accelerator model ATI Radeon HD 4550 belonged to the category of entry-level devices. This accelerator had a very, very low speed by the standards of 2008. Therefore, the performance of such an accelerator allowed you to run most of the toys and resource-intensive programs of that time. Only in the first case, the image quality was very, very low. And in the second - the processing time of the picture was much longer than that of the accelerators of the middle or premium price ranges.
As a result, it can be noted that this graphic accelerator could only be successfully operated as part of desktop or mobile graphics systems of the initial class. The performance of such PCs was only slightly ahead of office computers, but significantly inferior to mid-range computers.
Types of adapters in this series
Conditionally, graphics accelerators can be divided into two main groups: solutions for desktop systems and devices for laptops. In the first case, the focus is on performance. At the same time, energy consumption is practically not taken into account, as is the published noise level of the active cooling system. When the accelerator is intended to be used as part of a laptop, the manufacturer seeks to combine speed and energy efficiency.
The ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics card was released both in the first modification and in the second. Moreover, in each case, the same crystal was used. The only difference between the mobile version is a more aggressive algorithm for changing the device’s clock frequency. Actually, this is the only significant difference between the mobile and stationary versions of this graphics accelerator.
Device for desktop computers. Its specifications
The ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics solution for desktop computers was based on the RV710XT microprocessor. In total, this semiconductor crystal included 242 million different transistors. This chip was able to operate at a maximum frequency of 600 MHz. On the substrate of this microprocessor were 80 stream units, 4 rasterization modules and 8 TMU elements.
Video cards ATI Radeon HD 4550 Series equipped with a video buffer capacity of 256 MB or 512 MB. Moreover, in the first case, the cost of a discrete accelerator was significantly reduced, and in the second, albeit slightly, the operating speed increased. The type of memory used in accelerators is GDDR3. The recommended frequency of memory chips is 1600 MHz. The exchange of information between the microprocessor and RAM was carried out on a physical bus with a capacity of 64 bits. Therefore, the bandwidth of the adapter's memory subsystem was 12.8 Gb / s.
By the standards of 2008, the latter value was quite enough to implement most of the tasks of the initial level of complexity. Now integrated video cards boast higher bandwidth. Therefore, this accelerator is completely outdated and the computers in which it is a part need an upgrade. In addition to this, modern integrated graphics solutions are equipped with faster memory. As a result, their performance is significantly higher than that of the hero of this review.
Laptop solution
The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 is based on the M92 chip. It was manufactured using 55 nm technology and included all the same 242 million semiconductor elements. Only now its frequency was artificially lowered to 550 MHz. That is, the difference with the discrete device for desktop systems was 50 MHz. This value reduced the performance of a laptop based on such a GPU and increased its battery life. Also, this microprocessor included 80 graphic units, 4 rasterization elements and 8 TMU components.
The type of chip used in the video buffer is GDDR3. These elements operated at a reduced frequency of 1400 MHz. But the volume of the video buffer was no different from the previously considered stationary PC accelerator - 256 or 512 MB. Even the capacity of the RAM bus was identical - 64 bits.
In the 3DMark'06 test utility, this accelerator scored 3349 points and was ahead of the HDGraphics 4200 from Intel and the predecessor HD3650 in the mobile version. The first of them scored 3383 points, and the second - 3360. That is, this accelerator in the mobile version had a sufficient level of performance at the time of the start of its sales. But now, like his version for stationary computers, it is out of date.
Advantages of the device. His flaws
The characteristics of the ATI Radeon HD 4550, as previously noted, in 2008 provided an acceptable level of speed. AMD's pricing policy was also very, very democratic. These are two key benefits of this adapter.
The main disadvantage of this accelerator model is that it is completely outdated and does not meet modern requirements for a discrete modern graphics subsystem.
Conclusion
By the standards of the information industry, the ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics device was introduced a long time ago. During this time, this adapter managed to become very outdated. Accordingly, this model of the video card can no longer cope with the tasks that were previously assigned to it. Therefore, such computers need to be modernized. Moreover, not only the graphics subsystem, but also a personal computer in the complex.