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The Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro AGP is a legacy graphics card for motherboards with an AGP slot—not a PCI Express card. Its best-known AGP version has 512MB of GDDR3, a 580MHz core clock and 1,400MHz effective memory clock. Before buying one used, check the memory version, power lead, included display adapters and the card’s condition.
What is the Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro?
It is an ATI RV570-based graphics card made for the AGP interface. Sapphire sold AGP versions with both 256MB and 512MB of memory; the 512MB model is the one most commonly associated with Sapphire’s AGP offering. The AGP card uses a bridge chip, which is the main architectural difference from the PCI Express X1950 Pro. ComputerBase’s review discusses that distinction.
ATI announced the X1950 Pro on October 17, 2006, positioning it as a mid-range card with native CrossFire support for PCI Express systems. That launch context should not be confused with the Sapphire AGP card: the AGP and PCI Express cards use different interfaces and cannot be swapped between slots.
Sapphire X1950 Pro 512MB AGP specifications
| Specification | Sapphire AGP 512MB model |
|---|---|
| GPU | ATI RV570 |
| Interface | AGP 8X |
| Memory | 512MB GDDR3 |
| GPU core clock | 580MHz |
| Memory clock | 1,400MHz effective |
| Display outputs | Two DVI-I ports and TV output |
These clocks and memory capacity are Sapphire’s 2006 retail specifications for the 512MB AGP model, not specifications that apply to every X1950 Pro card. ComputerBase reported both 256MB and 512MB AGP versions, while the Sapphire retail specification listing gives the 512MB model’s 580MHz core and 1,400MHz effective memory clocks.
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Does it work in an AGP motherboard?
Yes—provided the motherboard has an AGP slot and the card is the AGP version. A PCI Express X1950 Pro is not interchangeable with it. Check the motherboard’s manual or inspect the slot before buying; the product name alone is not enough to identify the interface.
Power connector: what to check
Do not assume every used Sapphire AGP card comes with the same power cable. A historical retail report describes adapter arrangements involving 4-pin connectors and combinations terminating in a 6-pin connector. Inspect the exact card and included lead in the seller’s photos, and confirm that your power supply has the required connection or a suitable adapter. Impress Watch’s December 2006 retail report documents the variation.
Display connections: DVI, VGA and TV output
The card has two DVI-I outputs plus TV output. DVI-I can carry a digital display signal and, with the appropriate DVI-to-VGA adapter, an analog VGA signal. Confirm that the adapter is included or obtain a compatible one if you need to connect a VGA monitor.
ATI’s user guide documents S-video, composite and component TV connections through the supplied cables or adapters. Those analog TV connections are therefore dependent on having the appropriate lead; the port and accessories shown in a used listing may not include everything needed for a particular display. ATI’s user guide and support documentation describe the supported connection options.
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Rank #3
- 256 MB GDDR3 256-bit graphics card with dual DVI and Vivo, 575 MHz Core Clock speed, and 1.38 GHz memory speed
- Support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0 and OpenGL, and Shader Model 3.0 programmable vertex and pixel shaders in hardware
- Dual digital display connections capable of powering a combination of digital flat panel or analog displays simultaneously
- Comes with everything you need for installation and setup, as well as Composite and S-Video cables, HDTV out cable, and two DVI-to-VGA adapters
- Requires Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 FX CPU's running 2.4 GHz or higher, Microsoft Windows XP, XP 64, or Media Center Edition 2005
256MB vs. 512MB: identify the exact card
Sapphire sold both 256MB and 512MB AGP versions, so verify the memory capacity rather than relying on a listing title or a generic X1950 Pro description. The 512MB version’s documented retail specification is GDDR3 at 1,400MHz effective; the cited materials do not establish a complete side-by-side performance comparison between the two Sapphire AGP variants.
Drivers and system requirements
ATI’s guide lists Windows 2000, Windows XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Professional x64 and Vista-ready support. It gives 512MB of system memory as a minimum and recommends 1GB or more for best performance. These are historical requirements from ATI’s guide, not a claim of current operating-system support. See ATI’s support guide for the original platform details.
Rank #4
- Blistering 3D graphics with full screen anti-aliasing, high dynamic range lighting, and stunning shader performance
- Windows Vista compatible
- Watch stunning, high-definition video on your PC
- Cool running technology ensures whisper-quiet operation
- Displays in excess of a billion more colors than competing graphics cards
Overclocking evidence
In one 2007 test of a Sapphire 512MB AGP sample, the reported stable limits were 594MHz for the GPU and 722.25MHz for memory, equivalent to 1,444.5MHz effective. Relative to that sample’s stock clocks, those results amount to only about 2–3% headroom. They describe one tested card, not a guaranteed result for other surviving examples. Radeon.Ru’s 2007 test reports the sample’s limits.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 512MB DDR2 memory
- DirectX 10.1
- Multi-monitor productivity
- AGP 2.0 8x support
- 3 year limited Warranty
Used-card checklist
- Confirm the card is the AGP version and that your motherboard has an AGP slot.
- Verify whether it is the 256MB or 512MB model.
- Check the auxiliary power connector on the card and the included cable or adapter against your power supply.
- Confirm you have the right DVI-to-VGA or TV-output adapter for your display setup.
- Ask about physical condition and whether the card has been tested; historical specifications do not establish the condition of an individual used card.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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