RaverX wrote on 2025-06-02, 18:49:

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-01, 17:01:

I found a 512mb pc133 sdram unit and an ati rage 128 pro ultra (so that would be a 16mb version of the Pro) on the flea market today. Nice upgrade from the 384mb and rage 128 non-pro that I used to run in my W98 machine.

No, Rage 128 Ultra is to Rage 128 Pro the same that TNT2 M64 is to TNT2 Pro. It's the same GPU, but linked to 64 bit memory. Rage 128 (non pro) should be faster in most games than Rage 128 Ultra.

I'm confused now 😀.

My old card said "rage 128" on the card.

My new card says "rage 128 pro" on the card. Dxdiag says it's 16mb.

Which of the two is the better card?

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-03, 21:34:

I'm confused now :). […]
Show full quote

RaverX wrote on 2025-06-02, 18:49:

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-01, 17:01:

I found a 512mb pc133 sdram unit and an ati rage 128 pro ultra (so that would be a 16mb version of the Pro) on the flea market today. Nice upgrade from the 384mb and rage 128 non-pro that I used to run in my W98 machine.

No, Rage 128 Ultra is to Rage 128 Pro the same that TNT2 M64 is to TNT2 Pro. It's the same GPU, but linked to 64 bit memory. Rage 128 (non pro) should be faster in most games than Rage 128 Ultra.

I'm confused now 😀.

My old card said "rage 128" on the card.

My new card says "rage 128 pro" on the card. Dxdiag says it's 16mb.

Which of the two is the better card?

Rage 128 Pro has a 128bit memory bus, the 128 Ultra and Pro Ultra have a 64 bit bus.

The 128 Pro if its a legit Pro would be the better of the two, load up GPUz and check the memory bus .. if its 128bit then you are golden if its 64bit then throw it in the trash.

And don't worry about being confused .. you are not the only one and ATI were on hardcore drugs when they segmented the Rage 4 line of cards ...bunch of dumbasses

Wow! Snatched those right away. How random is that?!

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-03, 21:34:

I'm confused now :). […]
Show full quote

RaverX wrote on 2025-06-02, 18:49:

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-01, 17:01:

I found a 512mb pc133 sdram unit and an ati rage 128 pro ultra (so that would be a 16mb version of the Pro) on the flea market today. Nice upgrade from the 384mb and rage 128 non-pro that I used to run in my W98 machine.

No, Rage 128 Ultra is to Rage 128 Pro the same that TNT2 M64 is to TNT2 Pro. It's the same GPU, but linked to 64 bit memory. Rage 128 (non pro) should be faster in most games than Rage 128 Ultra.

I'm confused now 😀.

My old card said "rage 128" on the card.

My new card says "rage 128 pro" on the card. Dxdiag says it's 16mb.

Which of the two is the better card?

Upload a picture of the card here, the new Pro/Ultra card. Or even two pics, front/back. If you can't, you can guess - if the card is "low profile" (half the height of a normal card), it's probably (99%) a Rage 128 Ultra with 64 bit memory (bad), if it's full height, it's probably a Rage 128 Pro(good).

You could also use gpu-z, I guess, I don't know what OS you have and how well the latest gpu-z works on older systems.

See there the memory bus, and other details.

Trashbytes wrote on 2025-06-03, 22:20:

Rage 128 Pro has a 128bit memory bus, the 128 Ultra and Pro Ultra have a 64 bit bus. […]
Show full quote

Nicolas 2000 wrote on 2025-06-03, 21:34:

I'm confused now :). […]
Show full quote

RaverX wrote on 2025-06-02, 18:49:

No, Rage 128 Ultra is to Rage 128 Pro the same that TNT2 M64 is to TNT2 Pro. It's the same GPU, but linked to 64 bit memory. Rage 128 (non pro) should be faster in most games than Rage 128 Ultra.

I'm confused now 😀.

My old card said "rage 128" on the card.

My new card says "rage 128 pro" on the card. Dxdiag says it's 16mb.

Which of the two is the better card?

Rage 128 Pro has a 128bit memory bus, the 128 Ultra and Pro Ultra have a 64 bit bus.

The 128 Pro if its a legit Pro would be the better of the two, load up GPUz and check the memory bus .. if its 128bit then you are golden if its 64bit then throw it in the trash.

And don't worry about being confused .. you are not the only one and ATI were on hardcore drugs when they segmented the Rage 4 line of cards ...bunch of dumbasses

Everest says the current GPU (which gets all kinds of names depending on where you click, but the PCB says "rage 128 pro") is 16MB, 64 bit. So...would that still be better than the regular "Rage 128" 16MB I had before?

Major Jackyl wrote on 2025-06-04, 01:20:

Wow! Snatched those right away. How random is that?!

The attachment 20250603_201534.jpg is no longer available

I've spent so much time visiting goodwills hoping and dreaming for something like this and never ever having any luck, thinking it just isn't possible, theres no way anyone will ever find hardware in a goodwill....thanks for sharing! It is possible!!!! Thanks for giving me hope! 😆🤣

I can't take pictures as it's mounted in a crowded PC.

It has the low profile form factor like the Rage 128 Ultra, but mine says "Rage 128 PRO" on the back PCB print. I can't find an example of one just like that on the internet.

-double post-

I can't take pictures as the GPU is mounted in a crowded PC.

It has the low profile form factor with only a VGA output.

It is exactly this card, I compared the numbers (and also with only half the RAM installed):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/131143290354
(never mind that price! I paid close to nothing)

My previous regular Rage 128 was something similar to this one:
https://ram-co-shop.de/AGP-Grafikkarte-ATI-3D … -N-109-51900-31

So all I know is that is officially called a Rage 128 Pro, everest says it's 64bit 16MB, and the PC on various locations calls it a fury something, pro something, anything goes.

What I'd like to know is, what card is it, but more importantly: is it better than the 16MB "Rage 128" that I used before it?

That's a Rage 128 "Ultra". Again, think of it as a value, budget version, cheaper, but slower. Exactly like a TNT2 M64. It was a card good for office PCs, not for gaming. Replacing a Rage 128 with a Rage 128 Ultra is not recommended. Some games might run slightly faster, but most of them will be slower.

Thanks!

What is the (hi)story behind labeling this one "Pro" on the PCB (it also runs a "R128P" chip where my old one has a "R128" chip) while when they are "Pro Ultra GL"? Because a lot of other Ultra flavours are labeled "Ultra", not "Pro". Ati really were having a go with the branding there...

It is frustrating that it is almost impossible to find a correct spec for any Rage 128 flavour. Thousand models, thousand variants, and a lot of websites state absolute truth when there are more exceptions than rules. My best attempt:

I have tried to find the most precise specs of both my cards.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/rage-12 … -ultra-gl.c2184 (I have the 16MB version PN 109-73100-01)
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/rage-128-gl.c877 (note: I have the 16MB DDRAM -so 64bit- version PN 109-51900-01)

From those specs, the Pro Ultra GL still seems the better card of the two? Faster clock speeds, higher rates, higher memory bandwidth, both 64 bit. It's also AGP 4x versus AGP 2x.

By the way, confusion complete: this vogons post says the internet is wrong: 109-73100-01 should be listed as a 64 bit 16MB Pro (like the back says!), not a Pro Ultra GL.
Re: ATI Rage 128 Pro vs Ultra?

And, more interesting, this vogons post benchmarks both my cards:
Re: ATI Rage 128 Pro vs Ultra?

So, it looks like I'm better of keeping the new (Pro whatever) card in my system.

Bought some junk on local auction site.

IBM model M2 for 20€ + shipping. It doesn't work, but I've repaired one of these before and it wasn't too difficult. Annoying construction to work on, for sure.
Multimedia Pro 16ABO sound card, Yamaha DB50XG midi daughter board and Sound Blaster Live CT4830. I don't really care for that Live, but it was bundle of three items. All for 91,50€ + shipping. I think I got a good deal. Those Yamaha cards on ebay are crazy expensive. And I guess that Aztech card is also pretty decent, with real OPL.

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a super fast single core Athlon 64 should be enough grunt to feed the beast. Going to spend the next few days throwing everything including the kitchen sink at her for some benchmarking fun !

Also found my Sapphire 9800 Pro Ultimate which I haven't fully benched yet since ..uhh I got distracted when I got it and aside from booting to windows and a driver check I put it in a box and promptly forgot about benching it, she isn't quite up to the level of the 6800 Ultra but it'll be fun to benchmark her too. I really like the look of this card, the fact its dead quiet is super nice too but I wonder if the passive cooling will hold it back, really only one way to find out !

Sure is nice when you buy untested GPUs off Evilbay and they work just fine!

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 15:19:

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a supe […]
Show full quote

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a super fast single core Athlon 64 should be enough grunt to feed the beast. Going to spend the next few days throwing everything including the kitchen sink at her for some benchmarking fun !

The attachment 6800 Ultra OC Front.jpg is no longer available

Also found my Sapphire 9800 Pro Ultimate which I haven't fully benched yet since ..uhh I got distracted when I got it and aside from booting to windows and a driver check I put it in a box and promptly forgot about benching it, she isn't quite up to the level of the 6800 Ultra but it'll be fun to benchmark her too. I really like the look of this card, the fact its dead quiet is super nice too but I wonder if the passive cooling will hold it back, really only one way to find out !

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate BAck.png is no longer available

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate.png is no longer available

Sure is nice when you buy untested GPUs off Evilbay and they work just fine!

Nice! It's a pretty rare thing to find either of those in working order these days without having to do some SMD repairs at least.

The passively cooled 9800 Pro is really nice as well. I would make sure it still has at least some airflow from the case fans, but it should perform like any other 9800 Pro if it has the same clocks. These cards don't dynamically adjust clocks based on temperature like modern ones. Also, it probably goes without saying, but I wouldn't try overclocking any Radeon from that time period... whether cooling is passive or active. 😮 😀

Ozzuneoj wrote on Today, 15:32:

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 15:19:

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a supe […]
Show full quote

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a super fast single core Athlon 64 should be enough grunt to feed the beast. Going to spend the next few days throwing everything including the kitchen sink at her for some benchmarking fun !

The attachment 6800 Ultra OC Front.jpg is no longer available

Also found my Sapphire 9800 Pro Ultimate which I haven't fully benched yet since ..uhh I got distracted when I got it and aside from booting to windows and a driver check I put it in a box and promptly forgot about benching it, she isn't quite up to the level of the 6800 Ultra but it'll be fun to benchmark her too. I really like the look of this card, the fact its dead quiet is super nice too but I wonder if the passive cooling will hold it back, really only one way to find out !

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate BAck.png is no longer available

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate.png is no longer available

Sure is nice when you buy untested GPUs off Evilbay and they work just fine!

Nice! It's a pretty rare thing to find either of those in working order these days without having to do some SMD repairs at least.

The passively cooled 9800 Pro is really nice as well. I would make sure it still has at least some airflow from the case fans, but it should perform like any other 9800 Pro if it has the same clocks. These cards don't dynamically adjust clocks based on temperature like modern ones. Also, it probably goes without saying, but I wouldn't try overclocking any Radeon from that time period... whether cooling is passive or active. 😮 😀

Yup no overclocking that card, I'm well versed on the history of the 9700 Pro and 9800 Pro cards and their flaws 😁 . Thankfully Sapphire made the cooler on this card really robust ...its certainly attached well, the only thing I'm not sure of is the age of the paste on the card. Ill monitor the temps when benching and if they climb too high Ill stop and figure out how to go about removing the cooler to repaste it.

The 6800 ultra wont be OCed either, its too hard/expensive to replace that card and having a working AGP version at this point is a gift so itll be looked after !

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 15:44:

Ozzuneoj wrote on Today, 15:32:

Trashbytes wrote on Today, 15:19:

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a supe […]
Show full quote

Well Good News the 6800 Ultra I got works perfectly, not an issue with her. Had to build a test bench rig to test her on, a super fast single core Athlon 64 should be enough grunt to feed the beast. Going to spend the next few days throwing everything including the kitchen sink at her for some benchmarking fun !

The attachment 6800 Ultra OC Front.jpg is no longer available

Also found my Sapphire 9800 Pro Ultimate which I haven't fully benched yet since ..uhh I got distracted when I got it and aside from booting to windows and a driver check I put it in a box and promptly forgot about benching it, she isn't quite up to the level of the 6800 Ultra but it'll be fun to benchmark her too. I really like the look of this card, the fact its dead quiet is super nice too but I wonder if the passive cooling will hold it back, really only one way to find out !

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate BAck.png is no longer available

The attachment 9800 Pro Ultimate.png is no longer available

Sure is nice when you buy untested GPUs off Evilbay and they work just fine!

Nice! It's a pretty rare thing to find either of those in working order these days without having to do some SMD repairs at least.

The passively cooled 9800 Pro is really nice as well. I would make sure it still has at least some airflow from the case fans, but it should perform like any other 9800 Pro if it has the same clocks. These cards don't dynamically adjust clocks based on temperature like modern ones. Also, it probably goes without saying, but I wouldn't try overclocking any Radeon from that time period... whether cooling is passive or active. 😮 😀

Yup no overclocking that card, I'm well versed on the history of the 9700 Pro and 9800 Pro cards and their flaws 😁 . Thankfully Sapphire made the cooler on this card really robust ...its certainly attached well, the only thing I'm not sure of is the age of the paste on the card. Ill monitor the temps when benching and if they climb too high Ill stop and figure out how to go about removing the cooler to repaste it.

The 6800 ultra wont be OCed either, its too hard/expensive to replace that card and having a working AGP version at this point is a gift so itll be looked after !

Glad to hear it. I only mentioned overclocking because you hoped the passive cooler wouldn't hold the card back. I just wanted to be sure you weren't intended to push the clocks up.

And yes, none of these cards should be overclocked these days unless someone is trying to set some kind of weird record or do some big, well organized experiment that they're planning to document. Anytime I see talk of overclocking vintage gear for general use I think "Why not just use something newer? You have 20+ years of options..." . 🤣

Another lot of great stuff this month:

- EPOX EP-KP6-BS + 2x SL37D + 256MB ECC (off eBay)
- AMD Athlon 700MHz Thunderbird Slot A (also eBay, DeOPTIMUS)
- ECS P6S5AT
- Soyo 6VBA133
- ASUS K7V
- Epox EP-BX3
- ENMIC 6BAX+
- Gigabyte BX2000+