Learn about the capabilities and features of NVIDIA Quadro cards for professionals
NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards are a special group of cards that are designed to suit the needs of professionals in the fields of engineering design, video editing, and applications that require high performance and high accuracy during use. They are distinguished from other cards and gaming cards by several features that we will mention to you in this article.
What makes NVIDIA Quadro different from gaming cards?
NVIDIA Quadro cards feature very high color accuracy, making them ideal for use in graphics, for example. They also feature fast processing of complex graphic information and a large memory size that enables the user to run several applications at the same time as well as process a large amount of data without a clear impact on the device's performance.
It also works well with several heavy-duty programs, such as AutoCAD, for example, which highlights it and its ability to work for long periods without stopping or sudden failure during use, whether in the field of engineering design, video editing, or even widespread virtual reality experiences.
How do you use the right graphics card for your needs?
First, you should determine the amount you want to spend on the graphics card that you will buy, and then move on to the uses that you will focus on between games, photography, design, or normal daily tasks. In this case, you will not need a very powerful graphics card to be able to use your device as long as you do not need to run any heavy programs or complex operations.
You will also need to check your device's screen resolution and refresh rate so you can choose a graphics card that supports them, as well as the device's size and cooling capabilities, which are factors to consider before settling on the type you will purchase.
Finally, make sure that the graphics card is compatible with your device's operating system, and you can rely on comparison to settle on a specific card through several sites such as TechPowerUp .
Types of NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards:
1- Quadro cards
In 2000, the company launched its first series of NVIDIA Quadro cards, which relied on manufacturing technologies ranging from 220 nanometers to 150 nanometers, and used several types of graphics cores. It represented a turning point in the world of professional graphics, as it provided strong performance and advanced features and was used in many programs and applications and in several fields such as video editing.
2- Quadro FX cards
In 2003, the company launched a new series of NVIDIA Quadro cards, which came with significant improvements compared to the previous type of cards in terms of performance and efficiency. The manufacturing accuracy ranged between 150 nanometers and 130 nanometers, which contributed to significantly improving the performance of the graphics processor. A variety of graphics cores were also used, and each core was designed to meet the needs of specific applications, starting from NV34GL to NV40GL.
It was the first series to use DDR2 and GDDR3 memory, which has higher data transfer speeds than those used in the previous generation, and the cards were equipped with an AGP 8X interface, which was the fastest at the time.
3- Quadro FX x300 cards
In 2004, NVIDIA Quadro launched the Quadro FX x300 series but it didn't offer a significant performance improvement over its predecessor as it continued to rely on 150nm and 130nm manufacturing processes, and used DDR memory, the same technology used in some previous generation cards, making it clear that there was no difference between it and the type that preceded it.
The series used two improved cores, the NV41 and NV37GL, but these improvements were weak and did not significantly affect the overall performance of the cards. However, it was the first series to use the PCI Express x16 interface, which is a much faster interface than the AGP interface. However, the launch of only two types of cards made many avoid this card because it does not offer a noticeable improvement in performance.
4- Quadro FX x400 cards
In 2004, the NVIDIA Quadro FX x400 series was launched, which represented an important step in the evolution of Quadro cards. NVIDIA relied on 90nm and 130nm manufacturing processes in this series, which contributed to improving the performance of the graphics processor and its energy efficiency. It also used GDDR3 memory, which has much higher data transfer speeds than DDR memory. The series used two improved cores, the NV41 and NV45GL, while continuing to adopt the PCI Express x16 interface to ensure high bandwidth between the card and the processor.
NVIDIA launched four cards in this series: the Quadro FX 540 as an entry-level card for basic tasks, the Quadro FX 1400 as a mid-range card with balanced performance, the Quadro FX 3400 as a high-performance card for tasks that require intensive graphics processing, and the Quadro FX 3450 as a specialized card supporting advanced video technologies. The series offered a significant improvement in performance compared to its predecessors, and was suitable for a wide range of applications.
5- Quadro FX x500 cards
In 2005, NVIDIA launched the NVIDIA Quadro FX x500 series, which was based on 90nm and 110nm manufacturing accuracy, and used advanced graphics cores such as the G72GL, G71GL, G70, and especially the G71, which was one of the most powerful cores available at the time, and used GDDR3 memory with a capacity of up to 1 GB, while continuing to adopt the PCI Express x16 interface.
The series included about 9 cards, including the Quadro FX 350 for basic tasks, the Quadro FX 550 for balanced performance, the Quadro FX 1500 for intensive tasks, the Quadro FX 4500 for large projects, and the Quadro FX 5500.
6- Quadro FX x600 cards
The Quadro FX x600 series, launched in April 2006, marked a milestone in the world of graphics cards as the series included four main types: Quadro FX 560 as a basic type that offers good performance for a wide range of applications, Quadro FX 4600 that provides higher performance for tasks such as 3D graphics design, Quadro FX 4600SDI that offers additional features to support high-resolution video applications, and Quadro FX 5600 as a higher-end type with more performance and memory suitable for advanced tasks such as scientific imaging.
The series featured two graphics cores, the G73GL and the G80, with the G80 being completely new and offering significant improvements. The series was also the first to support a 384-bit memory interface, which increased memory bandwidth and improved performance, with some models reaching up to 1.5GB of memory capacity. All cards in the series were manufactured using the 90nm manufacturing process.
7- Quadro FX x700 cards
NVIDIA Quadro produced this series in September 2007, and it offered a wide range of features, as it used advanced graphics cores such as the G84, G86, G84GL, and G92, and it used a 256-bit memory interface, which is less wide than 384-bit but sufficient for most applications, and it was manufactured using 80nm and 65nm technologies.
It used various memory types including DDR, DDR2, and GDDR3, and also included the first dual-core Quadro card, the Quadro FX 4700X2, which had two G92 cores and up to 2GB of memory but had a high power consumption of up to 225W, and included multiple types such as the Quadro FX 370, Quadro FX 570, Quadro FX 1700, Quadro FX 4700X2, and Quadro VX 200.
8- Quadro FX x800 cards
The NVIDIA Quadro FX x800 cards were launched in November 2008, and were based on a new architecture that included powerful graphics cores such as the GT200GL and GT218GL, as well as updated cores such as the G100GL and G96, which resulted in a significant improvement in performance, and this series was also the first to support a 512-bit memory interface.
The cards in this series were manufactured using advanced manufacturing techniques ranging from 40 to 65 nanometers, which contributed to reducing the card size and power consumption. The memory capacity ranged from 512 MB to 4 GB, and included multiple types such as Quadro FX 380, Quadro FX 580, Quadro FX 1800, Quadro FX 3800, and Quadro FX 5800.
9- Quadro x000 cards
This series was launched in November 2010, and was based on the Fermi architecture, which included powerful graphics cores such as the GF108GL, GF106GL, GF100, and GF110. The cards also used 40nm manufacturing technology, which contributed to reducing the card size and power consumption. The memory capacity ranged between 2.5 and 6 GB. The most prominent model in this series was the Quadro 7000, which used the most powerful core of the Fermi architecture (GF110), making it the ideal choice for tasks that require the highest levels of performance. This series included several models such as the Quadro 400, Quadro 600, Quadro 4000, Quadro 6000, and Quadro 7000.
10- Quadro Kxxx cards
This series of NVIDIA Quadro was launched in August 2012, and it made a qualitative leap in professional graphics thanks to its reliance on the advanced Kepler architecture, which used powerful graphics cores such as the GK107 and GK110, which improved performance. The cards were manufactured using 28nm technology, which reduced their size and power consumption, and the memory capacity ranged between 1GB and 12GB.
This line of NVIDIA Quadro cards included multiple models such as the Quadro 410, Quadro K600, Quadro K4000, Quadro K5000, and Quadro K6000, with the Quadro K6000 being the most notable due to its GK110 core and support for the PCIe 3.0 x16 interface. The cards in the series were used in a variety of applications, including 3D graphics design, engineering simulation, scientific imaging, and visual design, as well as artificial intelligence as well.
11- Quadro Mxxx Cards
NVIDIA Quadro launched this Quadro M6000 card, which was the most powerful in the world of professional graphics cards at the time. The card was based on the GM200 core of the Maxwell architecture, like the one found in the GeForce GTX TITAN X card. The card also featured 3072 CUDA cores, 12 GB of GDDR5 memory and a 384-bit interface. The card supported running up to 4 displays at 4K resolution. However, its performance in dual-resolution computing applications was less than expected, which made it difficult for some users to fully benefit from it.
From the above, you have learned about all the NVIDIA Quadro cards and the applications that were compatible with the capabilities they provided for use from 2000 to 2015.