NVIDIA Graphics Board Doubles Performance of Visual Computing

By DE Editors

Featuring new unified architecture, the Quadro FX 3700 professional graphics board from NVIDIA (Santa Clara, CA) allocates geometry, shading, pixel processing, and compute power to optimize GPU performance. NVIDIA says that its new Quadro FX 3700 can improve productivity up to 2X for CAD and digital content creation (DCC).

For example, as the reference standard for Shader Model 4.0, the Quadro FX 3700 enables next-generation, realistic, real-time OpenGL and DirectX 10 visualization applications while offering Energy Star power savings. Plus, with two dual-link DVI connectors, the Quadro FX 3700 delivers image quality at resolutions up to 2560 x 1600 @ 60Hz.

Among the features available — in NVIDIA’s word — exclusively on the Quadro FX 3700 is NVIDIA CUDA technology. CUDA enables application developers to use parallel computation power for GPU computing. Using CUDA, a C-language development environment and tool suite, developers gain new ways to solve complex visualization challenges such as real-time ray-tracing and interactive volume rendering in less time, according to NVIDIA. The Quadro FX 3700 also offers NVIDIA SLI technology, which dynamically scales graphics performance, enhances image quality, and expands available display real estate.

The Quadro FX 3700 graphics board offers high throughput for interactive visualization. It is PCI Express 2.0 compliant, which is said to double the data transfer rate up to 5 giga transfers (GT) per lane for an aggregate bandwidth of 16GBps bidirectional (8GBps in each direction). With 112 parallel processors, 512MB of onboard graphics memory, and a 256-bit memory interface, the board can manage large models and complex, real-time shaders commonly used in the CAD and DCC worlds. Also, being Energy Star 4.0 compliant, the Quadro FX 3700 graphics board consumes less than 80 watts of power for improved energy management.

To streamline the user experience, the Quadro FX 3700 graphics board incorporates the NVIDIA Application Configuration Engine (ACE), which automatically configures the graphics hardware and software to deliver maximum application performance, says the company.

In a testimonial provided by NVIDIA, Christophe Delattre, R&D Manager, Visualization at Dassault Systemes (DS), acknowledged the value of the Quadro 3700 by saying that DS’s “PLM solutions customers have always demanded the optimal combination of large-model performance and feature set from their graphic solutions. Now with the tight integration of GPU-based vertex scaling and CgFX-based realistic material shaders within CATIA, the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 comes at the ideal time and with the ideal combination of performance and features.”

The NVIDIA Unified Architecture, which was introduced last year, enables shaders to simulate a range of physical characteristics, such as lighting effects (dispersion, reflection, refraction, BRDF models) and physical surface properties (casting effects, porosity, molded surfaces). Real-time shaders further allow these effects to be combined and modified interactively, something that cannot be done with 2D static texture maps.

“The NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 graphics board is proof positive that NVIDIA continues to invest heavily in leading-edge solutions for professional users,” said Dan Vivoli, executive vice president of marketing at NVIDIA in a press statement. “It combines rich features with outstanding performance to successfully complete a top-to-bottom series of professional visualization solutions that are unmatched in the industry.”

NVIDIA says the Quadro FX 3700 graphics board has an MSRP of $1599.

Click here for more information from NVIDIA.

Click here for a quick overview of NVIDIA Quadro High-End Products.

Click here for more information about the lineup of NVIDIA professional solutions.

For a look at the datasheet on the 3700, click here for the pdf.

Click here for general Quadro FX product literature.

Click here to contact PNY.

Click here for NVIDIA’s information on Windows Vista PC Solutions.

For a Product Comparison Chart (ranging from entry level to ultra high-end, not yet including the 3700, click here.

For a listing of High-End Features & Benefits, click here.