NVIDIA Introduces Quadro-Class Graphics Processing Units

By DE Editors

The NVIDIA Quadro 5000 graphics solution.

NVIDIA has introduced the Quadro graphics processing units (GPUs) based on its Fermi architecture,  and is also introducing the new NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro solution.

According to the company, the new Quadro GPUs deliver performance that is up to five times faster for 3D applications and up to eight times faster for computational simulation. Those numbers are based on Ensight sub-tests within Viewperf 11 and Linpack performance comparison between CPU and CPU+GPU with various configurations, according to NVIDIA.

The NVIDIA Quadro Plex 7000 array, and Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 GPUs feature the new NVIDIA Scalable Geometry Engines and leverage NVIDIA Application Acceleration Engines (AXE). Rated at 1.3 billion triangles per second in raw performance (based on GLperf, run by NVIDIA Performance Lab), the Quadro 6000 enables users to interactively work with models and scenes that are five times more complex.

“For over a decade Quadro has been the choice of professionals around the world.  We’ve also built Engines like AXE to enable the creation of next-gen applications,” says Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions Group, NVIDIA.  “When you couple these technologies with our Fermi architecture, the result is a new Quadro family that’s exponentially better than anything the market has ever seen.”

The new Quadro GPU has Error Correction Codes (ECC) memory and IEEE double precision floating point performance. These are intended for applications demanding high accuracy, such as medical imaging, finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics.

“In high-end visual effects development, fast iteration is essential,” says Olivier Maury, research and development engineer,  Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).  “By using NVIDIA Quadro GPUs, we are seeing up to eight iterations each day of complex fire, dust and air simulations, representing speed improvements of ten to 15 times. NVIDIA CUDA and Quadro GPUs have entirely changed the way we solve complex visual effects challenges.”

The new Quadro GPUs are built on industry standards,  including OpenGL 4.1, DirectX 11, DirectCompute and OpenCL.  In addition,  Quadro leverages NVIDIA technologies, such as the company’s portfolio of Application Acceleration Engines (AXE) and NVIDIA CUDA parallel processing architecture. 

The new Quadro professional solutions introduced today include:

Scalable Visualization Systems:
Quadro Plex 7000, with 12 GB (total) of memory and 896 CUDA cores

Board and Desktop Workstation Solutions:
Quadro 6000, with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory and 448 CUDA cores
Quadro 5000, with 2.5 GB of GDDR5 memory and 352 CUDA cores
Quadro 4000, with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256 CUDA cores

Mobile Workstations:
Quadro 5000M, mobile workstation GPU with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and 320 CUDA cores

Additionally, all Quadro products are compatible with the new NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro active shutter-glasses solution, also announced today,  for the an immersive stereoscopic 3D experience.

The NVIDIA Quadro 5000M graphics solution will be used in mobile workstations such as the HP EliteBook 8740w.

The Quadro 4000 ($1,199) and Quadro 5000 ($2,249) are available immediately through all channels. The Quadro 6000 ($4,999) and Quadro Plex 7000 ($14,500) will be available this fall. Mobile workstations based on the Quadro 5000M will be available in the third quarter of 2010 from HP and Dell.

HP has already announced that it will offer the new NVIDIA Quadro 5000M on the HP EliteBook 8740w Mobile Workstation. HP describes the HP EliteBook 8740w as its most powerful mobile workstation. This ISV-certified workstation-class mobile system has a 17-in. diagonal display and supports a range of Intel processors as well as up to 16 GB of memory. The 8740w is engineered to meet MIL-STD 810G military-standard tests for vibration, dust, humidity, altitude, and high and low temperatures, and is also free of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Along with the new Quadro GPUs and 3D Vision Pro, NVIDIA announced new releases of its AXE application development toolkits optimized for the Fermi-based GPUs. For more information on all of NVIDIA’s new offerings, visit the company’s website.

Learn about NVIDIA’s Fermi architecture.

Go here for more on AXE.

Click this for details on 3D Vision Pro.

Click here for more details on the HP EliteBook 8740w.

See why DE’s Editor’s selected NVIDIA’s Quadro-Class GPUs as their Pick of the Week.