Updated at: 15-05-2023 - By: Leo Hall
How much better are the more expensive Nvidia Quadro cards than their GeForce counterparts in terms of gaming performance? Everything you need to know is included in this manual.

Answer:

For gamers, Nvidia Quadro graphics cards are a terrible investment. An Nvidia Quadro graphics card is a waste of money unless you plan to use it primarily for professional software.

You’re perusing a hardware catalog in search of a new graphics processing unit (GPU) when you come across the “Nvidia Quadro” line of cards.

Why is this line completely different from the standard GeForce video cards that everyone is familiar with? What’s the difference between them? To whom do these cater?

Read on to learn everything there is to know about Nvidia Quadro and find the answers to all of these frequently asked questions.

What Is Nvidia Quadro?

As was previously mentioned, “Quadro” is the brand name for a line of Nvidia graphics processing units that sits apart from the more popular GeForce series. Quadro cards, in contrast to GeForce cards, are designed for use in professional environments rather than gaming PCs.

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Since the Quadro cards are based on the same architecture as the GeForce models, there isn’t much of a functional difference between them and their gaming-oriented counterparts. The firmware optimization and some features that aren’t available in both series are, however, where the series diverge significantly.

The main difference between Quadro and GeForce cards is that the former prioritizes accuracy over raw processing power. Their rendering precision is largely irrelevant for gamers, but crucial for professionals, making them ideal for workstations.

GeForce graphics cards, on the other hand, value speed over accuracy. Consequently, they are typically capable of producing more frames per second, but they lack the precision provided by a Quadro.

Quadro Pros

Quadro cards are optimized for specialized rendering applications like CAD design and professional video rendering. To give just one example, Quadro is far superior to Geforce when it comes to the wire frame, double sided polygon rendering used by many CAD programs like AutoCAD.

There are powerful Geforce options, such as the RTX 3080 Ti, but a Quadro is unrivaled when it comes to extreme performance. The Quadro RTX A6000, for instance, has an incredible 48 GB of GDDR6X VRAM and 10752 CUDA cores, which together provide 38 TFlops of power. Not even the most powerful Geforce graphics card can compete. There is a price to pay for that kind of might, but if money is no object, Quadro is your man. Furthermore, the maximum performance ceiling is raised because it is simpler to connect Quadro cards via NVLink for scalable performance and vRAM pooling.

When compared to the Geforce equivalent, Quadro excels at double-precision computations, such as those used in scientific and arithmetic calculations. This is an unusual application, but if you find yourself in need of it, you’ll recognize its significance.

Warranty/Sustenability Quadro cards, like Xeon processors, are built to withstand heavy workloads and last longer than their consumer-focused Geforce counterparts. Therefore, Quadro cards typically have a more extensive and reliable warranty.

Excellent for: Professional-quality video production, CAD rendering, scientific and data calculations, and 3D modeling

Which, then, is the superior option?

In the end, the answer to this question is highly context dependent. Geforce is the graphics card I almost always suggest for budgets between $550 and $1000. But if you need the best rendering performance for CAD and video, Quadro is probably your best bet.

Not convinced yet? Call us at 804-419-0900 if you need assistance configuring a PC with the appropriate GPU for your needs, or get started right away.

Is Nvidia Quadro Good For Gaming?

So, to answer the question posed in the heading: can a Quadro GPU be used for gaming?

As for whether you can put it to use, the question is less important than whether you should.

It’s correct that professional software and gaming can benefit from the superior performance of Quadro and GeForce cards, respectively. However, the primary issue here is the high cost and low return on investment offered by Quadro graphics cards for gamers.

To be more specific, Quadro cards tend to cost a lot more than their GeForce equivalents. The Quadro RTX 5000, which costs $2,000, can compete with the GeForce RTX 2080 Super, which costs $700 in terms of in-game performance. Obviously, it wouldn’t be wise to invest in a Quadro if you’re only going to use it for gaming.

Although not all Quadro cards are exorbitantly priced, the cheaper models that are priced similarly to low- and mid-range GeForce models deliver significantly lower in-game performance.

Any game that a GeForce GPU can run will run on a Quadro GPU, but the exact performance will depend on the model. This makes the Quadro GPU the obvious choice for a PC that is a workstation first and a gaming PC second.

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Low Profile Nvidia Quadro Graphic Cards

Now that you know what low-profile graphics cards can do, let’s take a look at a few of them so you can make an informed decision. View our recommended items.

1. NVIDIA Quadro K1200 – 4GB GDDR5 Low Profile Workstation Graphics Card

It’s one of the oldest Nvidia graphics cards that you can buy right now. Produced using a 28 nm manufacturing process, it first appeared in 2015.

Among its many useful features are those listed below.

  • DirectX 12.0 compatible
  • It guarantees functionality with 3D displays.
  • DisplayPort 1.2 allows for True 4K resolutions such as 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz to be displayed.
  • You can use a graphics processing unit with up to 4 GB GDDR5 of memory.
  • There is a 3-year guarantee on the product.

2. NVIDIA Quadro K420 Graphics Card

For offloading graphics processing from the GPU, this is a great option for high-end 3D applications. One gigabyte of DDR3 RAM is at your disposal for use as a frame buffer. If you’re working with a limited amount of room, this is one of the best options available thanks to its single slot and low profile functionality.

Some notable characteristics are:

  • There is support for ultra-high resolutions like 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz with 30-bit color in DisplayPort 1.2.
  • The manufacturing sector, the media and entertainment sector, the scientific sector, and the energy sector are all supported by the low profile graphics card.
  • Bandwidth of memory: 29GB/s
  • You’ll get three years of protection with your purchase.

3. PNY NVIDIA Quadro 600 Low Profile Graphics Card

The low-profile Quadro 600 is one of the best options in terms of performance per watt, and it was designed with professionals in mind. You have access to cutting-edge virtualization options thanks to the NVIDIA® Fermi architecture.

Some of the features that would make it a top choice are as follows:

  • It works wonderfully with accelerated software like 3ds Max, AutoCAD, and SolidWorks.
  • High-quality stereoscopic 3D environments are supported by the included 3D VisionTM Pro.
  • You can use up to 1 GB of available memory for your videos.
  • The VGA, DVI, and DisplayPort output standards are all guaranteed.

4. PNY NVIDIA Quadro P1000 Professional Graphics Card

This is powered by Nvidia’s Pascal Architecture. With a single cable, it can transmit 5K resolutions, making it ideal for visual computing needs. With Quadro P1000, you can count on top-notch efficiency even when rendering complex scenes.

In what ways did we find the graphics card to be superior? Our decision was based on the following factors:

  • Support for all major 3D APIs, including OpenGL, DirectX, Vulkan, and NVIDIA CUDA.
  • Features compatibility with DisplayPort 1.4 and guarantees a 5120 x 2880 (5K) resolution at 60 frames per second.
  • Common video encoding and decoding programs can be used to make and play your HDR videos.
  • 4 GB of memory for the graphics card

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5. PNY NVIDIA Quadro P400 Professional Graphic card

Another graphics card from Nvidia built on the Pascal architecture, similar to the last one we looked at. When compared to the Quadro K420, it provides visualization performance that is twice as fast.

As to why it made it onto our list of the best low profile graphics cards, read on! This is why we think so –

  • Newer versions of OpenGL, DirectX, Vulkan, and NVIDIA CUDA can all be used with this graphics card.
  • You can choose from three different DisplayPort outputs.
  • Superior data transfer rates compared to older video card models.
  • Memory of 2 GB DDR5 is provided.
  • Memory speed is reported to be 2000 MHz.

Conclusion

And that’s basically the whole thing. Therefore, a gaming graphics card is always the better solution if all you need is a graphics card for gaming and you have no plans to use demanding software like CAD.