NVIDIA launches new Fermi-based Quadros

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NVIDIA used SIGGRAPH 2010 to unveil the newest versions of its high-end workstation Quadro line. As expected, the line-up is based on Fermi, the company's next-generation graphics architecture, and is available in mobile as well as various internal options for workstations or Quadro Plex systems.

The full roster announced Tuesday includes:

Mobile

• Quadro 5000M
  • 2GB memory
  • 76.8GBps bandwidth
  • 320 CUDA cores

Workstation cards

• Quadro 4000
  • 2GB memory
  • 89.6GBps bandwidth
  • 256 CUDA cores

  [*]Quadro 5000

  • 2.5GB memory
  • 120GBps bandwidth
  • 352 CUDA cores
• Quadro 6000
  • 6GB memory
  • 120GBps bandwidth
  • 448 CUDA cores

All the workstation cards feature one dual-link DVI and two DisplayPort outputs.At the über-high end is the new Quadro Plex 7000, with 4 dual-link DVI outs, 896 CUDA cores, 12GB of memory, 144GBps bandwidth and a max FSAA of 128x while driving clusters of synced displays.

Aside from the standard Quadro features, the Fermi-based Quadros have some significant differences from the previous generation. There's now full OpenGL 4.0 and DirectX 11 support. The cards also support Shader model 5.0 and sport high-performance, double-precision ECC memory.

The last two features are mostly for increased accuracy and fault-proofing of GPU-based simulations. While 3D applications are demanding less Quadro-specific support, the rise of GPU-based renderers and increased use of GPUs in science should make the added memory and lower power requirements of the Quadros appealing to a lot of potential users.

We're still waiting to learn about specific cards and price tags from PNY, NVIDIA's main Quadro manufacturer. Also notably missing from the list is a Mac-compatible Fermi card and, with the new Mac Pros announced Tuesday, it doesn't look like we'll see a GeForce option anytime soon. We'll be speaking with NVIDIA tomorrow, so we'll see if we can dig up some additional details on pricing, shipping, and Mac OS X compatibility.

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