PNY NVIDIA Quadro 4000 (VCQ4000-PB) 2GB Graphics Board: specs explained

The NVIDIA Quadro 4000 by PNY (part VCQ4000-PB) is a professional graphics board from the Fermi generation. It has 2GB of GDDR5 memory and was made for design, animation and video applications. It is an older product, so it mainly matters to people who maintain or repair workstations of that era.

Professional graphics, not gaming

Quadro boards were NVIDIA's workstation line. They are typically validated against professional software such as CAD and 3D modelling programs, and they come with drivers tuned for stability in those applications. PNY says the board supports DirectX 11.0, OpenGL 4.1 and Shader Model 5.0, along with CUDA and OpenCL for general-purpose computing on the GPU.

GPU and memory

NVIDIA's overview lists 256 CUDA parallel processing cores and 2GB of GDDR5 memory, with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The memory interface is given as 256-bit in the product details and as 384-bit in the short feature list, so confirm the figure with PNY if it matters for your use. The board also lists high-performance double-precision floating point, which matters for engineering simulation and scientific work where accuracy of results is important.

Fermi architecture features

The manufacturer's text describes several Fermi-era features. A Scalable Geometry Engine is meant to improve geometry performance in CAD and content-creation tools. The GigaThread engine speeds context switching and kernel scheduling, and dual copy engines move data between the GPU and the host at the same time as computation. They are NVIDIA's claims for the architecture, and software of that period was needed to use them.

Connectors and displays

The board has two DisplayPort 1.2 connectors and one dual-link DVI connector, plus a stereo connector for 3D Vision Pro support. NVIDIA lists two displays supported at once, and the board can drive digital flat panels, projectors and HDTVs. A DisplayPort output needs a matching cable or adapter for monitors with other inputs.

Size, slot and power

It is a single-slot board, 9.5 inches long, and uses PCI Express 2.0 x16. Cooling is active, meaning it has a fan. Maximum power consumption is listed at 142W, and NVIDIA says it is Energy Star compliant. Check your power supply for the right connector and capacity before fitting it. PNY lists a 3-year warranty and says the package includes adapters, cables, brackets, a driver CD and documentation.

Who it suits

It suits owners of older workstations that need a like-for-like replacement, and people running software certified for that generation. Current games and recent software may not support a board this age, so check the software requirements first.

What to check before you buy

• Slot and power: confirm a free PCIe x16 slot, space for the card, and a suitable power connection.
• Drivers: check that your operating system still has a compatible driver.
• Monitors: match your displays to the DisplayPort and DVI outputs.
• Software needs: confirm the programs you use support this GPU.
• Memory width: verify the interface figure with PNY, since the listing varies.

The short version

• PNY NVIDIA Quadro 4000, part VCQ4000-PB, a professional board on the Fermi architecture.
• 2GB GDDR5, 256 CUDA cores, 142W maximum power.
• PCIe 2.0 x16, single slot, active cooling.
• Two DisplayPort and one dual-link DVI connector.
• 3-year warranty as stated by PNY.

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