PNY NVIDIA Quadro K4200 Graphics Card (VCQK4200-PB): specs and fit

The PNY NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (part number VCQK4200-PB) is a professional workstation graphics card with 4GB of GDDR5 memory. Quadro was NVIDIA's line for professional applications such as CAD, 3D modelling and visualisation, as opposed to gaming. It is an older design, so it mainly suits people maintaining or upgrading an existing workstation of the same generation.

What the card is for

NVIDIA describes the K4200 as delivering strong 3D application performance in a flexible, single-slot form factor. Professional cards typically come with drivers certified for engineering and design software, aimed at stability rather than top frame rates. The 4GB of fast GDDR5 memory is described as suited to creating and rendering large, complex models. It also has dual copy engines, which let data move within GPU memory while the card is doing other work.

Interface and fit

The card uses a PCI Express 2.0 x16 interface. PCIe is generally backward and forward compatible, so it should work in newer x16 slots, though it runs at the speed of the older standard. Because it is a single-slot card, it leaves the neighbouring slot free. The listing gives dimensions of 13.0 x 8.1 x 2.8 inches, which is the package size. Check the card's length and the power connection requirements in PNY's specifications against your case and power supply.

Displays and outputs

The card has one DisplayPort 1.2, one DVI-I dual-link and one DVI-D dual-link output. The listing says it supports any combination of three directly connected displays, and the description says the display engine can drive up to four displays with DisplayPort support. Listed maximums are:

• DisplayPort 1.2: up to 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz, or 2560 x 1600 at 120Hz.
• DVI-I and DVI-D dual-link: up to 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz, or 1920 x 1200 at 120Hz.

If your monitors use HDMI or USB-C, you would typically need adapters, so check what your displays accept.

30-bit colour

The card supports 30-bit colour, meaning 10 bits for each of the red, green and blue channels. That allows more than a billion colours rather than around 16 million, and smoother gradients, but only if the application, the card and the monitor all support 10-bit output.

Multi-display and broadcast features

NVIDIA lists several technologies for large installations: Mosaic, nView multi-display management, NVIDIA Sync for frame-locking displays together, and Warp/Blend for visualisation walls. The card is also described as compatible with Quadro Sync and with NVIDIA's SDI input and output boards for broadcast and digital cinema workflows. Those workflows need extra hardware, which is sold separately.

Who it suits

It suits owners of workstations that call for a Quadro-class card of this generation, people who need professional multi-display features, and those replacing an existing K4200. It is not designed for modern gaming.

What to check before you buy

• Slot and space: confirm a free PCIe x16 slot and enough room in the case.
• Power: check the card's power connector needs against your power supply.
• Drivers: check NVIDIA's driver support for your operating system, since this is an older product.
• Software: check that your applications support this GPU.
• Monitors: match the DisplayPort and DVI outputs to your screens, and plan for adapters if needed.

The short version

• A single-slot professional graphics card with the Quadro K4200 GPU and 4GB GDDR5.
• PCI Express 2.0 x16 interface.
• DisplayPort 1.2 plus two dual-link DVI outputs; three displays in any combination.
• 30-bit colour, Mosaic and Sync support for multi-display setups.

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