CUDA is a technique Nvidia created to allow software developers to access the computational power of its GPU.
Fermi is Nvidia's attempt to produce a graphics-processing unit (GPU) that's as powerful - if not a little more so in some areas - than Intel's big-time multicore CPUs.įermi GPUs contain hundreds of CUDA cores.
The Quadro cards are based on the new Fermi platform ( download PDF). They're the tools used to develop games, graphics programs, massive applications and simulations in an OpenGL environment. These graphics cards are not meant to be used in the average PC they're professional products that are designed for use in high-end multi-CPU workstations. The Quadro 6000 ($4,999), which is replacing the Quadro FX 5800, and the QuadroPlex 7000 ($14,500) will be available this fall.įor this review, I tested the Quadro 5000. Nvidia introduced four new versions of its upscale Quadro graphics card on July 27th: The Quadro 4000 ($1,199), successor to the Quadro FX 3800, and the Quadro 5000 ($2,249), which succeeds the Quadro FX 4800, are currently available. Instead, it's continuing to expand into the professional graphics arena. Nvidia, which is well known for its consumer-focused video cards, isn't relying solely on that market to keep going in this perilous economy.