NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 GPU core specifications define its raw processing power for graphics and compute workloads. Shading units (also called CUDA cores, stream processors, or execution units depending on manufacturer) handle the parallel calculations required for rendering. TMUs (Texture Mapping Units) process texture data, while ROPs (Render Output Units) handle final pixel output. Higher shader counts generally translate to better GPU benchmark performance, especially in demanding games and 3D applications.
Quadro FX 3500 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the Quadro FX 3500's performance in GPU benchmarks and real-world gaming. The base clock represents the minimum guaranteed frequency, while the boost clock indicates peak performance under optimal thermal conditions. Memory clock speed affects texture loading and frame buffer operations. The Quadro FX 3500 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's Quadro FX 3500 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The Quadro FX 3500's memory capacity determines how well it handles high-resolution textures and multiple displays. Memory bandwidth, measured in GB/s, affects how quickly data moves between the GPU and VRAM. Higher bandwidth improves performance in memory-intensive scenarios like 4K gaming. The memory bus width and type (GDDR6, GDDR6X, HBM) significantly influence overall GPU benchmark scores.
Quadro FX 3500 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 against other graphics cards. FP32 (single-precision) performance, measured in TFLOPS, indicates compute capability for gaming and general GPU workloads. FP64 (double-precision) matters for scientific computing. Pixel and texture fill rates determine how quickly the GPU can render complex scenes. While real-world GPU benchmark results depend on many factors, these specifications help predict relative performance levels.
Curie Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 is built on NVIDIA's Curie architecture, which defines how the GPU processes graphics and compute workloads. The manufacturing process node affects power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and maximum clock speeds. Smaller process nodes pack more transistors into the same die area, enabling higher performance per watt. Understanding the architecture helps predict how the Quadro FX 3500 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 determine PSU requirements and thermal management needs. TDP (Thermal Design Power) indicates the heat output under typical loads, guiding cooler selection. Power connector requirements ensure adequate power delivery for stable operation during demanding GPU benchmarks. The suggested PSU wattage accounts for the entire system, not just the graphics card. Efficient power delivery enables the Quadro FX 3500 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
Quadro FX 3500 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 are critical for case compatibility. Card length, height, and slot width determine whether it fits in your chassis. The PCIe interface version affects bandwidth for communication with the CPU. Display outputs define monitor connectivity options, with modern cards supporting multiple high-resolution displays simultaneously. Verify these specifications against your case and motherboard before purchasing to ensure a proper fit.
NVIDIA API Support
Graphics and compute APIs
API support determines which games and applications can fully utilize the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500. DirectX 12 Ultimate enables advanced features like ray tracing and variable rate shading. Vulkan provides cross-platform graphics capabilities with low-level hardware access. OpenGL remains important for professional applications and older games. CUDA (NVIDIA) and OpenCL enable GPU compute for video editing, 3D rendering, and scientific applications. Higher API versions unlock newer graphical features in GPU benchmarks and games.
Quadro FX 3500 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 is manufactured by NVIDIA as part of their graphics card lineup. Release date and launch pricing provide context for comparing GPU benchmark results with competing products from the same era. Understanding the product lifecycle helps evaluate whether the Quadro FX 3500 by NVIDIA represents good value at current market prices. Predecessor and successor information aids in tracking generational improvements and planning future upgrades.
About NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 is a professional workstation GPU from the Curie architecture generation, built on a 90 nm process at TSMC. It targets a specific segment of the market, positioned between the older Quadro FX Rankine series and the later Quadro FX Tesla generation, and its benchmark percentile of 50 places it exactly at the midpoint of all GPUs tracked in the database.
How It Compares
The Quadro FX 3500 does not have direct nearest rival entries in the database, meaning there are no comparable scores or percentage deltas available for a direct head-to-head numerical comparison. This absence of rival data suggests it occupied a niche position where its closest competitors were either significantly older or newer products that do not overlap in the current benchmark sample.
Without nearest rival metrics, the positional analysis relies on the generation gap: it sits between the Quadro FX Rankine predecessor and the Quadro FX Tesla successor. The Rankine series lacked the unified shader architecture that the FX 3500's Curie design brought, while the Tesla successor would move to a different compute model entirely. The FX 3500's 50th percentile ranking indicates it is neither a top-tier performer nor a bottom-feeder in the overall GPU landscape.
The lack of rival scores also means the FX 3500's relative standing must be inferred from its architecture and feature set rather than measured against specific products. This is a card that was designed for a particular era of professional workloads, and its position in the database reflects that historical role.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The Quadro FX 3500 has no ray tracing cores and no tensor cores — these are hardware features that did not exist in the Curie architecture. Ray tracing acceleration is entirely absent from this GPU, and there is no hardware support for any form of dedicated RT workload acceleration.
The API support reflects the era of its release: DirectX 9.0c (9_3) and OpenGL 2.1.2 (full) with OpenGL 3.x only partial. This means the card is fully compliant with older DirectX 9 applications and legacy OpenGL 2.1 workloads, but it cannot run modern Vulkan applications at all, as Vulkan support is null. The partial OpenGL 3.x support is a warning sign for any professional software that requires the full OpenGL 3 specification.
For professional use, the absence of RT and tensor cores means this card is strictly for traditional rasterization and fixed-function workloads. It has 20 texture mapping units and 16 render output units, which are the traditional building blocks for pixel and texture processing. The pixel rate is 7.200 GPixel/s and the texture rate is 9.000 GTexel/s, which are the raw throughput figures that matter for legacy CAD and DCC applications.
Benchmark Performance
The benchmark data for the Quadro FX 3500 is sparse: the average benchmark score is 0, and there are no entries in the benchmarks array. This makes numerical performance analysis difficult, but the percentile ranking of 50 provides a single meaningful data point.
A 50th percentile ranking means that in the database, half of all GPUs score higher and half score lower. This is a dead-center position, indicating the FX 3500 was a mid-range performer in its day. However, the zero average benchmark score suggests that either no benchmarks were run on this card or the results were not recorded, which is common for end-of-life professional products that are rarely tested in modern suites.
Without benchmark scores, the performance analysis must rely on the architectural specifications. The memory bandwidth of 42.24 GB/s, derived from 256 MB of GDDR3 on a 256-bit bus at 660 MHz (1320 Mbps effective), is a modest figure that would have been adequate for early-2000s professional workloads but is severely limited by today's standards. The 256 MB memory capacity is the most restrictive factor, as it limits texture and geometry complexity in any modern application.
The texture rate of 9.000 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 7.200 GPixel/s are the theoretical maxima, and real-world performance would be lower. Compared to the predecessor Quadro FX Rankine series, the FX 3500's Curie architecture brought improvements in shader efficiency, but the exact percentage improvement over Rankine is not documented in the database.
FAQ
Q: Does the Quadro FX 3500 support ray tracing?
A: No. The card has no ray tracing cores, and the Curie architecture predates any hardware RT acceleration. Ray tracing workloads are not supported.
Q: What is the maximum DirectX version supported?
A: The card supports DirectX 9.0c (9_3). It cannot run DirectX 10, 11, or 12 applications.
Q: Can this GPU handle modern OpenGL applications?
A: OpenGL support is listed as 2.1.2 (full) with 3.x only partial. Full OpenGL 3+ compliance is not guaranteed, so modern OpenGL software may not run correctly.
Q: How much memory does the Quadro FX 3500 have?
A: It has 256 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 42.24 GB/s of bandwidth.
Q: What PCIe interface does this card use?
A: It uses PCIe 1.0 x16, which is the original PCIe specification. This is compatible with later PCIe slots but operates at the slower 1.0 bandwidth.
Q: Is this card still in production?
A: No. The production status is end-of-life, and it was released on 2006-05-21. Its successor is the Quadro FX Tesla series.
Who Should Consider It
The Quadro FX 3500 is a card for a very specific historical context. With a 50th percentile ranking and zero recorded benchmark scores, it is not suitable for any modern gaming or professional workload that requires even moderate performance. The 256 MB memory capacity alone disqualifies it from any current CAD, 3D modeling, or video editing task, as these applications routinely require multiple gigabytes of VRAM.
Resolution and settings recommendations are moot for this card. At any resolution above 1024x768, the 256 MB frame buffer would be exhausted, causing severe performance degradation. For legacy applications that are locked to DirectX 9 and OpenGL 2.1, the FX 3500 could run at low settings and low resolutions, but the 7.200 GPixel/s pixel rate limits it to simple scenes with few textures.
The card is best considered by collectors or those maintaining legacy industrial systems that require a specific PCIe 1.0 x16 card with fixed-function features. For anyone building a modern system, the FX 3500's lack of Vulkan support and partial OpenGL 3.x makes it a poor choice even for basic 2D desktop work, as modern operating systems and drivers may not support it properly.
Power and Cooling
The Quadro FX 3500 has a TDP of 80 W, which is modest by modern standards but requires a dedicated power connection. It uses a single 6-pin power connector, and the suggested power supply rating is 250 W. This means any system with a 250 W or higher PSU can run this card, provided the PSU has a spare 6-pin connector.
The card is single-slot width, with dimensions of 173 mm in length (6.8 inches) and 111 mm in height (4.4 inches). This compact form factor allows it to fit in most standard chassis without clearance issues. The cooling solution is not specified as liquid or advanced; it is a reference-style air cooler that is adequate for the 80 W TDP.
Power consumption of 80 W is low enough that the card does not generate excessive heat, making it suitable for workstations with limited airflow. However, the 6-pin connector is mandatory — the card cannot be powered solely through the PCIe slot. For a 250 W PSU recommendation, the rest of the system must also be low-power, as a modern high-end CPU alone could exceed the total budget. The display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x S-Video, which are legacy connections that require adapters for modern monitors.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500 are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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