NVIDIA Quadro FX 380 LP

Power and Cooling

The NVIDIA Quadro FX 380 LP is a remarkably power-efficient professional graphics solution. Its TDP is rated at just 28 W, placing it firmly in the low-power segment of the Quadro FX Tesla generation. This modest power envelope has a direct consequence for system integration: the card requires no auxiliary power connectors whatsoever. A standard PCIe 2.0 x16 slot provides all the necessary power, and the recommended system PSU is a mere 200 W. This makes the card exceptionally easy to deploy in compact workstations or older office systems with limited power supply headroom.

The physical design reinforces the low-power nature of the board. It is a single-slot card, measuring 168 mm in length and 69 mm in height. This compact footprint, combined with the absence of power connectors, means that cabling and clearance issues are virtually non-existent. The cooling solution, while not specified in detail, is clearly sufficient for the 28 W TDP, as the card operates within a single-slot envelope without any external cooling apparatus. The data indicates that this is a drop-in solution for systems where space and power are at a premium. The 40 nm process node from TSMC, with a die size of 57 mm² and 260 million transistors, contributes to this efficiency. The transistor density of 4.6M per mm² is a testament to the mature manufacturing process that allows such a low-power design to exist.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Quadro FX 380 LP is built on the Tesla 2.0 architecture, which predates the introduction of dedicated ray tracing or tensor cores. Consequently, the data shows no RT cores and no tensor cores are present. This is a fixed-function rasterization design at its core. The card's feature set is defined by its API support: it offers DirectX 11.1 (with a feature level of 10_1) and OpenGL 3.3. Vulkan is not supported. This means the card is not capable of hardware-accelerated ray tracing effects, and any such workloads would be entirely unsupported. The absence of these specialized cores is expected for a product from this generation. The pixel rate is 2.200 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 4.400 GTexel/s, which are the fundamental throughput metrics for traditional rendering. The FP32 compute capability is rated at 44.00 GFLOPS, a figure that is indicative of the card's limited parallel compute potential outside of graphics. The 16 shading units, 8 texture mapping units, and 4 ROPs are the physical resources available for processing geometry and pixels. The display outputs are limited to 1x DVI and 1x DisplayPort, which is adequate for basic professional multi-monitor setups but lacks the variety of modern cards.

How It Compares

The FACT PACK provides no nearest rivals for this specific card. The `nearestRivals` array is empty, and the `benchmarks` array is also empty. The `avgBenchmarkScore` is 0, and the `percentileVsAllGpus` is 50, indicating a mid-pack position relative to all GPUs in the database, but there are no specific comparison points to draw from. In the absence of designated rivals, a direct comparative analysis against other specific models cannot be performed using the data. The card's position on the 50th percentile suggests it outperforms half of the GPUs in the database, but this is a broad statement without granular detail. The predecessor and successor are listed as the Quadro FX Curie and Quadro Fermi generations, respectively, which provides a generational context. However, without specific benchmark scores for those products, a quantitative comparison is not possible. The data limitations dictate that the analysis must focus on the card's absolute performance metrics and its position within the overall GPU landscape, rather than head-to-head matchups.

FAQ

Q: What is the power consumption of the Quadro FX 380 LP?

A: The TDP is rated at 28 W, and the recommended system PSU is 200 W. The card requires no auxiliary power connectors.

Q: Does this card support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The Tesla 2.0 architecture does not include RT cores. The card is a traditional rasterization design.

Q: What is the memory configuration and bandwidth?

A: It has 512 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 64-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 12.80 GB/s.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of this card?

A: The launch MSRP is 169 USD.

Q: Which API versions are supported?

A: The card supports DirectX 11.1 (with a 10_1 feature level) and OpenGL 3.3. Vulkan is not supported.

Q: What is the production status of this product?

A: The production status is listed as end-of-life, with a release date in late November 2009.

Who Should Consider It

Given its specifications, the Quadro FX 380 LP is a candidate for low-resolution, light-duty professional workloads. The 44.00 GFLOPS FP32 performance and 2.200 GPixel/s pixel rate indicate that it is not suited for modern, high-fidelity 3D applications. At a 50th percentile standing, it sits in the middle of the database, but the absolute performance numbers are low by contemporary standards. This card is appropriate for basic 2D CAD or 2D drafting tasks, where the primary requirement is stable, reliable output rather than raw 3D rendering power. At resolution settings of 1080p or lower, with reduced detail settings, it might handle older or less demanding professional applications. The 512 MB VRAM is a limiting factor for large textures and high-resolution frame buffers, so it is not recommended for 4K workloads or texture-heavy 3D scenes. Users with legacy software that requires a certified professional driver for OpenGL 3.3 might find this a functional, if dated, solution. The low power draw and single-slot design make it a fit for systems where a modern high-power GPU is not feasible.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is a clear bottleneck for this card. It features 512 MB of GDDR3 memory, which is a small capacity by any modern standard. The memory bus width is a narrow 64-bit, which severely limits the data transfer rate. The resulting memory bandwidth is 12.80 GB/s. This figure is very low and will directly impact performance at higher resolutions and with complex scenes. The memory clock operates at 800 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1600 Mbps. For a professional card intended for CAD or DCC work, this bandwidth is insufficient for handling large model datasets or high-resolution textures that are common in modern workflows. At 1080p and below, the memory may be sufficient for simple scenes, but any increase in resolution or scene complexity will cause the card to hit this bandwidth and capacity wall quickly. The 64-bit bus is a significant constraint, and it means that the card's computational capabilities, already limited, are further hampered by the inability to feed data to the shaders quickly enough.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for this card is non-existent. The `benchmarks` array is empty and the `avgBenchmarkScore` is 0. The only performance-related metric is the `percentileVsAllGpus` of 50, which places it in the median position of all GPUs in the database. This is a peculiar result, as a score of 0 with a 50th percentile suggests that the percentile is based on a ranking of all GPUs, not on any specific score for this card. In terms of raw throughput, the FP32 rate of 44.00 GFLOPS is the definitive measure of compute performance. The pixel rate of 2.200 GPixel/s and texture rate of 4.400 GTexel/s define the fill rate capabilities. When compared to any modern GPU, these numbers are orders of magnitude lower. However, within its own generation, the Quadro FX Tesla family, this card is positioned as a low-end entry. Without rival scores or a synthetic benchmark score, the analysis must rest on these absolute figures. The data indicates a card that is capable of basic rendering but is fundamentally outclassed by any product from the subsequent Quadro Fermi generation, which is listed as its successor. The lack of benchmark data makes it impossible to state precise percentage deltas against any competitor, but the absolute numbers provide a clear picture of its limited performance ceiling. It is a product that was designed for a specific, low-demand niche and its performance metrics reflect that focus.