NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 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 4600 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the Quadro FX 4600'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 4600 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's Quadro FX 4600 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The Quadro FX 4600'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 4600 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the Quadro FX 4600, reducing the need to fetch data from slower VRAM. L1 and L2 caches store frequently accessed data close to the compute units. AMD's Infinity Cache (L3) dramatically increases effective bandwidth, improving GPU benchmark performance without requiring wider memory buses. Larger cache sizes help maintain high frame rates in memory-bound scenarios and reduce power consumption by minimizing VRAM accesses.
Quadro FX 4600 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 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.
Tesla Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 is built on NVIDIA's Tesla 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 4600 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 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 4600 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
Quadro FX 4600 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 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 4600. 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 4600 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 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 4600 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 4600
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 is a professional workstation GPU built on the Tesla architecture, utilizing the G80 chip manufactured on a 90 nm process at TSMC. It was released in early 2007, carrying 681 million transistors on a 484 mm² die, and it occupies a specific niche in the legacy professional graphics market. This analysis draws exclusively from the provided fact pack to detail its benchmark positioning, power requirements, feature set, and practical use cases for archival and legacy system builders.
Benchmark Performance
The Quadro FX 4600 does not have any recorded benchmark scores or nearest rival data in the database. Its `avgBenchmarkScore` is listed as 0, and the `benchmarks` array is empty. The GPU holds a `percentileVsAllGpus` of 50, which places it at the exact median of all GPUs tracked by this database, though this figure is not supported by any direct performance metric. Without synthetic or real-world test numbers, any quantitative comparison to other cards is impossible from the data provided.
The raw compute specifications, however, offer a qualitative baseline. The card delivers 230.4 GFLOPS of FP32 performance, a figure derived from its 96 shading units operating at the given clocks. Its texture fill rate is 24.00 GTexel/s, and its pixel fill rate is 12.00 GPixel/s, driven by 24 TMUs and 24 ROPs. Memory bandwidth is rated at 67.20 GB/s, achieved via a 384-bit bus carrying 768 MB of GDDR3 memory at 700 MHz (1400 Mbps effective). These figures describe a card that was designed for mid-range CAD and DCC workloads of its era, not for high-end compute or gaming. The absence of benchmark data means the percentile score of 50 should be interpreted cautiously; it may reflect the card’s historical position among all GPUs, but it cannot be cross-referenced against any specific test result. In practical terms, the data suggests the FX 4600 is a functional but unremarkable performer by modern standards, with all its capabilities rooted in the DirectX 10-era feature set.
Power and Cooling
The Quadro FX 4600 has a thermal design power (TDP) of 134 W. For system integration, the fact pack lists a suggested PSU rating of 300 W, which is the recommended minimum for a system housing this card. The board requires a single 6-pin power connector, and it occupies a dual-slot form factor. Physical dimensions are 229 mm in length (9 inches) and 111 mm in height (4.4 inches), which is a fairly long card for its generation, so case clearance should be verified before installation.
The cooling solution is not detailed with specific fan or heatsink specifications, but the dual-slot design implies a substantial cooler capable of dissipating the 134 W TDP. The power connectors and PSU recommendation are modest by today’s standards, making the card relatively easy to power in a legacy system. There is no data on idle power draw or load thermals, so the 134 W TDP is the only thermal reference point available. For builders, the key takeaways are: a 300 W PSU is the stated minimum, a 6-pin PCIe power cable is mandatory, and the dual-slot cooler will block an adjacent expansion slot.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The Quadro FX 4600 does not include dedicated ray tracing (RT) cores or tensor cores; these fields are null in the fact pack. Its architecture, Tesla, predates the hardware-accelerated ray tracing and AI tensor operations found in modern NVIDIA GPUs. Consequently, any ray-traced workloads would rely entirely on software rasterization or compute shaders, which is not practical for professional use.
The API support is limited to legacy standards. The card supports DirectX 11.1 but only at the 10_0 feature level, meaning it is a DirectX 10-era part with partial compatibility for newer API headers. OpenGL support is listed at version 3.3. There is no Vulkan support indicated. Display outputs consist of two DVI ports and one S-Video connector, which are appropriate for professional monitors of the mid-2000s but lack modern DisplayPort or HDMI capabilities. The bus interface is PCIe 1.0 x16, which is electrically compatible with newer PCIe slots but will run at older signaling rates. In summary, this is a fixed-function and early unified-shader GPU with no hardware acceleration for ray tracing or tensor operations, and its software API support is firmly rooted in the DirectX 10 generation.
FAQ
Q: Does the Quadro FX 4600 support hardware ray tracing?
A: No. The fact pack lists no RT cores for this GPU. Its Tesla architecture predates hardware ray tracing acceleration, so any ray-traced tasks would be handled in software, which is not viable for professional workloads.
Q: What is the recommended power supply for this card?
A: The suggested PSU rating is 300 W. The card itself has a TDP of 134 W and requires a single 6-pin power connector.
Q: How much memory does the Quadro FX 4600 have, and what type is it?
A: It is equipped with 768 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 67.20 GB/s.
Q: What is the DirectX feature level of this GPU?
A: The card reports DirectX 11.1 API support but only at the 10_0 feature level, which corresponds to DirectX 10 hardware capabilities.
Q: What display outputs are available on this card?
A: The Quadro FX 4600 provides two DVI outputs and one S-Video output. There are no DisplayPort or HDMI connections.
Q: What is the production status of this GPU?
A: The production status is listed as "End-of-life." Its predecessor is the Quadro FX Rankine series, and its successor is the Quadro Fermi line.
How It Compares
The fact pack does not include any nearest rivals, benchmark scores, or delta percentage comparisons for the Quadro FX 4600. The `nearestRivals` array is empty, and there are no named competing products in the data. As such, a direct performance comparison against specific cards is not possible from the provided facts. The only relative metric is the `percentileVsAllGpus` value of 50, which places it at the midpoint of all GPUs in the database, but this cannot be tied to any particular rival. Without rival names or scores, any statement about how it stacks up against a specific product would be speculation. The data simply indicates that the FX 4600 sits in the middle of the overall GPU distribution, with no direct comparisons available for further analysis.
Who Should Consider It
The Quadro FX 4600 is a legacy professional card with no benchmark scores to guide modern resolution or settings recommendations. Based on its specifications—96 shading units, 230.4 GFLOPS FP32, and 67.20 GB/s memory bandwidth—it is suited for very old workstation applications that rely on DirectX 10 or OpenGL 3.3 features. Practical use cases include running legacy CAD software or DCC tools from the mid-2000s that do not require modern API features like Vulkan or hardware ray tracing.
For resolution and settings, the data does not support any specific guidance. The card’s 768 MB memory capacity and 384-bit bus suggest it can handle 1080p or lower resolutions in older applications, but no frame rate data exists to confirm playable settings. The absence of RT and tensor cores rules out any modern ray-traced or AI-accelerated workloads. The dual-slot design and 229 mm length mean it fits in full-size desktop cases, and the 300 W PSU recommendation makes it compatible with older power supplies. This card is appropriate only for builders maintaining authentic period-correct systems or running software that explicitly requires Quadro drivers from this era. For any modern professional workload, the lack of current API support and compute features makes it unsuitable, but as a historical artifact or a functional part for a retro workstation, it meets the basic specifications outlined in the fact pack.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4600 are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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