NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800
NVIDIA graphics card specifications and benchmark scores
At a Glance
NVIDIANVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 Specifications
GPU Core
Shader units and compute resources
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 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 4800 Clock Speeds
GPU and memory frequencies
Clock speeds directly impact the Quadro FX 4800'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 4800 by NVIDIA dynamically adjusts frequencies based on workload, temperature, and power limits to maximize performance while maintaining stability.
NVIDIA's Quadro FX 4800 Memory
VRAM capacity and bandwidth
VRAM (Video RAM) is dedicated memory for storing textures, frame buffers, and shader data. The Quadro FX 4800'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 4800 by NVIDIA Cache
On-chip cache hierarchy
On-chip cache provides ultra-fast data access for the Quadro FX 4800, 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 4800 Theoretical Performance
Compute and fill rates
Theoretical performance metrics provide a baseline for comparing the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 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 2.0 Architecture & Process
Manufacturing and design details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 is built on NVIDIA's Tesla 2.0 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 4800 will perform in GPU benchmarks compared to previous generations.
Power & Thermal
TDP and power requirements
Power specifications for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 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 4800 to maintain boost clocks without throttling.
Quadro FX 4800 by NVIDIA Physical & Connectivity
Dimensions and outputs
Physical dimensions of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 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 4800. 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 4800 Product Information
Release and pricing details
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 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 4800 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 4800
Who Should Consider It
The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 is a professional workstation card from the Tesla 2.0 generation, built on the GT200B chip at 55 nm. Its benchmark percentile of 50 places it exactly at the midpoint of all GPUs in the database, meaning it sits in a neutral performance zone—neither a high-end accelerator nor a low-end entry point. For a card released in November 2008, this positioning suggests it was a solid mainstream professional option, but modern users should temper expectations accordingly.
At a 1080p resolution with medium to high settings, the FX 4800 can handle older DirectX 10-era titles and professional OpenGL applications reasonably well, given its 192 shading units and 64 texture mapping units. The 462.3 GFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest by today's standards, so users targeting 1440p or 4K gaming should look elsewhere. The card's 1536 MB of GDDR3 memory and 76.80 GB/s bandwidth create a bottleneck at higher resolutions, where texture-heavy scenes will exceed the frame buffer quickly. For CAD, 3D modeling, or scientific visualization at 1080p, the FX 4800 remains usable, but for modern gaming at high detail, it falls short.
Users who need a dual-slot card with 1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort, and 1x S-Video outputs for multi-monitor professional setups will find the connectivity adequate. However, the lack of Vulkan support and only DirectX 11.1 (10_0) level feature support means the card is effectively locked out of many modern game engines and graphics APIs. This is a card for legacy systems, retro computing enthusiasts, or specific professional workflows that rely on OpenGL 3.3 applications. If your workload involves contemporary game engines or demanding 3D renderers, the FX 4800 will disappoint.
Ray Tracing and Feature Set
The Quadro FX 4800 has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores. The architecture predates hardware-accelerated ray tracing entirely, so any ray-traced workloads will run on the 192 shading units in a purely compute-based manner—if they run at all. This means the card is fundamentally unsuitable for modern ray-traced gaming or professional ray-tracing applications. The FP32 performance of 462.3 GFLOPS is the only compute resource available, and that is far below what even entry-level ray-tracing accelerators offer.
On the API front, the card supports DirectX 11.1 with a 10_0 feature level, which is a critical limitation. The 10_0 feature level means the card can run DirectX 10-class shaders but lacks the full DirectX 11 feature set like tessellation and compute shaders. OpenGL 3.3 support is present, which covers a range of professional applications from the late 2000s. There is no Vulkan support, so any modern cross-platform game or application requiring Vulkan will not run. The display outputs—1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x S-Video—provide flexible connectivity for professional monitors, but they lack any modern standards like HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4. In essence, the feature set is frozen in 2008, and users should treat this card as a legacy piece rather than a functional modern GPU.
How It Compares
The FACT PACK provides no nearest rivals for the Quadro FX 4800, so a direct numerical comparison against specific competing cards is not possible from the available data. The percentileVsAllGpus value of 50 indicates the card sits in the median of the entire GPU database, meaning half of all recorded GPUs perform better and half perform worse. This is a useful anchor: the FX 4800 is neither a standout performer nor a laggard in the grand historical context.
Without rival scores or deltaPct values, any comparison must remain qualitative. The card's 76.80 GB/s memory bandwidth and 14.45 GPixel/s pixel rate reflect a mid-range professional part of its era. Its 38.53 GTexel/s texture rate, combined with 64 TMUs, suggests it could handle texture-heavy professional workloads at 1080p, but would struggle with high-resolution textures or multi-sample anti-aliasing. The 24 ROPs limit fill-rate-bound scenarios, and the 150 W TDP places it in a moderate power class. The lack of benchmark scores in the FACT PACK means no performance index exists to rank it against specific cards. As such, the FX 4800 should be judged primarily on its architectural capabilities and the percentile position, not on any direct head-to-head metrics.
Power and Cooling
The Quadro FX 4800 carries a TDP of 150 W, which is modest for a professional card of its generation. NVIDIA recommends a 450 W power supply, which is a reasonable figure for a system with this GPU and a typical workstation CPU. The card requires a single 6-pin power connector, so users must ensure their power supply has at least one available 6-pin PCIe power lead. The card occupies a dual-slot form factor, meaning it will block the adjacent PCIe slot, and its physical dimensions are 267 mm in length (10.5 inches) and 111 mm in height (4.4 inches). This length is standard for a high-end card of its era, but it may not fit in smaller cases or those with drive cages near the PCIe slots.
Cooling is handled by a dual-slot design, which is typical for a 150 W GPU. The thermal solution should be adequate for the TDP, but users should ensure adequate case airflow, especially in small form factor workstations. The card connects via PCIe 2.0 x16, which is backward compatible with later PCIe slots, though performance may be limited by the older interface in some scenarios. For a system upgrade, the 450 W PSU recommendation is a firm guideline—do not pair this card with a lower-wattage power supply, as transient loads may exceed the PSU's capability. The 6-pin connector is a standard requirement, and adapters from Molex to 6-pin are available if the PSU lacks native PCIe power.
FAQ
Q: Can the Quadro FX 4800 run modern games?
A: No. The card supports DirectX 11.1 with a 10_0 feature level and OpenGL 3.3, with no Vulkan support. Modern games that require DirectX 11 feature level 11_0 or higher, or Vulkan, will not run properly. The 1536 MB GDDR3 memory and 76.80 GB/s bandwidth also limit texture quality and resolution.
Q: Does the card support hardware ray tracing?
A: No. The FX 4800 has no ray tracing cores or tensor cores. Ray-traced workloads would run on the 192 shading units at 462.3 GFLOPS FP32, which is insufficient for practical ray tracing.
Q: What is the maximum resolution supported?
A: The FACT PACK does not specify a maximum resolution. The card has 1x DVI, 2x DisplayPort, and 1x S-Video outputs, and the 1536 MB frame buffer with 76.80 GB/s bandwidth suggests it is best suited for 1080p or lower resolutions.
Q: How much power does the card draw?
A: The TDP is 150 W, and NVIDIA recommends a 450 W power supply. The card requires a single 6-pin power connector.
Q: Is the card still in production?
A: No. The production status is end-of-life. The card was released on November 10, 2008, with a launch MSRP of 1,799 USD. Its predecessor is the Quadro FX Curie series, and its successor is the Quadro Fermi series.
Q: What is the memory configuration?
A: The card has 1536 MB of GDDR3 memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 76.80 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 800 MHz, with an effective data rate of 1600 Mbps.
Memory Subsystem
The Quadro FX 4800 is equipped with 1536 MB of GDDR3 memory, which was a substantial amount for a professional card in late 2008. The memory operates at 800 MHz with an effective data rate of 1600 Mbps, and the 384-bit memory bus yields a total bandwidth of 76.80 GB/s. This configuration is balanced for the card's compute capabilities: the 462.3 GFLOPS FP32 throughput and 38.53 GTexel/s texture rate are well matched to the available memory bandwidth for 1080p workloads. However, at higher resolutions like 1440p or 4K, the 1536 MB frame buffer becomes a hard limit, and the 76.80 GB/s bandwidth will cause texture streaming bottlenecks in modern games.
For professional applications, the memory subsystem is more than adequate for typical CAD or 3D modeling scenes of the era. The 384-bit bus width is a point in favor of this card, as it provides more bandwidth per clock than narrower buses. The pixel rate of 14.45 GPixel/s and the 24 ROPs mean that fill-rate-limited operations, such as heavy anti-aliasing, will struggle at high resolutions. The 64 TMUs and 192 shading units work in concert with the memory to deliver predictable performance in OpenGL 3.3 applications, but the lack of modern API support means the memory subsystem cannot be fully utilized by current software. The 1536 MB capacity is also awkward for modern workloads—it is too small for large textures or compute data sets, yet larger than what many low-end cards offered at the time. Ultimately, the memory subsystem is a product of its era, and users should treat 1080p with moderate texture quality as the practical ceiling.
Detailed benchmark scores and charts for the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 are below.
Benchmark Scores
No benchmark data available for this GPU.
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