NVIDIA Quadro FX 5500

The NVIDIA Quadro FX 5500 is an end-of-life workstation card built on the Curie architecture, using the G71 chip fabricated on TSMC's 90 nm process. The die contains 278 million transistors across a 196 mm² area, yielding a transistor density of 1.4M per mm². The database places this card at the 50th percentile of all GPUs, yet it records no average benchmark score, meaning its position is derived from its hardware specification rather than direct performance tests. With 24 texture mapping units and 16 render output units, the card delivers a pixel rate of 10.40 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 15.60 GTexel/s. Memory is 1024 MB of DDR2 on a 256-bit bus, producing 32.32 GB/s of bandwidth at a 505 MHz memory clock (1010 Mbps effective). This is a legacy professional product, released on 2006-04-19, and its capabilities are firmly rooted in the DirectX 9.0c era. It launched with a launch MSRP of 2,999 USD.

Benchmark Performance

The most striking fact in the database is the absence of a recorded average benchmark score for the Quadro FX 5500. The avgBenchmarkScore field is 0, which means no synthetic or real-world tests have been logged for this model. Consequently, the 50th percentile ranking is an artifact of the hardware specification alone, not a measure of tested performance. In practice, the raw throughput numbers define what this card can do. The pixel fill rate of 10.40 GPixel/s and texture fill rate of 15.60 GTexel/s are the fundamental limits for rasterization. With 16 ROPs, the pixel rate is moderate by modern standards, but it was designed for the workstation loads of its time. The memory subsystem, 1024 MB on a 256-bit bus, provides 32.32 GB/s of bandwidth. This bandwidth is a critical constraint; for a card of this era, it is sufficient for 32-bit color at typical workstation resolutions, but it will struggle with high-definition textures or multi-sampling anti-aliasing. The 505 MHz memory clock, running at 1010 Mbps effective, is the only clock speed listed in the database, as the core clocks are null. This means the fill rates are the only reliable performance indicators available. Compared to the broader GPU landscape, the 50th percentile suggests a median standing, but without a score, direct comparisons to other cards are impossible. The data indicates that the card's performance is entirely dependent on its fixed-function pipeline and early shader model support.

Who Should Consider It

The Quadro FX 5500 is a professional workstation card, not a consumer gaming product. Its API support—DirectX 9.0c (9_3) and OpenGL 2.1.2 (full), with partial OpenGL 3.x—clearly targets legacy applications. Anyone running software that relies on fixed-function OpenGL 2.1 or DirectX 9.0c will find this card usable. The 1024 MB frame buffer is substantial for its generation, allowing large texture sets in CAD or 3D modeling tools that predate modern API requirements. However, the lack of Vulkan support and the partial OpenGL 3.x implementation mean it cannot handle contemporary rendering pipelines. For gaming, the DirectX 9.0c support limits it to titles from the mid-2000s. At standard resolutions, the pixel rate of 10.40 GPixel/s can drive simple scenes, but the 32.32 GB/s memory bandwidth will bottleneck heavy texture usage. This card is for a niche audience: those maintaining legacy workstations that require specific OpenGL 2.1 features, or hobbyists building a period-correct PC. It is not a daily driver for modern software. The dual-slot design and 96 W TDP indicate it needs a dedicated slot, but the 250 W suggested PSU keeps system requirements modest. The 2x DVI and 1x S-Video outputs limit display connectivity to older monitors.

How It Compares

The database lists no nearest rivals for the Quadro FX 5500, which is unusual but not surprising given its age and end-of-life status. Without rival scores or deltaPct values, any comparison must rely on its position in the product lineage. The predecessor is the Quadro FX Rankine, and the successor is the Quadro FX Tesla. The FX 5500 belongs to the Quadro FX Curie (x500) generation. Within this generation, it sits as a high-end part, given its 1024 MB memory and 256-bit bus. The transition from Rankine to Curie brought the 90 nm process and the G71 chip, while the subsequent Tesla generation would introduce unified shaders. Because there are no benchmark scores or rival cards in the database, the 50th percentile ranking is the only comparative metric available. It suggests that, on paper, this card is exactly average among all GPUs ever logged. For a workstation card from 2006, that is a plausible position—it was not a flagship, but it was not an entry-level part either. The lack of direct rivals means builders must rely on the specification sheet to judge its capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the Quadro FX 5500?

A: It has 1024 MB of DDR2 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 32.32 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is 505 MHz, running at 1010 Mbps effective.

Q: What power supply is recommended for this card?

A: The card has a TDP of 96 W and requires a 250 W suggested PSU. It uses a single 6-pin power connector.

Q: Does the Quadro FX 5500 support Vulkan?

A: No. The database lists no Vulkan support for this card. It supports DirectX 9.0c (9_3) and OpenGL 2.1.2 (full), with partial OpenGL 3.x.

Q: What is the physical size of the card?

A: The card is 229 mm (9 inches) long and 111 mm (4.4 inches) high. It is a dual-slot design.

Q: When was the Quadro FX 5500 released?

A: The release date is 2006-04-19. It is currently end-of-life.

Q: How many transistors does the G71 chip have?

A: The G71 chip contains 278 million transistors on a 196 mm² die, fabricated on a 90 nm process at TSMC.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Quadro FX 5500 has no dedicated ray tracing cores and no tensor cores, as these fields are null in the database. This is consistent with the Curie architecture, which predates the addition of such specialized hardware by many years. The feature set is defined by its API support: DirectX 9.0c (9_3) and OpenGL 2.1.2 (full), with partial OpenGL 3.x. There is no Vulkan support. This means the card cannot accelerate any modern ray-traced effects, and it lacks the hardware for AI-based features like DLSS. The display outputs are 2x DVI and 1x S-Video, which limits connectivity to analog or early digital monitors. The pixel rate of 10.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 15.60 GTexel/s are the only rendering throughput metrics available, and they reflect a fixed-function pipeline with limited shader capabilities. For professional use, the OpenGL 2.1.2 full support is the key feature, as many legacy CAD applications rely on that API. The partial OpenGL 3.x support is a footnote, offering limited compatibility with newer software but not full conformance.

Power and Cooling

The Quadro FX 5500 has a TDP of 96 W, which is modest by modern standards but requires a dedicated power connection. The database specifies a single 6-pin power connector and suggests a 250 W power supply. This is a low system power requirement, making the card suitable for older or lower-capacity PSUs. The card is a dual-slot design, meaning it occupies two expansion slots in a chassis. Its physical dimensions are 229 mm (9 inches) in length and 111 mm (4.4 inches) in height. These dimensions are typical for a workstation card of its era, with the dual-slot cooler providing sufficient surface area for the 96 W of heat. The bus interface is PCIe 1.0 x16, which is backward compatible with later PCIe generations but limits bandwidth to the original specification. The 505 MHz memory clock and 1010 Mbps effective data rate are the only clock figures, and they contribute to the 32.32 GB/s memory bandwidth. For cooling, the dual-slot design suggests a blower-style cooler that exhausts heat out of the case, which is beneficial for multi-GPU or dense workstation environments. The 250 W PSU recommendation is a hard requirement for system builders, ensuring that the card's 96 W TDP and the rest of the system's components are adequately powered.