NVIDIA Quadro K4000M

The NVIDIA Quadro K4000M is a professional mobile graphics solution built on the Kepler architecture, targeting workstation-class laptops around its 2012 release. With a 28 nm process node from TSMC and a die containing 3,540 million transistors across 294 mm², this GPU offers a fixed 601 MHz base and boost clock, paired with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. Its benchmark standing places it in the 34th percentile among all GPUs, indicating a modest performance tier that has been surpassed by modern integrated solutions.

Benchmark Performance

The Geekbench OpenCL score for the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M is 5,986 points, which serves as its sole aggregate benchmark in this dataset. This score positions the GPU at the 34th percentile of all tracked graphics processors, meaning roughly two-thirds of the database entries perform at or above this level. The raw compute capability behind this result includes 960 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units, yielding a texture rate of 48.08 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 12.02 GPixel/s. Floating-point performance reaches 1,153.9 GFLOPS in FP32 mode, a figure that reflects the Kepler architecture’s design priorities for professional workloads rather than raw gaming throughput.

Against its nearest rivals, the performance deltas are remarkably tight. The AMD Radeon 610M edges out the K4000M by a mere 0.1% (5,992 vs. 5,986), a statistically negligible gap that places these two GPUs effectively at parity. The AMD FirePro W4100 trails by 0.2% with a score of 5,972, while the AMD Radeon HD 8730M sits 0.3% lower at 5,970. The closest competitor from within NVIDIA’s own lineup, the Quadro K620M, scores 5,957, which is 0.5% behind the K4000M. These sub-1% differences mean that in real-world OpenCL compute tasks, the K4000M offers no decisive advantage or disadvantage relative to its immediate peers; selection between these parts would hinge on other factors such as driver maturity, power constraints, or feature support.

The narrow spread across all four rivals underscores how the K4000M sits in a highly competitive segment where performance differences are within measurement noise. The 5,986-point result does not represent a breakthrough for its generation, but it also does not fall catastrophically behind. For a mobile workstation GPU from the Kepler era, this level of compute performance is consistent with expectations for mid-range professional tasks, though modern integrated graphics have since closed the gap.

Memory Subsystem

The Quadro K4000M ships with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 89.60 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 700 MHz, which translates to 2.8 Gbps effective data rate. This configuration was typical for professional mobile GPUs of its generation, balancing capacity for large datasets with sufficient bandwidth for texture-heavy or compute-oriented workloads.

For high-resolution rendering, the 256-bit bus width is a meaningful asset. It allows the GPU to move data between the memory pool and the processing cores more efficiently than narrower buses found in lower-tier parts. The 89.60 GB/s bandwidth supports 4K texture loads and multi-viewport professional applications, though it will not match the throughput of desktop-class workstation cards with wider buses or faster memory. The 4 GB capacity is particularly relevant for CAD models, scientific visualization, and video editing timelines where large frame buffers or geometry caches exceed the 2 GB limits common on older parts. However, the effective 2.8 Gbps memory speed is modest by modern standards, so applications that demand sustained high-bandwidth access—such as real-time raytracing or large-scale simulation—will see the memory subsystem become a bottleneck before the compute units are fully saturated.

The pixel rate of 12.02 GPixel/s and texture rate of 48.08 GTexel/s are directly influenced by this memory configuration. With 32 ROPs and 80 TMUs, the K4000M can fill pixels and sample textures at rates that align with its bandwidth ceiling. In practice, this means the GPU handles 1080p or 1440p professional visualization workloads comfortably, but pushing to 8K or multi-display setups with high refresh rates would strain the 89.60 GB/s limit.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Quadro K4000M does not include dedicated ray tracing cores or tensor cores, as these hardware units were introduced in later NVIDIA architectures. Instead, this GPU relies on the Kepler architecture’s traditional compute and shading pipelines. The absence of RT and tensor cores means any ray-traced effects or AI-accelerated workloads would be processed through general-purpose shading units, resulting in significantly lower efficiency compared to modern RTX-class products.

On the API front, the K4000M supports DirectX 12 (with feature level 11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175. The DirectX 12 support at the 11_0 feature level indicates partial compatibility with the latest Microsoft graphics API, but without the full feature set required for advanced effects like variable rate shading or mesh shaders. OpenGL 4.6 provides solid support for professional CAD and DCC applications that rely on this API, while Vulkan 1.2.175 offers a modern low-level interface for compute-heavy workloads. The display outputs are listed as "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the actual connectors vary by laptop manufacturer—there is no fixed set of ports on the MXM module itself.

The bus interface is MXM-B (3.0), a mobile PCIe form factor that allows the GPU to be replaced or upgraded in compatible laptops. Power delivery comes through the MXM slot with no additional power connectors, and the total board power is rated at 100 W. This power envelope is moderate for a mobile workstation GPU, allowing it to fit in thinner chassis while still offering dedicated graphics performance. The 28 nm process node and 3,540 million transistor count indicate that the K4000M was not a power-sipping design, but its 100 W TDP is manageable within the context of professional laptops of that era.

How It Compares

AMD Radeon 610M: The K4000M is 0.1% behind the Radeon 610M, a difference of just 6 points in the Geekbench OpenCL score. This integrated GPU from AMD’s modern lineup essentially matches the dedicated K4000M in compute tasks, which highlights how far integrated graphics have advanced. The K4000M retains advantages in memory bandwidth and capacity, but raw compute parity means the 610M offers a more efficient solution for basic workloads.

AMD FirePro W4100: The K4000M leads the FirePro W4100 by 0.2%, with a 14-point score advantage. Both are professional-oriented GPUs, but the W4100 comes from a different vendor and generation. The performance gap is negligible, suggesting that in OpenCL-based applications, users would see no perceptible difference between these two. The K4000M’s higher memory capacity (4 GB vs. typical 2 GB on the W4100, though not stated here) could matter in memory-intensive scenarios, but the benchmark data alone does not show a clear winner.

AMD Radeon HD 8730M: The K4000M outperforms the HD 8730M by 0.3%, a 16-point margin. This older AMD mobile GPU represents a lower-tier product, yet the K4000M’s advantage is marginal. The extra shading units and wider memory bus on the K4000M do not translate into a meaningful lead in this synthetic benchmark, indicating that the Kepler architecture’s compute efficiency is comparable to that of AMD’s GCN-based parts from the same period.

NVIDIA Quadro K620M: The K4000M is 0.5% ahead of the K620M, with a 29-point difference. Both are NVIDIA Quadro mobile parts, but the K620M is a lower-tier offering. The performance delta, while the largest among the four rivals, is still under a full percentage point. This suggests that within NVIDIA’s own mobile Quadro lineup, the K4000M does not offer a substantial compute advantage over its immediate successor’s budget option, though driver optimizations and feature support might differ.

FAQ

Q: What is the Geekbench OpenCL score of the NVIDIA Quadro K4000M?

A: The GPU scores 5,986 points in the Geekbench OpenCL benchmark, placing it in the 34th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Q: How does the K4000M compare to the AMD Radeon 610M?

A: The Radeon 610M scores 5,992, which is 0.1% higher than the K4000M. This is a negligible performance difference, making the two effectively equal in OpenCL compute tasks.

Q: What memory configuration does the K4000M use?

A: It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 89.60 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 700 MHz, equivalent to 2.8 Gbps effective.

Q: Does the K4000M support ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists no RT cores or tensor cores for this GPU, meaning it lacks dedicated hardware for ray tracing or AI acceleration.

Q: What APIs are supported by the K4000M?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 (with feature level 11_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.2.175.

Q: What is the power consumption of the K4000M?

A: The total board power is rated at 100 W, with no additional power connectors required—it draws power solely from the MXM-B (3.0) slot interface.