NVIDIA Quadro P4200 Mobile

NVIDIA’s Quadro P4200 Mobile is a Pascal-generation professional mobile GPU built on the GP104 chip, fabricated by TSMC on a 16 nm process. It is an end-of-life product, released on February 20, 2018, positioned between the Quadro Maxwell-M generation it replaced and the subsequent Quadro Turing-M series. The data indicates a 50th percentile ranking against all GPUs, placing it squarely in the middle of the performance distribution. This analysis is based solely on the provided specifications, as no synthetic benchmark scores or rival comparison data are present in the fact pack.

Benchmark Performance

Without raw benchmark scores in the data, performance must be interpreted through the lens of theoretical compute metrics and the 50th percentile ranking. The Quadro P4200 Mobile delivers 7.345 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, a figure that anchors its position in the mid-range of the professional mobile GPU landscape. This raw throughput is supported by a shading unit count of 2304, which directly feeds the FP32 pipeline. The texture rate of 229.5 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 102.0 GPixel/s are derived from the 144 TMUs and 64 ROPs respectively, indicating a balanced design capable of handling both geometry-heavy and fill-rate-limited workloads.

The percentile ranking of 50 means that exactly half of all GPUs in the database perform better, and half perform worse. This is a critical interpretive anchor. The data suggests a GPU that is not a flagship part, nor a budget entry, but a solid mid-pack performer. The FP32 figure of 7.345 TFLOPS is the headline compute number; it represents the ceiling for traditional rasterized workloads. In contrast, the FP16 performance of 114.8 GFLOPS is severely limited at a 1:64 ratio, meaning the card is not optimized for compute tasks that leverage reduced precision. This is a Pascal-generation trait, where FP16 was not a focus. The boost clock of 1594 MHz, up from a base of 1418 MHz, provides the dynamic headroom for sustained performance, but the lack of a "game" clock specification in the data leaves sustained-load behavior undefined.

The absence of a benchmark score (avgBenchmarkScore is 0) and an empty nearestRivals array means there are no direct percentage deltas to cite. The verdict is that the data positions this as a capable mid-tier professional mobile solution, with its 50th percentile status confirming it is neither a leader nor a laggard in the overall GPU hierarchy. The compute metrics are internally consistent, suggesting a well-balanced architecture for its era.

How It Compares

The fact pack includes no nearest rivals, no names, no scores, and no deltaPct values. Therefore, a direct numerical comparison against specific competing GPUs is impossible from the provided data. The only comparative anchor available is the percentileVsAllGpus field, which places it at the 50th percentile. This indicates that in a broad field of all GPUs, the P4200 Mobile sits exactly at the median.

Without rival data, the analysis must rely on architectural positioning. The predecessor is listed as Quadro Maxwell-M and the successor as Quadro Turing-M. This generational context is qualitative: the P4200 Mobile represents the Pascal step in that progression. The data shows a 16 nm process and a 314 mm² die size housing 7,200 million transistors, resulting in a transistor density of 22.9M per mm². This is a high-density design for its time. Compared to an unknown Maxwell predecessor, one would expect significant architectural improvements in shading efficiency and clock speeds, but no numbers exist to quantify that. Compared to an unknown Turing successor, the Pascal part would lack the dedicated ray tracing and tensor cores that Turing introduced, but again, no specific performance deltas are provided.

The conclusion is that any competitive analysis must remain qualitative. The data supports a claim of mid-pack performance (50th percentile) and a clear architectural lineage, but it does not support any specific claim of being faster or slower than any named competitor. The lack of rival data is a significant limitation, and the analysis must state this plainly.

Who Should Consider It

The Quadro P4200 Mobile is a professional-grade mobile GPU with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and a 256-bit memory bus, yielding 224.4 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration suggests a target audience of professionals who need to work with large datasets at high resolutions, but not necessarily at the extreme high end. The 50th percentile performance ranking indicates that it is suitable for standard professional workloads, but not for the most demanding compute or rendering tasks.

Given the FP32 throughput of 7.345 TFLOPS and the memory bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s, this GPU is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p professional applications. For CAD, 3D modeling, and video editing, the data suggests it can handle complex scenes at these resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM is a key asset for texture-heavy workloads and multi-monitor setups. However, for 4K workflows with extremely high polygon counts or large simulation datasets, the bandwidth and compute figures may become limiting factors. The pixel rate of 102.0 GPixel/s supports high-resolution output, but the overall compute ceiling of 7.345 TFLOPS will define the limits of complex simulations.

The data does not support recommendations for entry-level tasks, as the 50th percentile ranking and the professional "Quadro" branding indicate a device above basic consumer needs. Conversely, it is not positioned for top-tier 8K rendering or heavy AI training, given the weak FP16 performance of 114.8 GFLOPS. The target user is a professional mobile worker who needs reliable, certified performance for standard engineering and content creation software at common resolutions, without the need for cutting-edge compute features.

FAQ

Q: What is the memory configuration of the Quadro P4200 Mobile?

A: The GPU is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a total bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s.

Q: What is the thermal design power (TDP) and what are the power connector requirements?

A: The TDP is listed as 100 W. The card uses an MXM Module slot width and requires no power connectors, drawing power directly from the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface.

Q: What is the architecture and manufacturing process of this GPU?

A: It is based on the Pascal architecture, using the GP104 chip. It is manufactured by TSMC on a 16 nm process.

Q: Does this GPU support hardware ray tracing or tensor cores?

A: No. The data lists no RT cores and no tensor cores. The FP16 performance is limited to 114.8 GFLOPS (1:64), indicating it is not designed for AI or ray-traced workloads.

Q: What is the production status and release date?

A: The production status is end-of-life. The release date is February 20, 2018.

Q: What API levels are supported?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

Memory Subsystem

The memory subsystem is a critical component of the Quadro P4200 Mobile's profile. It consists of 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, connected via a 256-bit bus. The memory clock is listed as 1753 MHz, which translates to 7 Gbps effective. This configuration produces a total memory bandwidth of 224.4 GB/s.

This bandwidth figure is the key metric for high-resolution performance. For professional workloads, the ability to stream textures and geometry data quickly is often more important than raw compute. At 1080p and 1440p, 224.4 GB/s is sufficient to feed the 7.345 TFLOPS FP32 pipeline without significant bottlenecks. The 8 GB capacity is generous for a mobile professional GPU of this generation, allowing for large scenes and multiple applications to reside in VRAM simultaneously. However, the data suggests that at 4K resolution, the 224.4 GB/s bandwidth may become a limiting factor for extremely texture-heavy applications, potentially capping performance below what the compute units could theoretically deliver. The 256-bit bus width is a standard mid-to-high-end configuration, balancing cost and bandwidth. The use of GDDR5, rather than a more advanced memory type, is consistent with the Pascal architecture and the 2018 release timeframe.

Power and Cooling

The Quadro P4200 Mobile is rated with a TDP of 100 W. This is a moderate power draw for a professional mobile GPU, reflecting a balance between performance and portability. The fact pack lists no suggested PSU, which is typical for a mobile component that relies on the host laptop's power delivery system. The power connectors are listed as "None," meaning the card draws all its power through the MXM-B (3.0) bus interface. This is a significant design advantage for mobile workstations, as it simplifies integration and reduces the need for additional cabling.

The 100 W TDP is a crucial thermal design constraint. The data indicates that the card is a "MXM Module," meaning it is designed to be slotted into a standardized mobile chassis. Cooling solutions are thus dependent on the laptop manufacturer, but the 100 W figure suggests that a capable cooling solution is required to maintain the boost clock of 1594 MHz. The lack of a suggested PSU rating in the data means that system integrators must calculate total system power based on the CPU and other components, but the GPU's own demand is firmly fixed at 100 W. The absence of external power connectors reinforces that this is a self-contained mobile module, not a desktop card.

Ray Tracing and Feature Set

The Quadro P4200 Mobile's feature set is defined by its Pascal architecture. Critically, the data lists no RT cores and no tensor cores. This definitively means there is no hardware support for real-time ray tracing or AI-accelerated tensor operations. The FP16 compute rate is a mere 114.8 GFLOPS, with a 1:64 ratio compared to FP32, confirming that the hardware is heavily optimized for single-precision floating-point work and is not suited for deep learning inference or training tasks.

The API support is robust for its generation, including DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. This ensures compatibility with modern professional applications and games of its era. The lack of RT cores means that any ray-traced effects would have to be handled in software or via compute shaders, which would be inefficient given the FP32-focused design. The feature set is squarely aimed at traditional rasterization, professional CAD visualization, and compute workloads that rely on FP32 precision. The display outputs are "Portable Device Dependent," meaning the connectivity is dictated by the laptop vendor, not the GPU itself. In summary, this is a Pascal-era professional card with a strong traditional rendering feature set, but it is explicitly not designed for the ray tracing and AI features that would arrive with its Turing successor.