NVIDIA T400 4 GB

The NVIDIA T400 4 GB is a Turing-based workstation graphics card built around the TU117 chip, manufactured on TSMC’s 12 nm process. With a 50th percentile ranking among all GPUs, it sits squarely in the mid-to-low range of the performance spectrum, though its exact standing relative to contemporaries requires deeper analysis of its compute and memory characteristics.

Benchmark Performance

The T400 4 GB delivers a raw FP32 throughput of 1,094.4 GFLOPS, a figure that positions it as a capable entry-level workstation solution rather than a high-end compute part. Its boost clock reaches 1425 MHz from a base of 420 MHz, indicating a significant thermal headroom that allows the card to scale its performance under load. The pixel rate of 22.80 GPixel/s and texture rate of 34.20 GTexel/s further contextualize its role: the card is designed for 2D and light 3D workloads, not for heavy rasterization or simulation tasks.

Since the nearestRivals array is empty in the data, no direct percentage comparisons against specific competitor cards can be made. However, the percentileVsAllGpus value of 50 places the T400 exactly at the median of all GPUs tracked in the database. This means that half of all GPUs score higher, and half score lower, which is a meaningful anchor point. In practice, this suggests the T400 will handle basic office productivity, CAD viewport rendering at modest settings, and video decode tasks without struggle, but it will fall behind in compute-heavy scenarios like machine learning training or high-fidelity gaming.

The FP16 performance of 2.189 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) indicates that the card does not offer dedicated tensor cores, and its FP16 throughput is exactly double its FP32 rate, a feature inherited from the Turing architecture’s general-purpose design. This makes the T400 suitable for applications that can leverage mixed-precision math, though the lack of tensor cores means it cannot accelerate AI inference tasks that rely on those specialized units.

Memory Subsystem

The T400 is equipped with 4 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is a modest allocation by modern standards but sufficient for its target use cases. The memory operates at an effective speed of 10 Gbps, with a clock rate of 1250 MHz. The bus width is 64 bit, which is narrow, and this directly limits the memory bandwidth to 80.00 GB/s.

For high-resolution workloads, the 80.00 GB/s bandwidth is a bottleneck. At 4K resolution, texture-heavy applications will likely see stuttering or reduced frame rates because the card cannot feed the GPU pipeline quickly enough. The 4 GB VRAM capacity also limits the size of textures and geometry that can be held in memory at once. For instance, large 3D scenes in CAD software or complex shader-based visualizations will require aggressive texture streaming or reduced detail settings. On the positive side, GDDR6 memory is faster than the older GDDR5 used in predecessor cards, and the 64-bit bus is power-efficient, aligning with the card’s low-power design.

In practical terms, the T400 is best suited for 1080p or 1440p workloads where memory bandwidth demands are lower. At these resolutions, the 4 GB buffer can accommodate most professional applications, including spreadsheet-heavy dashboard rendering, 2D CAD drawings, and basic photo editing. For 4K output, the card can drive displays but not render complex scenes at interactive frame rates.

Who Should Consider It

The data suggests the T400 is appropriate for users who need a multi-display output solution with modest graphical acceleration. Its three mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs allow connection to up to three monitors, which is ideal for financial trading desks, office productivity suites, or software development environments where multiple screens are essential but 3D performance is not.

For CAD and 3D modeling, the T400 can handle entry-level tasks in applications like SolidWorks or AutoCAD at 1080p with basic rendering settings. The 1,094.4 GFLOPS FP32 performance is sufficient for wireframe views, basic solid modeling, and simple assemblies. However, users working with large assemblies, photorealistic rendering, or real-time ray tracing will find the card inadequate; those tasks require hardware with dedicated RT cores, which the T400 lacks.

Gamers are not the target audience, but the card can run older or less demanding titles at 720p or 1080p with reduced settings. The 50th percentile ranking indicates that it outperforms integrated graphics solutions, but it trails discrete gaming cards from the same era by a wide margin. Users who prioritize gaming performance should look elsewhere, while those who need a silent, low-profile, and energy-efficient card for professional work will find the T400 acceptable.

FAQ

Q: What is the FP32 performance of the NVIDIA T400 4 GB?

A: The card delivers 1,094.4 GFLOPS of FP32 throughput, which places it at the 50th percentile among all GPUs in the database.

Q: How much memory bandwidth does the T400 have?

A: The memory bandwidth is 80.00 GB/s, derived from a 64-bit bus width and 10 Gbps effective GDDR6 memory speed.

Q: Does the T400 support hardware ray tracing?

A: No. The card has no RT cores listed, and its Turing architecture does not include dedicated ray tracing hardware in this implementation.

Q: What is the maximum number of displays supported?

A: The T400 has three mini-DisplayPort 1.4a outputs, allowing up to three simultaneous displays.

Q: What is the TDP and power requirement?

A: The TDP is 30 W, and the suggested power supply is 200 W. The card requires no external power connectors.

Q: Is the T400 still in production?

A: No, the production status is listed as end-of-life, with a release date of May 5, 2021.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals data is empty, which means no direct comparison scores or delta percentages are available for this card. However, the percentileVsAllGpus value of 50 provides a useful baseline. Relative to integrated graphics from the same era, the T400 offers significantly higher compute throughput due to its discrete nature and dedicated GDDR6 memory. Compared to higher-end workstation cards, the T400 falls short in every metric except power efficiency and physical size.

Against its predecessor, the Quadro Volta generation, the T400 benefits from the Turing architecture’s improved power efficiency and faster GDDR6 memory, though the exact performance delta is not quantified in the data. Its successor, Workstation Ampere, would offer substantially higher FP32 performance and additional features, but again, no numeric comparison is provided.

In the absence of named rivals, the most honest assessment is that the T400 occupies a niche: it is a low-power, single-slot card with three display outputs, designed for environments where multiple monitors are needed but 3D acceleration is secondary. Its 50th percentile ranking means it is neither exceptional nor poor; it is average, which is appropriate for its intended role.

Power and Cooling

The T400 has a TDP of just 30 W, which is exceptionally low. This allows it to be cooled passively or with a small, low-profile fan, and the card occupies a single slot. The suggested power supply is 200 W, which is a conservative recommendation that accommodates a typical desktop system’s overall draw. The card requires no external power connectors, drawing all its power from the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot.

The low power consumption has multiple benefits. It generates minimal heat, so the cooling solution can be quiet or even silent. It also means the card can be installed in compact workstations or small form factor systems without worrying about thermal buildup. The absence of power connectors simplifies installation, as no additional cables are needed. This makes the T400 an ideal upgrade for older office PCs that have a limited power supply capacity, provided they have a spare PCIe x16 slot.

The card’s process node of 12 nm and transistor count of 4,700 million on a 200 mm² die contribute to its efficiency. The transistor density of 23.5M per square millimeter is moderate, but the low clock speeds and limited memory bus keep power draw minimal. Overall, the power and cooling profile of the T400 is one of its strongest attributes, aligning with its workstation focus on reliability and low operating costs.