Quadrofx5600
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ATI and NVIDIA's high-end workstation graphics get tested and compared
They may not have quite the broad appeal of the companies more gaming graphics cards, but ATI and NVIDIA's relatively recent FireGL V8650 and QuadroFX 5600 workstation graphics cards still have no shortage potential users, and an old-fashioned shootout between the two $1,000+ cards is hard to ignore. That spectacle comes courtesy of the folks at HotHardware, who loaded up each card in a suitably high-end system and put 'em through the usual array of benchmarks and tests. After all that was said and done, they gave the edge ever so slightly to the NVIDIA card, although they say it's "not completely cut and dry" as to what the absolute best option is. Working the ATI's favor, however, is its lower MSRP (despite having more memory than the NVIDIA) and its top of the line Maya performance, although it fell short of the NVIDIA in overall Open GL and Direct 3D performance. If that's not enough to sway you one way or the other, you can hit up the link below for the complete blow by blow benchmark action.
HIPerSpace visualization system takes the crown with 220 million pixels
For AV freaks enamored with their own HDTV and hardcore gamers who doubt anyone's ability to unleash more graphical firepower than that found in their rig, prepare to be humbled. As part of the HIPerSpace visualization system, engineers at the University of California, San Diego "have constructed the highest-resolution computer display in the world, with a screen resolution of up to 220 million pixels." The system, which links between UCSD and UC-Irvine (responsible for the mighty HiPerWall) via dedicated optical networking, contains a "graphics super cluster" that relies on 80 NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 GPUs. Reportedly, scientists dealing with large-scale applications involving "Earth sciences, climate prediction, biomedical engineering, genomics, and brain imaging" will be able to make use of the newfangled setup in order to better digest the information they're dealing with. Sheesh, all we want is a solid day with this thing, infinite Doritos, and Halo 3.[Via MedGadget]
NVIDIA rolls out monster QuadroFX graphics cards
NVIDIA may be best known for its consumer-level graphics cards, which are impressive enough in their own right, but the company of course also caters to some users even more demanding than gamers (rare as they are), who look to be in for a treat with its latest high-end offerings. According to NVIDIA, its new QuadroFX 4600 and QuadroFX 5600 graphics cards represent the company's biggest generational leap evar, bringing hereto unheard of GPU power and up to 1.5GB of frame buffers to tasks like automotive design, medical imaging, scientific research, and visual effects. If that's not enough, you can also double 'em up for some SLI action. Of course, the cards also come with some equally jaw-dropping price tags, with the QuadroFX 5600 demanding a cool $3,000 and the slightly lower-powered QuadroFX 4600 a comparative bargain at an even $2,000.
