Another of the frequently asked questions we get when custom configuring a PC or workstation for a customer is which NVIDIA GPU option is best – Geforce vs Quadro. Which GPU is the best value? And which option is best suited for what applications? Let’s go over some of the differences, Pros, and Cons of both Geforce and Quadro.
Geforce Pros
Faster clock speeds – Dollar for dollar, Geforce cards generally offer faster GPU clock speeds in the 10-20% range. For example, the Geforce GTX 3070 features a boost clock speed of 1770 MHz while the more expensive Quadro P2200 maxes out at 1470MHz. This speed equates to better overall general performance, which brings us to our next point…
Versatility and value – Looking to do a little gaming, a little 3D rendering, and some video? Faster clock speeds along with more CUDA cores and VRAM dollar for dollar make the Geforce cards the go-to for all purpose systems. That power for the money, especially at the lower/mid tiers, makes Geforce the better value for most users.
Multi-monitor support – For day traders, enthusiast gamers, or extreme multi-taskers looking to use 3, 4 or even 8 monitors, Geforce cards provide the best path forward. 30-Series cards from RTX 3060 and up all support 4 monitors each natively and can easily be paired with a second card to double the monitor support. Most Quadro cards will support either 3 or 4 displays too, but at a higher cost.
Best for: Gaming, all around computing, day trading (multi monitor support), budget CAD, amateur video
Quadro Pros
Specific Render tasks – Quadro cards are designed for very specific render tasks like CAD design and professional video rendering. For example, the wire frame, double sided polygon rendering common with many CAD programs like AutoCAD makes Quadro the clear choice for this type of work, outperforming Geforce by a significant margin.
Extreme Power – Geforce does have beefy options like the RTX 3080 Ti, but for the most extreme performance, a Quadro is simply without equal. For example, the Quadro RTX A6000 features a stunning 48GB of GDDR6X VRAM and 10752 CUDA cores to provide 38 TFlops of power – and that’s on a single card. No Geforce card comes close. That type of power does come at a cost, but if the budget is open, Quadro is king in this department. Additionally, Quadro cards are easier to connect via NVLink for scalable performance and vRAM pooling, further raising the ceiling of maximum performance.
Double precision computations – For complex double precision computations like those found in scientific and arithmetic calculations, Quadro significantly outperforms the Geforce equivalent. This is a very specific use case, but if it’s yours, you’ll understand the importance.
Durability/Warranty – Similar to Xeon processors, Quadro cards are generally designed for maximum durability and longevity and stand up to the rigors of daily strenuous use better than the consumer oriented Geforce. As a result, Quadro cards offer a longer, more robust warranty on average.
Best for: Certain Scientific and data calculations, CAD rendering, Professional-grade video production, 3D creation
So at the end of the day, which is better?
Ultimately, this really depends on your specific use case. For a lower to mid-range budget, I almost always recommend Geforce simply because of the value and versatility. But if all our rendering performance is what you’re after for CAD and video specifically, Quadro is likely the way to go.
Still unsure? Give one of our experts a call at 804-419-0900 for help configuring a PC with the right GPU to meet your needs or start configuring yourself now.
Josh Covington
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This really helped me, I’m looking at a new machine, and as I do 3D AutoCad, rendering, and VR applications from what you have said the Quadro looks to be the way to go. Thanks
Yes, Quadro is probably best for what you’re doing. Glad we could help. If we can assist with your PC purchase in any way, just let us know!
hi
i want to use sketch-up and cad
and also gaming
which is better geforce or quadro?
For Sketchup, CAD, and gaming, Geforce is the way to go. None of those applications require Quadro, so Geforce gets you much better performance for the dollar.
Can you still use Quadro cards to play high-end games on laptops?
You can, but it’s just not what they’re optimized for. If a multi-purpose laptop (50% gaming, 50% workstation) better meets your needs, I’d recommend GeForce. They’re just better all purpose cards.
Hey! Thanks for this. I’ve been meaning to purchase a laptop with Quadro and my budget isn’t that high but I need to use it for 3D making, etc. What laptops do you suggest with an amazing Quadro within 1500$ of a budget? You’d be of great help, thank you!
Sorry, I’m not aware of a Quadro laptop available at your budget. At that pricepoint, you’ll get better value from GeForce in my opinion.
Thank you for the comprehensive article!
For the following profile, which card will you advise to be Cost-Benefitial (Quadro P2000 or GeForce1070)?
70% – 2D Autocad (not 3D)
30% – Sketchup
Once in a while – V-Ray Rendering
I think I would advise the Quadro card for those use cases.
What about full 10 bit color support in every scenario that a Quadro offers? Should be a Quadro Pros as well?
If you aim to achieve 10-bit color, you will indeed need a corresponding Quadro. Your entire pipeline, from GPU to monitor, must be 10-bit capable otherwise your 10-bit goals won’t be achieved.
The good news is that a Quadro P600 will achieve this on the GPU side and thus is affordable. The Quadro Ps were updated in 2017 as well and are benchmarking measurable improvements across the board for the intended applications.
If you may scale in the future, you may want to invest in a P1000 or more.
The datasheets here are very helpful.
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/design-visualization/quadro-desktop-gpus/
Has anyone come across any actual testing stats on the capabilities of Quadro/ Tesla cards for mining cryto-currencies?
I have been in graphics for awhile and know the power of the Quadro/Tesla cards.
Yet even with extensive searching, have not found any true testing of the Quadro/Tesla cards for mining capabilities.
Considering that the block chains are just arithmetic algorithms; the calculation capacity and durability of the Quadro and Tesla cards, would just crush the numbers for mining!
Just going off of device stats for hash rates, the Q/T cards get crushed!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
Hi , I use for my work 2D and 3D rendering, and Auto Cad and I have been looking for a laptop for my job but my bugget is 2200 dollars. I found two options with similar price :
1) MSI Quadro M2200 with 32 GB RAM and 4 GB graphic card. Or
2) MSI GTX 1070 with 32 GB RAM and 8 GB graphic card.
Please help me , what is the better option considering that the quadro is just M2200 ?
Liliana – in this instance, you’ll see better value with Geforce. Something like our Raptor S55 might be a good option http://www.velocitymicro.com/raptor-s55-gaming-laptop.php
If I need nvdia to read the CT scan 3D images, Gefore vs Quadro, which is most suitible ?
I would probably recommend Quadro.
any feedback about the following, i want to edit easily my 4K 10 Bit video of my GH5, which is the best for that, geforce or quadro p2000 for exemple ? thank you for your comprehensive reply asap !!.
Either will do, but for 4K editing I usually lean toward Quadro.
I use 2D AutoCad, Inventor, and AlphaCam software, but also want to game on it while on work trips. (MMOs, OverWatch). The choices I was given are:
7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ, 32GB 2400MHz, DDR4, NVIDIA 1050 w/ 4 GB GDDR5
or
Intel Core i7-7820HQ, 32GB (2x16GB) 2400MHz DDR4, Nvidia Quadro P3000 w/6GB GDDR5
Any advice?
The 7820 with Quadro would be my opinion.
Hello, thank you for your Professional help.
I’m photographer and need laptop for editing pictures with applications like Photoshop. Which card is the best for me? Quadrado or Gforce?
(Quadrado M1000M or GTX 970 M?)
For photoshop only, Geforce. The GPU will only accelerate certain filters, so something like a 960M of GTX 1050 like in our Raptor MX50 would be perfect http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=296
Which one would you recommend for 4K video editing? And maybe which option would be the most cost effective?
Geforce would potentially get you faster render times per $$, but Quadro will give you better precision with 4K/ I’d lean Quadro.
I am trying to combine mobility and function, and debating what sort of laptop I can upgrade to. We’re wildlife biologists, so having a computer that can be hauled into the field with us is pretty key. My primary need is for ArcGIS Pro. We were considering a Surface Book 2, which comes with a Geforce GTX 1050. My current behemoth of a laptop has a Quadro M1000M. I hear you when you say Quadro is better for certain applications, but… that 1000M is getting old. I need something that performs at least as well as my current Quadro. Thoughts on if the GTX 1050 would at least match it? Thank you.
To add to this, I don’t think I need much in the way of 3D work.
Well, maybe 3D, now that I’m thinking through potential applications, through the 3D analyst toolbox in ArcGIS.
Tiana,
This is a good resource for evaluating and comparing GPUs. Here you’ll see that the GTX 1050 provides about 2x performance over the M1000M. This would apply to ArcGIS as well.
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
Hello Which one is better for my budget
Please Advise Me
Geforce 1060 Founders ED 6 GB GDDR5 , 1280 Cuda core and 192 GBps Bandwidth
Quadro P2000 5GB GDDR5 , 1024 Cuda core and 140 GBps Bandwidth
I am working on 2D Autocad and 3dsmax , Sketchup , Vray for Rendering
i have 32 GB of Ram ddr4 and intel 7820x Cpu
Michael,
For that workflow, I would recommend the Quadro P2000.
Hello Michael,
The gtx card is faster and has more interfaces! Though wattage is higher, 120W vs 75W
could you suggest what would be best if I wanted to use CAD, and also do some gaming?
Also, do you know if I should make a workstation or a gaming PC? Would games like GTA 5 work on a workstation, and would CAD work on a gaming PC?
Thanks
Hugo,
For CAD and gaming, I would recommend a gaming system. Ours use Geforce cards, which are more versatile, than Quadro cards so they can handle the gaming and the CAD both. The Quadro cards in our workstations are designed only for workstation applications like CAD. They would likely run GTA V, but it wouldn’t be the ideal experience.
Hi Josh,
I need laptop for 3DMax ( 3D rendering ), Photoshop and AutoCad.
Which one of this 2 options better for better performance?
1. DELL Mobile precision 7520 with NVIDIA Quadro M2200 W/4GB GDDR5
2. DELL XPS 15 with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5
Thank You in advance 🙂
Fen,
Sorry, I don’t know too much about the specifics of Dell’s products. Have you considered our Raptor MX50 or M15Q?
Thanks, great article. So I assume it would be much better to get Quadro if you are into video editing or VFX and use After Effect CC or Premiere CC?
Thanks
I want to upgrade my system with 8gb Graphic cardgaming cpu . which company best for graphic card you suggest.