Nvidia Quadro Fx 5800

[Elliot]

Andrew

 

I want post this message on the forum to see if other readers have the same issues. I don't even know how to explain what we are experiencing.

 

We purchased a Quadro FX 5800 for our workstation. Upon trying to install the performance drivers we get a message that says it can not load the performance drivers to AutoCAD. We have AutoCAD 2011 MEP. Upon following the instruction to use 3DCONFIG or GRAPHICSCONFIG it appears that the drivers are loaded. We are confused, are the performance drivers loaded or not...?

 

 

At first I didn't see much difference with the gamer ATI Radeon 4870 x2 with 2GB or vram. Rotation and just general repositioning on the screen appeared to be the sames as with the expensive card.

 

After a few hours...... We discovered that all our 3D graphic softwares appear to work a little bit faster. Upon doing the performance index at Windows 7 64 bit...... the video part went from 7.1 to 7.2.

 

The most significant thing we see is that our screen seems to be more clear, we think we can see more details and the lines are more smooth. We think that Photoshop CS4 64 is performing faster. The apparent speed increase on SolidWORKS 2010 is more noticeable than with the other programs.

 

We would if other users of this card could share their comments. We think the card is better but at almost 6 times more expensive than the gamer card we are not sure of what we have. We are definitely confused, we don't even know how to measure what we are seeing.

 

Thanks

Elliot

Edited April 24, 2010 by Elliot

[AJLynn]

They probably haven't got the performance driver working on Autocad 2011 yet. It just came out. Solidworks makes more sense - you're in OpenGL with that, right? That's what a Quadro's supposed to be good at. But a bit of a speed increase isn't enough for the cost of the card - for what you told me it cost, you need a speed miracle. Ditch it.

[Elliot]

Andrew

 

We were able to load the 2011 Quadro Drivers. We just used the wrong procedures at first. You have to load the regular drivers, un-install AutoCAD and re-install them, at that point AutoCAD will recgonize the Performance Drivers.

 

There is a definite and noticeable speed gain on 3D Max while moving-rotating around our large files. The lines are more smooth. The general appearance of the screen is better. On autocad 2011 MEP I see a better speed when re-positioning the image on the screen. Rendering on 3D Max is a different story, I don't see any gains and I am starting to suspect that it may even be slower than the gaming card.

 

On Solidworks there is a more noticeable speed gain. On Revit I don't notice to much of a gain. On general issues like using the explorer and other programs like Words, I feel the gamer card was faster. It is weird, the gamer card was like quick when you click on the left mouse, it was a "nervous - hyperactive" card. The Quadro has like an ellegant behaviour, no flickering or nervous and quick move but gamer card probably has faster responses. Perhaps this is all my imagination.

 

I am almost 90% sure the card will go back. The seller is a good guy and he was concerned about what I was doing. He suggested that if didn't perform it should go back to him. The gamer card is more or less the same thing. The gamer was about 600.00 with tax and the new card was about 3,400.00 with tax. The gamer card is better. I am going to play with the card for a few days before I go back.

 

One fringe benefit is that I had never played with the AutoCAD performance drivers. My 2 years old laptop has a Quadro 1600M. We loaded the Performance Drivers on the laptop and it is showing a better performance. Of course the difference with the Dual Core on the laptop and the Overclocked 980x is very big. The laptop will have to be replaced.

 

I would like to hear from other users to see if they have experienced the same with the Quadro 5800. This card is now an old card, it was launched on Oct-Nov of 2008. I wonder if there is something better. The dealers likes the Fire Pro card as well but he didn't have any of them in stock. This dealer makes machines for 3D and boxes that will carry a proprietary software for some medical imaging companies. He told me these companies prefer the Quadro 5800.

 

Thanks

Elliot

[Elliot]

The attached image on the laptop with SolidWORKs it took 19 minutes to render. On the 980x with the Quadro 5800 it took 1.25 minutes. Interesting...!

[AJLynn]

Well, you've got to understand what the Quadro does and doesn't do. It has nothing to do with the render speed - that's the i7 chip at work. It also has nothing to do with performance in Windows, Word and Photoshop. All it does it put any 3D that's calculated in real time onto the screen.

 

I'm a bit surprised at your render time. That doesn't look like a difficult render. Maybe Solidworks just has a very inefficient renderer - I haven't touched the thing in probably 10 years.

 

Does the Quadro help with the multi-display 3D presentation app you were talking about? If not, it seems like a tremendous waste of money. Seriously, that FireGL V7700 is $180 - that's 1/20th the price of the Quadro 5800 and you'll probably never tell the difference between them. The Radeon 4870 is $160 now. At over $3000 the Quadro is crazy expensive - you could put that budget into another 980X render node, or a shift lens for your Nikon, or bribe somebody to get a project (j/k) or pay an intern from Georgia Tech for the summer, the college students sure do need the work.

[Elliot]

Drew

 

Hi hi hi hi hi hi I like your ideas....... The faster speed to render is to get an intern...... hi hi hi

 

I don't know the tech things, but on SolidWORKS it is definitely a faster render. I am going to re-install the gamer card and compare the render speed of this file.

 

Yes, you are correct, there is no justification to keep the 5800...... it is just interesting to compare notes.

 

Thanks

Elliot

[Elliot]

After trying for two days, the Quadro FX 5800 was less powerful than the gamer 4870 x2. The card will go back to the dealer on Monday. The benefits of the AutoCAD performance drivers are not important enough. Solidworks will perform perhaps 1 - 2 % better on rendering but not enough to justify a $2,800.00 price differential

 

A painful experience is that I just discovered the NVidia Control Monitor Program and NVidia System Performance Monitor can not be uninstalled. I have tried a million methods and I can't get rid of these programs that are using my resources.

 

Until now I have had good experiences with NVidia. These last two days have marked a new phase, from now on I will be very careful about anything that comes out of their marketing department. This card and it's utilities are way over rated. Their marketing department is just putting out a lot of jargon to confuse potential users.

 

Regards

Elliot

Edited April 25, 2010 by Elliot

[AJLynn]

Heh. I understand what you're saying, but remember that you're not their target market for this card. (You're they're target market for cards that are cheaper but worse, but that's beside the point.) If you were doing realtime visualization for scientific or medical applications with bizarrely high poly and complicatedly textured models requiring high end/advanced OpenGL functions, you'd gain an appreciation for the 5800.

[Elliot]

Andrew

 

Interesting..... My disappointment is that their utilities and programs can not be uninstalled. Upon reading through the Internet I found there is an incredible number of people complaining of the same issues. I spent great part of the last two days trying to get rid of these programs and drivers and they simply will not uninstall. They are residing in my registry consuming resources and reminding me all the time that I will think twice before loading their programs.

 

These programs and drivers are no more than a sophisticated virus. I have gone through the registry and erased every line mentioning NVidia and they still show up.

 

On the other hand the gamer card seems to have a lower latency when you try to rotate, click or reposition the models.

 

I guess I am closing this chapter and in the future I will have to re-format my complex Sata Drives (6gbt with external controller) thanks to the nice guys at Quadro. I will sure remember this incident for a long while. Every time I open the process with the task manager I see them, every time I look at the add / remove programs I see them. Who knows what are these utilities doing there, perhaps reporting back to them!

 

Thanks

Elliot

Edited April 26, 2010 by Elliot

[AJLynn]

I don't think it's really that bad... I figure nVidia has other things to do besides spy on you, like counting their cash, but if you're really that concerned, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Slinger]

Andrew

 

Interesting..... My disappointment is that their utilities and programs can not be uninstalled. Upon reading through the Internet I found there is an incredible number of people complaining of the same issues. I spent great part of the last two days trying to get rid of these programs and drivers and they simply will not uninstall. They are residing in my registry consuming resources and reminding me all the time that I will think twice before loading their programs.

 

These programs and drivers are no more than a sophisticated virus. I have gone through the registry and erased every line mentioning NVidia and they still show up.

 

On the other hand the gamer card seems to have a lower latency when you try to rotate, click or reposition the models.

 

I guess I am closing this chapter and in the future I will have to re-format my complex Sata Drives (6gbt with external controller) thanks to the nice guys at Quadro. I will sure remember this incident for a long while. Every time I open the process with the task manager I see them, every time I look at the add / remove programs I see them. Who knows what are these utilities doing there, perhaps reporting back to them!

 

Thanks

Elliot

Go download driversweeper

[Elliot]

Chris

 

Thanks very much for the information. I had already done your suggestion and it will not un-install. I will reformat the drives. Start from scratch....... I will remember this incident for a while.... Hi hi hi hi

 

The card was returned, no questions where asked. One of the tech's at the place told me that I was not the first one to return this card.

 

Regards

Elliot