NVIDIA makes some of the best graphics cards out there. So what’s the difference between Quadro and GeForce? The answer is their functionality. Quadro is focused on workstation applications, such as AutoCAD, Solidworks, Machine Learning, etc. Where as GeForce focuses on more so gaming applications, although GeForce can be used for workstation purposes as well. That being said, Quadro is more so focused and dialed in on professional software, so some can’t even play a game and the ones that can won’t be optimized. GeForce is more so the jack of all trades. It can play a game, use various professional software, and more. The biggest thing to note is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. This is the most powerful GPU made as of April 2021, that even includes the Quadro cards.
Being that GeForce and Quadro are different and function different, they also have different drivers. Its all about optimization. The drivers for GeForce are not dialed in to do something like CAD. Although the cards can run CAD, if you are strictly using it, then there is no point in getting the Quadro. Now if you were to play games on your system as well, maybe get a higher end GeForce since many Quadro cards, especially RTX Quadro, come at a higher price. The cheapest RTX Quadro Card (the RTX 4000) is still more expensive than the top of the line GeForce RTX card (the 3090). So exactly what can you do with each card?
NVIDIA GeForce
The GeForce cards, as stated above, is the jack of all trades. GeForce can be used for gaming, professional software, and really anything you want it to be for. That being said, they shine through in gaming and are not too well optimized for workstation purposes. GeForce offers the best possible experience while gaming, with features and drivers focused in on gaming. An example of this is DLSS. DLSS uses artificial intelligence to scale down game models and rescale it back up to make it look how its supposed to. What this does is give you a decent performance boost, however this changes game to game since it is up to the developer to implement it.
That being said, the RTX 3090 can function for both and is practically unbeatable for working and gaming. But what does a GeForce card struggle with? It mostly struggles with being optimized for professional applications. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will run bad using a professional application. What this means is, although performance may not be on par with a Quadro card, the card may look past potential issues due to the drivers. So for example, if you use AutoCAD with a GeForce card, you may get equal performance or slightly worse to a Quadro card, however if an issue arises the drivers will fail to correct the issue fast enough and can crash your software. A Quadro card has this already in the drivers, so it will prevent this from happening and be able to address the issue as it pops up.
GeForce cards offer less VRAM than Quadro cards, yet have similar clock speeds. This is mainly because games don’t need that much VRAM. The top of the line RTX Quadro card is the RTX 8000 which has 48GB of VRAM, compared to the top of the line GeForce card, which is the RTX 3090, has 24GB VRAM. Games will not use the extra VRAM, so NVIDIA does not put more VRAM to keep costs down since it will not offer any benefit.
Although GeForce good at almost everything, it is no Quadro when it comes to running at a professional level. Quadro cards come at a much higher cost than GeForce cards, so why not just get two GeForce cards and connect them with NVLink? Because it still might not be as good as a Quadro card. It is up to the application developer to determine how well two graphics cards may perform together, so having two GPUs may offer 0 performance benefit at all.
NVIDIA Quadro
As said throughout this post, Quadro cards are mostly focused on being hardcore workstation cards. Yes, GeForce can run professional applications, but with some exceptions, Quadro is untouchable when it comes to running these software. This is why Supernova Gaming only offers Workstation GPUs on our Workstations. Our workstations are focused on being exactly just that. professional-grade workstations. For those who want a workstation and also game, we recommend looking at a Gaming PC. So what makes Quadro so professional grade? The drivers mostly, but also how smooth it handles 3D models, rendering complex scenes, making advanced calculations, and more. There is a chance that doing this on a GeForce card it may stutter or temporarily freeze, or how stated above, may even crash a software.
Quadro is dialed in to do these tasks, so having that happen is unlikely. Not only is the hardware of these cards dialed in for this, but also the drivers. The other thing that makes Quadro so amazing at professional-grade uses is the VRAM. These uses will use the VRAM to its max potential, where as a game won’t which is why GeForce has less VRAM than Quadro. On top of this, Quadro has way more processing power. It can complete calculations in significantly less time. This is especially good for those looking for a workstation to do Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence.
Due to this, Quadro cards are also specifically engineered to make these calculations over long periods of time and use. They are more power efficient and heat efficient. Overall, they are more robust than a GeForce card due to the nature of the tasks that is expected from them.
Which is right for you?
A GeForce card is the right pick for you if you plan on strictly gaming with no professional work. Even if you plan on doing professional work and gaming on the side, maybe look into the RTX 3090 or potentially the RTX 3080. If you are strictly into professional work, we definitely recommend a Quadro card. They are unbeatable when it comes to these tasks, although they cannot play games and if they can are not optimized. If you mostly do professional grade work and play some lightweight games (2D games, older 3D games), then a Quadro card may work well for you. But if you plan on doing professional work and play modern games, GeForce is the right way to go.
Potentially, you can get a workstation PC and a gaming PC in one system. The Supernova Gaming Andromeda build offers a Dual PC setup in a single case. This combines an ATX or E-ATX motherboard with a Mini ITX in a single case. So you can have that Mini ITX system be your workstation, and that ATX/E-ATX be your gaming PC, or vice versa. Note, Dual PC setup is special order. For more information, contact the Supernova Gaming team.
All Supernova Gaming PCs come with Lifetime Parts & Service Warranty as well as Lifetime Support and offer free continental US shipping.
