Modern graphics cards are very expensive. For example, the price of the NVidia GeForce GTX 2060 RTX exceeds the mark of a thousand dollars. Naturally, at such prices, the vast majority of users will not be able to afford such a card. There is only one way out: turn to solutions from the recent past. The NVidia Quadro FX 580 looks very interesting in this regard. This is a wonderful video card of 2009, which is still able to show good performance. Especially if you come across an overclocked sample from Sapphire or ASUS. But first things first. To begin, consider the key features of this video card.
What kind of video card is this?
The NVidia Quadro FX 580 is a powerful graphics card designed for the needs of professionals. She's great at working with videos in programs like Pinnacle or Sony Vegas. Working with graphics in "Photoshop" is also quite capable of it. This video adapter was announced and released in 2009. And at that time he belonged to the top segment. Now its performance is comparable to some discrete adapters in laptops. But even this is enough for most tasks. In modern realities, this graphics adapter is far behind even budget options. But it costs a lot less.
The main problem is that the NVidia Quadro FX 580 has long ceased to produce. You can find this video card only in the secondary market. And this is always a lottery. You never know how long a used graphics card will last. Nevertheless, it is worth the risk. Buy a professional graphics card at a ridiculous price? Why not? It is worth noting that there will be almost no performance in toys. It is not intended to run games. But in programs such as AutoCAD, Pinnacle, or Sony Vegas, the performance gain will be noticeable. And now it's time to consider the main characteristics of the product.
Key Specifications
It's time to turn to the dry numbers and consider the specifications of the NVidia Quadro FX 580 512MB. To connect this video card, the PCI-E 16x 2.0 port is used, which is present in almost any modern motherboard. The adapter uses the G96 GPU, codenamed Tesla. It is manufactured using the 65 nm manufacturing process and can simultaneously support two monitors with a maximum screen resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. In the mathematical block there are 32 processors operating at higher frequencies. The operating frequency of the memory bus is 1600 megahertz. The graphics core operates at a frequency of 450 megahertz. For professional tasks this is enough.
This video adapter provides a color depth of 128 bits. That is why it refers to solutions for professionals. There is support for pixel shaders of the fourth version, full support for CUDA and the degree of anisotropic filtering 16x. The video card supports DirectX 10.0, OpenGL 3.0 graphics engines. On the 12th version of "Direct" and you can not dream of. The amount of video memory is 512 megabytes. But in the case of professional video adapters, volume is not the main thing. Here the role is played by the core frequency and memory bus. It is these indicators that affect productivity.
Connectors and Interfaces
The NVidia Quadro FX 580, which we started here to review, has one main DVI type connection interface. Outdated VGA is not provided here at all. at least in the kit there is an adapter for this connector. In addition to the main interface, there are two more DisplayPort ports. They are used to connect additional monitors. There are no more interfaces. There was no HDMI in those days, but they did not introduce analog S-Video into a professional video card. Yes, he is not needed there. This adapter was not intended for watching movies on TV at all. But support for multiple monitors is a mandatory attribute of a professional video card. Therefore, such support is implemented here. In general, the set of interfaces on the adapter is rather scarce. Although in 2009 he was considered the top. Now let's talk about performance.
Gaming performance
Those who bought the NVidia Quadro FX 580, whose characteristics we reviewed a little higher, in the hope that their favorite toys will fly at medium graphics settings, will be severely disappointed. This squeaky graphics adapter launches World of Warcraft Cataclysm with minimal graphics settings. And there’s no talk about favorite tanks at all. The game does not even start with this graphics adapter. With this video card you can only play toys from 2008-2009. And hope for a high FPS is not worth it. Even the GeForce 610M, installed in budget laptops, has much better gaming performance. So you should not count on much. If you are looking for a video card for toys, then you should refrain from purchasing this model.
Program Performance
But in specialized programs, the performance increase is noticeable. Users say that in programs such as AutoCAD, the increase was about 150% when using the NVidia Quadro FX 580. The driver that comes with the card itself will not give such an increase. You need to download a professional from the official website of the manufacturer. After installing it, you can count on the maximum numbers. Also, the adapter showed itself quite well when editing video in Sony Vegas and Adobe Premiere. In general, this graphics adapter is still suitable for professional tasks. and it’s worth buying it in the secondary market if you are editing video or creating high-quality graphics. Moreover, the price of this video card will be ridiculously low. Do not miss the chance to become the owner of a professional graphics adapter.
Positive feedback from owners
And what do those who purchased NVidia Quadro FX 580 say? User reviews are mixed. Approximately the same number of both positive and negative comments. But it's better to start with the pros. So, the owners of this graphics adapter claim that it really provides the highest performance in professional applications. Some say that the increase in performance compared to conventional video cards was 500% (but somehow it is hard to believe). Also, users note that the work of standard drivers in most cases is satisfactory. Sometimes you don’t even need to download special drivers for a particular application. But it depends on the program itself.
Another feature of the NVidia Quadro FX 580 is its good cooling system. Most models are equipped with an excellent radiator with thin fins and a cooler. The latter is quite simple, but it effectively cools the graphics core and the memory bus. Especially users note support for CUDA. This technology allows you to unload the processor and force the graphics card to do the computing. The owners of this graphics card also say that the video card has compact dimensions and fits in almost any housing. And this also applies to the benefits. And, of course, the price of this graphic adapter is incredibly pleasing. As they say, it’s cheaper only for nothing.
Negative owner reviews
And now about what users did not like about the NVidia Quadro FX 580. First of all, users were disappointed with any gaming performance. And indeed it is. This video card is not designed to run toys. And this fact is specifically mentioned by the manufacturer in the technical specifications of the adapter. Also, users did not like the lack of a VGA port for connecting a monitor. But this interface has long been outdated. And its absence is explained very simply: the manufacturer looked to the future. And there is no place for obsolete technology. Especially in the professional segment. Another feature: some programs work very poorly with the standard drivers for this graphics adapter. And here nothing can be done. The only way out: download special drivers specifically for this program. Only then can maximum performance be achieved.
Verdict
So is it worth it to look for this video card in the secondary market? The answer to this question entirely depends on how you plan to use the graphics adapter. If your area of interest is video processing or creating graphics, then you can safely purchase this adapter. It is also suitable for engineers working in AutoCAD. But if you like toys, then it makes no sense to purchase this video card. Performance in games you will not see. Yes, and in modern versions of professional applications, you will not get a significant increase in productivity. But in older versions - please.
Conclusion
So, we looked at a professional graphics adapter from the past called the NVidia Quadro FX 580. The description turned out to be quite detailed. This video card can be easily used by professionals to this day. But you can find it only in the secondary market.