Monday, April 20, 2009, 01:00 pm

NVIDIA unveils $1800 Quadro FX 4800 card for Apple's Mac Pro

By AppleInsider Staff

Filling a void for a true professional video card on the Mac platform, NVIDIA on Monday announced plans to begin shipping its Quadro FX 4800 ultra-high-end solution for the Mac Pro next month.

The $1800 card boasts 192 parallel processor cores and a massive 1.5GB frame buffer with memory bandwidth of up to 76.8 GB/sec. NVIDIA says this architecture delivers high throughput for interactive visualization of large models, high-performance for real time processing of large textures and frames, and the highest quality and resolution with full-scene antialiasing.

Each Quadro FX 4800 also features a standard 3-pin stereo connector for true 3D stereoscopic imaging in modeling applications requiring 3D glasses, as well two dual-link DVI digital connectors capable of driving a pair of 30-inch Apple Cinema Displays.

"With its sophisticated GPU architecture and industry leading features, the Quadro FX 4800 delivers a substantial boost in graphics performance and capabilities, allowing users to continue to push the boundaries of realism and performance in markets such as: architecture, content creation, science and medicine," NVIDIA said.


The Quadro FX 4800 also support's NVIDIA's CUDA parallel computing architecture and will offer full GPU acceleration for Windows when using Boot Camp to run the Microsoft operating system. Attendees at the NAB conference in Las Vegas this week can check out the card in action at booth SL 7906.


NVIDIA says the Quadro FX 4800 will be available through Apple.com and select Apple resellers and workstation integrators in May. It will also be available through NVIDIA channel partners PNY Technologies (US and EMEA), Leadteck (APAC) and Elsa (Japan).