NVIDIA GeForce To Quadro Soft-Mod Guide

[Adrian Wong]

Hey, take it easy, guys... We are all here to DISCUSS and LEARN from each other.

[generalRage1982hrv]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Hey, take it easy, guys... We are all here to DISCUSS and LEARN from each other.

yes SIR
sorry but he is asking same question all the time
how to explain someone who dont wanna understand

[dude2]

If someone found an article which already provided detailed info on the h/w functionality and performance differences between GeForce and Quadro, please post that link. Even an nVidia customer support recently acknowledged that the old technical brief needs an update.

BTW, I hope that referred article has all the references/sources listed so that its content can be verified. Then, I can sum up my questions and send it to the official channel for a final verification.

Cheers!!

BTW, my another thread on the same topic is on:
The Area | What about using GeForce cards on 3ds Max?

[einzel]

I recently used this method on my 7950GT. it is now read as an FX 3500.

The only software i have to test is Solid Edge V20. I used SPECapc for SE v19 to test the graphics only.

before the driver change i got these scores (two tests)

Graphics Total Score 1.15
Smooth Shading Score 1.04
Wireframe Score 1.32
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 1.11

Graphics Total Score 1.17
Smooth Shading Score 1.05
Wireframe Score 1.33
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 1.14

and after the rivatuner trick and new quadro drivers the became

Graphics Total Score 2.28
Smooth Shading Score 2.44
Wireframe Score 1.91
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 2.55

Graphics Total Score 2.31
Smooth Shading Score 2.50
Wireframe Score 1.91
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 2.59

thought you would all like to know since i personally couldn't find much more info than has already been reported here. if you want to post these results in the primary article, go right ahead.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by einzel

I recently used this method on my 7950GT. it is now read as an FX 3500.

The only software i have to test is Solid Edge V20. I used SPECapc for SE v19 to test the graphics only.

before the driver change i got these scores (two tests)

Graphics Total Score 1.15
Smooth Shading Score 1.04
Wireframe Score 1.32
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 1.11

Graphics Total Score 1.17
Smooth Shading Score 1.05
Wireframe Score 1.33
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 1.14

and after the rivatuner trick and new quadro drivers the became

Graphics Total Score 2.28
Smooth Shading Score 2.44
Wireframe Score 1.91
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 2.55

Graphics Total Score 2.31
Smooth Shading Score 2.50
Wireframe Score 1.91
Smooth Shading with Textures/Reflections Score 2.59

thought you would all like to know since i personally couldn't find much more info than has already been reported here. if you want to post these results in the primary article, go right ahead.

Thanks, einzel!

[Dashken]

We have just updated the guide!

The NVIDIA Quadro family of professional graphics cards are very, very expensive. But everyone knows that Quadro and GeForce graphics cards are virtually identical in hardware.

Obviously, you cannot just use Quadro drivers with your GeForce graphics cards. However, there is an easy way to soft-mod (modify in software) an NVIDIA GeForce desktop graphics card into an NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics card. We will show you just how to do it in this guide.

Not only that, we have also added a new page with performance results from the soft-modding of an NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT to the Quadro FX 3500. Read on and find out.

Here's a quote from the guide :-[blockquote]"It all revolves around the driver support for professional 3D applications like 3ds Max or Maya. Quadro drivers allow the Quadro to be used to accelerate the rendering operations of such professional 3D applications while GeForce drivers do not. This is the basis for the premium prices NVIDIA (and ATI) charge for their professional-grade graphics cards."[/blockquote]

Link : NVIDIA GeForce To Quadro Soft-Mod Guide Rev. 3.1

[dude2]

Originally Posted by Dashken

We have just updated the guide!

The NVIDIA Quadro family of professional graphics cards are very, very expensive. But everyone knows that Quadro and GeForce graphics cards are virtually identical in hardware.

Obviously, you cannot just use Quadro drivers with your GeForce graphics cards. However, there is an easy way to soft-mod (modify in software) an NVIDIA GeForce desktop graphics card into an NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics card. We will show you just how to do it in this guide.

Great effort that you guys have put up! It probably makes some gamers think about doing some interior design or animation works with Quadro-like speed! However, I just wonder, could there be any penalty, such as a short-lived or burned card, for cheating system and loading a driver which is not designed for this card?

Quadro and GeForce series may be close enough, but with nVidia's own list(Answer) there are still at least ten h/w differences between the two. I can not guarantee this list is the most updated though. Please check and provide your feedback.

With these h/w differences, besides the gained performance in the tests, any study on the potential impact of using a Quadro driver on a GeForce card? Or, will the Quadro driver just ignore the non-existing parts of the h/w and move on without causing much degradation or damage to the card? Or, could some of the missing GeForce hardware features be amended by applying the Quadro driver alone even though nVidia does not quite recommend doing this(Answer)?

[generalRage1982hrv]

dude2 (again)
i dont think there will or can be any hardware probems
because driver is not tuching voltage or any other thing
driver just changes data rendering and data flow inside core and memorie (it just gives core different comands)
well if you dont uderstand what am i telling you just ask me

hmmm how to explain it to you
every gpu core can get diferent instructions
that is why you have every few days new driver from nvidia LOL
all cores are semi programible well that means you can comand it but you cant change its usage
but on the market of gpus there is one core that can be reprogramed compleatly it is called TESLA and tesla uses g80 core (that core is from first 8800 series) but other cards from nvidia you cant compeatly reprogram it
check nvidia about tesla gpu-s
here is something that will make you confused hehehhehe

[dude2]

Besides the performance gain on the benchmark tests, can we look into the unlikely but possible h/w problems in using Quadro driver on GeForce cards?

(1)hardware stability test
I am not sure that all G80 GPUs can use each other's driver without seeing much difference based on the assumption(or fact) that driver only works as a command interface to GPU and will not change voltage to damage the h/w. If that assumption or fact is true, then why does nVidia make expensive cards? They should just keep improving their drivers for the existing cards. For example, if there is no performance or funtionality difference, why did they build Quadro FX 370, 570, 1600M, and 1700 based on the same G84 processor? To alleviate this h/w performance(speed/stability) concern, has there been any stress/burnin test conducted to compare between the genuine and the emulated Quadro FX cards?

(2)Feature enhancement verification
Since AA(antialiasing) is at the top of the nVidia's own list of hardware features difference between Quadro and GeForce, let's take AA as an example. Is there any way to compare and tell the difference between setting the native(not emulated) 8800GTS/320MB to "Enhance the application setting" mode and enabling the emulated Quadro FX4600 to achieve AA?

[dude2]

Originally Posted by dude2

(1)hardware stability test
I am not sure that all G80 GPUs can use each other's driver without seeing much difference.... To alleviate this h/w performance(speed/stability) concern, has there been any stress/burnin test conducted to compare between the genuine and the emulated Quadro FX cards?

Does anyone know the difference, performance wise, among these G80s?
(1)G80-100-K0-A2 "8800 GTS 640MB"
(2)G80-100-K3-A2 "8800 GTS 320MB"
(3)G80-200 "8800 "
(4)G80-300 "8800 GTX"
(5)G80-400 "8800"
(6)G80-600 "8800 ^ ^ "

source links:
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/atta...4&d=1205934420
v174.60 XP 32bit | NVIDIA - nVision

I am not sure about what version G80 8800 Ultra or Quadro FX 4600/5600 uses though.

However, based on an online test report(8800GTS locked mem-controller, ideas and unsuccesful practice - XtremeSystems Forums), one of the six 64-bit memory controller channels of 8800GTS 320MB/640MB is blocked by nVidia. The tester can not recover the missing channel to emulate an original 384-bit memory bus Quadro FX 4600. Yet, emulating a Quadro FX 4600 640MB edition is claimed achievable. He did not get a chance to replace G80-100-K0-A2 with G80-300 on the 8800 GTS card to see how close he can emulate an FX 4600. BTW, many 8800 GTS 320MB OC edition cards are loaded with 1.1ns DDR3. If his firmmod by flashing original Quadro FX 4600 BIOS is no fluke, then isn't it an easier way for GeForce to emulate Quadro?!