Test Drive: Nvidia Quadro CX and Adobe CS4, Part 1

Nvidia Quadro CX

Last month, we compared Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) performance on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows systems, finding that 64-bit proved superior in nearly all tests (see part 1 and part 2). This month, in our quest to identify the optimal CS4 configuration, we look at graphic chip manufacturer Nvidia''s Quadro CX technology—which, according to Nvidia''s website, “is the accelerator for Adobe Creative Suite 4—giving creative professionals the performance, tools, and reliability they need to maximize their creativity.” If you find this marketing language sufficiently compelling to press the soothing green BUY NOW button, you''ll find prices ranging from about $1,650 to $2,200, depending upon the card''s manufacturer. Obviously, maximizing your creativity doesn''t come cheap.

So, in this month''s affordable HD, I''ll analyze the Quadro CX''s performance in Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere Pro, but you''ll have to wait for the second installment for that. To provide a perspective for those results, in the first installment, I''ll present a very brief history of the graphics marketplace, describe OpenGL and detail what new OpenGL features are supported in CS4.

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Test Drive: Nvidia Quadro CX and Adobe CS4, Part 2 This month, we're looking at how Nvidia's Quadro CX technology (around $2,000 at B&H Photo Video) can accelerate performance in Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4)... CS4 and 64-bit Systems, Part 1 So there I was, testing Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4)''s AVCHD compatibility. I created a simple project, about 4 minutes long, two picture-in-picture overlays with simple rotation and color correction... CS4 and 64-bit Systems, Part 2 In this month''s first installment, I discussed the technical aspects of 64-bit computing as it related to Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) performance...

I started my writing career at PC Magazine, back in the day where teams of multiple reviewers would analyze 65 graphics cards from a dozen or so small vendors and proclaim an Editor''s Choice, guaranteeing vendor solvency at least until the next product cycle. At that time, most graphics card vendors produced their own graphics chips—which is as inefficient as HP, Apple, and Dell manufacturing their own CPUs.

In time, several developers of graphics processing units (GPUs) evolved—most notably Nvidia. Centralizing this product development function proved very efficient, and in relatively short order, only a few GPU vendors remained—including Nvidia, ATI, and Matrox. Those graphics vendors that didn''t get bought or go out of business used technology from one of these three companies—again, primarily Nvidia.

Through the mid-'90s, the demands of digital content creation (DCC), primarily 3D design, spawned and maintained a separate category of workstation graphics cards in addition to mainstream graphics, which focused primarily on performance with business applications and video playback. If you were doing serious DCC work back in the last century, you probably needed a high-end workstation graphics card.

Then came computer-based gaming, which spawned a mass-market need for the same type of 3D display performance at which workstation graphics excelled. The focus of mass-market GPU vendors shifted from business performance to games, producing an inexpensive range of very high-performance 3D-capable chips. These chips in hand, Nvidia started targeting the workstation market, which the company soon dominated.

Nvidia now has two primary desktop-focused, chip-based brands: GeForce for gamers and Quadro for workstations. Scratch beneath the surface, and you''ll find that the technologies are very similar. The Quadro supports some high-end 3D design functions that the GeForce doesn''t, and it offers drivers certified for critical DCC applications such as Autodesk AutoCAD and 3ds Max.

All this is a long way of saying that for the last six or seven years, you really didn''t need a high-end workstation class graphics card for Premiere Pro, Photoshop, or After Effects. As long as you had the memory to support your HD formats (usually 250MB-500MB) and dual output ports, any $300-to-$500 card would do.

So what happened with CS4 that would change that dynamic?

Figure 1. Obligatory Photoshop picture with beautiful woman. No wonder Deke McClelland''s tutorials are so popular.

In short, CS4 supports more OpenGL-related functions than does CS3—so much so that OpenGL support should now be considered a requirement. What the heck is OpenGL? Let''s explore.

Back in the dawn of DCC, the host CPU performed all rendering—which was painfully slow because its design was optimized for general computing, and the CPU had plenty of other stuff to do. OpenGL stands for Open Graphics Library, and it''s a cross-platform standard for producing 2D and 3D computer graphics. OpenGL allows DCC programs to hand off rendering tasks to GPUs that were optimized for rendering, which lets the CPU do its thing and speeds overall throughput.

OpenGL started in the DCC market, but game vendors soon found that they faced a similar problem: how to speed game play. Not surprisingly, most game developers started to support OpenGL as well as Direct3D, Microsoft''s proprietary competing standard. This meant that game-oriented cards also started supporting OpenGL, which means there''s probably a good chance that your current workstation—even without a workstation-class card—supports OpenGL and can take advantage of the CS4 OpenGL-related features.

Figure 2. If the checkbox for Enable OpenGL Drawing is active in Photoshop, you''ve got an OpenGL card.

What CS4 features are now supported by OpenGL? They vary by program.

Most of Photoshop''s new navigational features, such as Animated Zoom and hand toss, require OpenGL. OpenGL also accelerates 3D Axis and the 3D Lights widget. Adobe details the new features in a TechNote appropriately titled “GPU accelerated features in Photoshop CS4 and Bridge CS4”. You can also view a screencam video describing these new functions from Deke McLelland at the Lynda.com site (go here, click Navigation and OpenGL).

How can you tell if your current card supports OpenGL? Open your Preferences window to the Performance page, and if the Enable OpenGL Drawing checkbox is active, you have it. Otherwise, you don''t.

Figure 3. Ditto for After Effects.

After Effects enjoyed extensive OpenGL support in previous versions. In CS4, Adobe added even more, including OpenGL support for camera depth of field and nested compositions. You can tell if you have an OpenGL-enabled graphics card in the Previews page of the Preferences window. If the Enable OpenGL is active, you have an OpenGL capable card. If not, your card either doesn''t support OpenGL, or there''s a driver issue preventing After Effects from seeing your card.

Regarding Premiere Pro, the minimum system requirements include an OpenGL-capable card, but I was unable to find any details as to what functions were accelerated.

OK, by now you should be convinced that you need an OpenGL-enabled graphics card for CS4. The big question is whether you need the Quadro CX.

Before signing off until next issue, I''ll note that Adobe has posted a list of compatible cards for both After Effects and Photoshop. Note that the Quadro CX isn''t listed in either, though I''m sure that''s an oversight. Interestingly, the list of supported cards includes game-oriented graphics cards based on chips like the GeForce GTX 260, which costs less than $300.

So if you don''t have an OpenGL-capable card, you can get one for about 1/7 the price of the CX. Does this make the CX overkill? Probably, for many mainstream users. At the high end, however, there are several compelling business cases for the CX, or a card in its class. Check back in two weeks for the test drive.