Part 1 -
For most of us, any web search on Quadro/GTX combinations throws up a virtual minefield of ‘unsuccessful’ attempts, and 101 reasons why it can’t be done? Sure, dual boot systems work, (sometimes with limited functionality, e.g. single GPU at a time), but for me, the challenge was to be able to switch between CAD, (2x GPU cards), and Gaming modes without needing to reboot or re-configure the computer.
I have written this post to explain how I have managed to install a Quadro P2000 AND GeForce GTX 1080TI into my HP Z620 workstation. For 3D CAD work, (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, etc.), I use the Quadro as the primary display adapter with the 11GB Pascal GTX 1080TI for additional CUDA GPU computation, (i.e. when rendering in SolidWorks Visualize).
At the press of a button, (without closing any open windows, applications, or rebooting), the workstation switches to the GTX 1080TI as the primary graphics adapter, and you have a gaming machine capable of playing any game at 4K resolution and at ‘ultra’ settings!!
Press a button and your back to a serious dual GPU CAD/modelling/rendering workstation. (In reality, it takes 3 seconds to switch modes, but I’ll explain this a little later in the post).
Note: In my computer set up, I always boot with the P2000 + GTX 1080TI combination, the P2000 being the primary graphics adapter in Windows. If I want serious DirectX performance, I press a button and switch directly to the GTX 1080TI as the primary graphics adapter. I am using a single 34” 3440 x 1440 ultra-wide curved display in this set-up.
First things first though;
- Any deviation from the HP approved hardware configurations or system specifications, e.g. PCIe card maximum power consumption, will invalidate your HP warranty . . .
The Quadro P2000 (75W) and GTX 1080TI (250W) does exceed this limit. (My previous configuration consisted of a Quadro K4200 (108W) and liquid cooled Tesla M2090 (225W) and I ran this for about 8 months without any problems [and with 2x E5-2690 Xeons], so . . . Let’s call it a calculated gamble based on the HP build quality). AT YOUR OWN RISK – Thank you.
- Although I have managed to install a Quadro P2000 and GTX 1080TI card in to my HP Z620 workstation, I do not know for certain if other Quadro/GTX card combinations will work. Especially if mixing different chipsets, e.g. Pascal, Maxwell, Kepler, or brands NVidia, AMD? If you’re buying from scratch, perhaps safer not to mix. If anyone else is running a different GPU combination, perhaps they could add their solution or findings to this post?
- Just a little word of caution, to save you the same embarrassment I went through. If you do decide to upgrade your graphics cards, check that your software supports the latest Pascal architecture first, e.g. SolidWorks 2016 being a good example. All I am saying is, wiser to check first, as it may be rather expensive to replace or upgrade your software. This caution mainly applies to the Quadro users. Ironically, if I had checked SolidWorks compatibility first, I would have never have purchased either of the graphics cards = no posting this solution. Luckily, I was able to upgrade my SolidWorks software.
- Lastly, For baseline reference, my full system; HP Z620 (boot block 2013), 1x Xeon E5-2667 v2 (8C/16T, 3.3/4GHz), 64GB Hynix PC3-14900R 1866MHz, PNY Quadro P2000 5GB GDDR5 (PCIe slot 5), PALIT GeForce GTX 1080TI FE 11GB GDDR5X (PCIe slot 2), Samsung 256GB SM951 SSD (via ASUS HYPER M.2 X4 MINI PCIe adapter – PCIe slot 4) UEFI boot disc, 480GB SanDisk Ultra II, 2TB Hitachi 7200rpm, 4TB Seagate 5900rpm, ICY Dock 2.5/3.5” hot swap bay, Samsung 34” Curved Ultra-Wide (21:9) 3440 x 1440 display, Tascam US-1641, Behringer Truth B2031A - active monitors. Windows 7 Professional.
If you want to see some benchmarks, (e.g. Passmark, Cinebench, SolidWorks Visualize GPU Rendering), I’ve added them towards the end of my post, in part 3.