KB 318001 - NVIDIA Quadro Sync

KB 318001 - NVIDIA Quadro Sync

NVIDIA Quadro Sync

is a technology designed to synchronize multiple GPUs and displays to create ultra-high resolution, perfectly synchronized visual outputs.


Figure: NVIDIA Quadro Sync II Card

The NVIDIA Quadro Sync II card installs into an available PCI Express slot in the system, but it does not utilize any electrical or data connections via the PCIe bus.

Key Features of Quadro Sync Card

  1. Synchronization: Quadro Sync connects to select NVIDIA RTX and Quadro GPUs, synchronizing them with the attached displays or projectors. This ensures that all displays are perfectly in sync, which is crucial for applications like video walls, simulators, and large-scale visualization systems.
  2. NVIDIA Mosaic Technology: Quadro Sync enables NVIDIA Mosaic technology, allowing you to scale the resolution of any application across multiple displays seamlessly. This is particularly useful for creating large, high-resolution display setups
  3. Flexibility and Scalability: The system is designed to be flexible and scalable. You can connect up to 32 displays or projectors per system, making it suitable for a wide range of applications from broadcasting to research labs
  4. Frame Lock and Stereo Sync: Quadro Sync supports frame lock and stereo sync, ensuring that all displays are perfectly aligned and synchronized, which is essential for stereoscopic 3D displays and other advanced visualization techniques.
  5. Compatibility: It supports various operating systems, including Windows and Linux, and works with NVIDIA RTX Enterprise/Quadro drivers.
NVIDIA NVLink is a high-speed GPU interconnect that provides a much faster alternative to traditional PCIe-based solutions for multi-GPU systems. By connecting two NVIDIA graphics cards with NVLink, you can scale memory and performance (if the application supports it) to handle your most demanding visual computing tasks. The NVLink bridge also includes some of the same synchronization signals used by Quadro Sync. The table below offers a quick comparison.

NV Link Bridge
Quadro Sync II
Recommended for basic Mosaic setup with up to 8 Displays
Supports all kind of Mosaic related requirements 
Supports only GPUs with NV link Bridge functionality. Latest ADA Series GPUs are not supported
Support wide range of GPUs including latest ADA series ones
Support a single node with up to two GPU cards
Supports 8 GPU cards per node and can scale to large clusters with multiple nodes
It is also not possible to synchronize these GPUs to an external sync
Supports external Sync Sources

It is also important to note that even though Mosaic mode can be enabled when GPUs are connected through the PCIe bus, it is not synchronized. GPUs must be connected by either NV Link or Quadro Sync card to synchronize the mosaic output.