Latest NVIDIA ForceWare Video Drivers

[airline_freak]

just installing frontiles : fuel of war now.. let u know if it works fine.. Unrealtournament GOTY (game of the year edition ) works fine lol..

 

[Bubba]

No nTune, no rivatuner.

This is not nTune and not a version of nTune...
nForce System Tools with ESA Support

Products supported:
nForce 790i Ultra SLI
nForce 790i SLI
nForce 780i SLI
nForce 680i SLI
nForce 680i LT SLI

Weird, now that I have it downloaded and installed, I see that it is something that was on my computer before. Why it didn't make it to this re installation I don't know. Fuuny thing is that now I have it and am running the system update, it is having me load the same updates I have already loaded lol. Right now it's having me download and run the 9.64 (Mobo update) that I re-ran and re installed before I downloaded the 6.01 (system tools). I'll play along lol. Wonder if it is going to try to get me to update my BIOS again as well? Can't do that. the disk doesn't run twice lol. Will it have me download the 174.74 again as well? You can tell I've installed this operating system many times as I have all the file numbers for the drivers memorized.........

 

[Bubba]

Latest stupid question. It wants to put the system monitor and something else in the Program x86 files. Is that where it is supposed to go or by allowing it, am I letting it default into installing the 32 bit version? In other words, if I were to change the location to the regular Program files instead, it would load the 64 bit version. I was never asked which drivers or monitor I wanted.

 

[HexManiac]

Latest stupid question. It wants to put the system monitor and something else in the Program x86 files. Is that where it is supposed to go or by allowing it, am I letting it default into installing the 32 bit version? In other words, if I were to change the location to the regular Program files instead, it would load the 64 bit version. I was never asked which drivers or monitor I wanted.

Let it roll. That's where mine went.

 

[airline_freak]

hey guys my problem got sorted out.. i installed the drivers i got with my card n then updated them through windows update n now my experience index is fine.. thanks anywasy guys.. :D*

 

[raziel2710]

or by allowing it, am I letting it default into installing the 32 bit version?

If it's an x64 Vista you're installing to then it won't matter where you put it. If it has x64 extensions then it'll run in x64 mode. If it only has 32 bit extensions then it'll only run in x32 mode.

 

[Bubba]

Ah but that is the problem. The download only says for 32 and 64 bit systems but I didn't know how to examine it before I ran it. Some programs that you download give the the option of choosing but i'm just to new at this to know whether or not if they don't ask then they default to 32bit. Make any sense? LOL my thought is clear to me but when I read what I just wrote it seemed a little muddy. I have a tendency to over think some things and under think others.

 

[mkprilliman]

Ah but that is the problem. The download only says for 32 and 64 bit systems but I didn't know how to examine it before I ran it. Some programs that you download give the the option of choosing but i'm just to new at this to know whether or not if they don't ask then they default to 32bit. Make any sense? LOL my thought is clear to me but when I read what I just wrote it seemed a little muddy. I have a tendency to over think some things and under think others.

Bubba, what you are installing is most likely a native 32-bit app. Vista x64 will detect this and prompt you to install it to the "Progam Files (x86)" folder. Apps that are installed to this location are optimized to automatically map to the 32-bit address space they were intended for (a.k.a. the WOW 32 layer) without forcing Vista x64 to figure it out on its own. That's why they can get away with advertising it as being either 32 or 64-bit compatible. If it were a native 64-bit app it would install itself directly to the "Progam Files" folder by default and execute in its full 64-bit glory.

As you mentioned, some apps will let you choose to install it to whatever folder you want, but doing this will require the OS to be forced to figure out the memory mapping at runtime. Given the specs for your rig this delay is probably going to be pretty insignificant, but it will incur a perf hit nonetheless.

 

[grimreaper]

Hi Grimreaper,

Sorry to hear about your mobo's death. You should not have to install the video drivers twice. Vista should auto detect it and assign the same current drivers to it.

Shawn

Yeah, it worked no problems and used ntune's latest version enabled both my 8800 GTX OCII in SLi.
I do really like that 780i SLi mobo from evga and when it died, it also messed up my confidence in their products, but I am now rested at how fast this replacement worked so well.
Another happy customer.

 

[grimreaper]

Sorry GR, can't help you there. It doesn't sound likely that you'ld need 2 drivers but then I'm pretty inept at tech stuff anyway. I just scrape by mostly, with help from people like yourself.
I bet you'll get some amazing results from 2 GTXs. So far I'm dead pleased with my GTS but I haven't really given it a lengthy test in games yet. Also if 169.25 remains stable I think I'll stick with it for a while rather than trying newer drivers. I think that's what screwed my system with the other card.
Can't remember if I said anything bad about Overclockers,co.uk but I was getting frantic with the Gigabyte card. Anyway they have given me a refund and been totally honourable so I would recommend them to anyone.
Why not mail Nvidia direct about SLI drivers? Or maybe there will be something in their knowledge base/FAQs. Good luck and let us know how they perform once you get them running. John

Thanx for the response John.
I did figure out you have to only install one time the nvidia driver, in my case, it was 169.44.
Enabled both GTX OCII in SLi configurations, and rocks on nooo problems.
I love 8800 cards (8 series GPU's-GT/GTS/GTX/Ultra, and I really don't see why I should upgrade to the 9 series GPU's just yet, besides the incredible MSRP prices, and a mere performance gain, but don't quote me on that, as I have been hearing some good news on those 9800GX2's.

 

[Brink]

Grimreaper,

I'm glad to hear that you got things back up and running again.

Next time keep your GrimReaper "Touch of Death" finger away from the motherboard. LOL

Shawn

 

[xguntherc]

Hmm.. ya I have a xfx 8600GT and the xfx site had me install the 169.32 witch like someone here said is the Modded version of the 169.25 modded by XFX.. so there's nothing Officially released newer than what I have.. I did try the 174.74 and it would not install.. said it coun't find proper device on my system or something like that.. so I'm stickin with the 169.32 for now.. I guess? unlesss someone has a better idea or a way to get the 174 to work

 

[Bubba]

Hi Grimreaper,

Sorry to hear about your mobo's death. You should not have to install the video drivers twice. Vista should auto detect it and assign the same current drivers to it.

Shawn

Yeah, it worked no problems and used ntune's latest version enabled both my 8800 GTX OCII in SLi.
I do really like that 780i SLi mobo from evga and when it died, it also messed up my confidence in their products, but I am now rested at how fast this replacement worked so well.
Another happy customer.

Did you stick with the 780 or upgrade to the 790i Ultra?

 

[Bubba]

Hmm.. ya I have a xfx 8600GT and the xfx site had me install the 169.32 witch like someone here said is the Modded version of the 169.25 modded by XFX.. so there's nothing Officially released newer than what I have.. I did try the 174.74 and it would not install.. said it coun't find proper device on my system or something like that.. so I'm stickin with the 169.32 for now.. I guess? unlesss someone has a better idea or a way to get the 174 to work

My first evga 790i was defective so I returned it and they gave me the xfx version. Before I opened the box I called the tech support number. CLOSED. I took it back and made them give me the EVGA version back. No more xFx for me. I see they slack on their drivers as well..........

 

[HexManiac]

My first evga 790i was defective so I returned it and they gave me the xfx version. Before I opened the box I called the tech support number. CLOSED. I took it back and made them give me the EVGA version back. No more xFx for me. I see they slack on their drivers as well..........

LOL...174.74 is the latest nvidia beta driver. XFX may have crappy tech support (I don't know, I've never had to use it) but just because an nvidia beta doesn't load on one person's system doesn't mean they slack on drivers. They don't even write them. They just use the reference drivers and maybe add info to the .inf. I have the 174.74 running on a dual XFX 8800GTX rig. They work just fine.

Both EVGA and XFX are nvidia reference mobo and video card designs. Both are manufactured by the same company and both use drivers from the nvidia website. If you use the drivers from the EVGA or XFX site, usually all that is different is the .inf file. Your card may show up as "XFX 8800 Alpha Dog Edition" instead of "Nvidia 8800 GTS" (just paraphrasing here).

Beta drivers are just that...BETA. No telling what will crash if you use them. Mine crashes occasionally when I use a TV tuner.

Q6600 / XFX 780i
8GB OCX 800MHz
2x XFX 8800GTX
Auzen X-Fi Prelude
150 Raptor / 500GB / 750GB / 750GB
Antec 900 / Antec TPQ 1000W / Samsung Syncmaster 214T

 

[Bubba]

174.74 is not a "beta driver", it is the latest signed, certified, approved, kissed by Bill Gates, whatever the hell you want to call it, driver from nVidia.

 

[HexManiac]

174.74 is not a "beta driver", it is the latest signed, certified, approved, kissed by Bill Gates, whatever the hell you want to call it, driver from nVidia.

Not for an 8xxx series card. Now for your setup it is. But for the 8600GT we were talking about, it is 'beta'.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Bubba,

I agree with what you said. 174.74 is a WHQL driver, but only for the 9XXX series of cards. For the earlier series, such as the 8XXX, 7XXX (I use the 7600GT) and 6XXX, the latest WHQL driver is still 169.25.
Dwarf

 

[Bubba]

Hi Bubba,

I agree with what you said. 174.74 is a WHQL driver, but only for the 9XXX series of cards. For the earlier series, such as the 8XXX, 7XXX (I use the 7600GT) and 6XXX, the latest WHQL driver is still 169.25.
Dwarf

Yeah I figured that out on another thread where Hex was helping someone else. LOL I went to the Nvidia page and checked the 8800 drivers. But now for my other question.

Why is it so important to have the WHQL drivers? I had problems when i downloaded the drivers from EVGA (they weren't WHQL) but when I downloaded the SAME driver from nVidia, it worked like a charm because it had the WHQL on it. is that just a cheesy way that Microsoft squeezes a few more pennies out of the companies that write stuff and make stuff that works with the MS OS? Isn't that kind of like the old fashioned shakedown? Give me 50 bucks and I'll make sure your store doesn't burn down.............

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Bubba,

One of the reasons why I, and others, recommend WHQL drivers is because they have been signed. This guarantees that the actual code in the driver hasn't been tampered with, and that the driver has been tested and found to cause no problems in the majority of systems. In your case, I notice that you are running 64-bit, and on these systems a signed driver is, to my knowledge, a necessity as unsigned drivers are blocked from installing. Of course, sometimes problems do creep in, even with WHQL drivers, and this is one of the reasons why newer versions of drivers are being constantly developed. Also, new hardware is being developed all the time, so nVidia and other manufacturers need to keep their drivers up to date so that they work with the newer technology.
Dwarf