Optimize nvidia video windows 7

Hello,

I came across this post looking for answers, and thought I would add my two cents. I am currently running:

Intel E8400 @ 3.0Ghz (stock)
4 Gb Gskill PC2-6400
Abit AW9D-MAX
EVGA Geforce 8800GT
Seagate ST3250410AS 250Gb
Corsair 650W PWS
Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit
Samsung 2233BW (1680x1050@60Hz) + Dell 19" CRT (1280x1024@75Hz)

I am currently using the 196.21 drivers with decent results, however, some games like Crysis, BF2142, World In Conflict, and BF:BC2 Beta, are "hitchy" and lag at least once a minute, and video on hulu or adultswim has the same issue. This has been present since the first install of the 195 drivers on a clean installation of Win7. Are there any guides out there for optimizing the display and Nvidia settings for Win7? Also, which DirectX 9 versions are best for Win7? I am aware of the 9.0c, and I believe there is a March beta version or something similar. Thanks for your time and input!

samas