Nvidia Will Unify Desktop, Laptop Drivers
The 256 Series will put desktops and laptops on equal footing.
Electronista reports that Nvidia is working on a set of unified drivers for both the desktop and discrete notebook GPUs. Although the Verde driver program has been somewhat successful over the years, the upcoming 256 Series will change the rules by placing both platforms on equal footing, providing features and fixes to both at the same time. Previously, notebook users had to wait on OEMs to provide updated drivers, however this method meant lagged updates and delayed features already enjoyed on the desktop.
HotHardware adds that this will certainly benefit notebook owners, allowing them to use CUDA-enabled applications that weren't available before because pre-installed notebook drivers didn't enable CUDA. The site also reports that the upcoming 256 Series will also bring features such as ambient occlusion, compatibility updates, SLI profiles for many recent games, and 3D Vision support on compatible systems.
For consumers who plan on purchasing a 3D HDTV, the new driver suite will allow compatible notebooks to connect and display 3D multimedia content (using the glasses supplied with the HDTV). There was also mention that the 256 Series may make unplayable games function correctly thanks to performance enhancements in the Nvidia 197 series drivers (over the 17x / 18x series).
Although the 256 Series drivers will be unified, they won't come in the same installation package--desktop and notebook owners will still need to download their drivers separately, but in the same timeframe. Compatible notebooks will include discrete GPUs, those with Optimus-enabled systems, and hybrids featuring Nvidia IGPs. Notebooks with multi-vendor solutions--such as Intel graphics and Nvidia graphics in one machine--will not be compatible.
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why were they separated in the first place?
So, they're playing catch-up to ATI (who started this type of program with the March Catalyst 10.3 drivers).
So, they're playing catch-up to ATI (who started this type of program with the March Catalyst 10.3 drivers).
Ya except nvidia drivers are 500% better, but yay go ATI you had a cool program for awhile instead of making your drivers better and updated more often.
Finally.
Ya except nvidia drivers are 500% better, but yay go ATI you had a cool program for awhile instead of making your drivers better and updated more often.
/|\FANBOY ALERT!!!/|\
I use both and ATI at the start and up past SP1 for Vista had far better and more stable drivers(and more often releases way more often if you have a 8800GTX card and had to wait 9 months for a release to fix all the crashes because they where always releasing new drivers for the newer card). Now days, they are generally on the same level. I do not see a 500% difference anywhere....
Ya except nvidia drivers are 500% better, but yay go ATI you had a cool program for awhile instead of making your drivers better and updated more often.
wow, i guess you have been living in a cave for a while now, since AMD bought ATI the drivers have been on par with each other (they each have had some slip ups)
Even though I don't own a notebook/laptop but I'll say this. About damn time!
Linux drivers? pls
Ya except nvidia drivers are 500% better, but yay go ATI you had a cool program for awhile instead of making your drivers better and updated more often.
well nvidia driver are better then ati driver by 5% not 500%
Finally.
Why is the same argument used again and again? Same old nvidiot talking points, have you used ati, recently? Drivers are sound. Its like faulting microsoft still for lack of security in windows 95.......
Does this mean I don't have to wait for Sony to release an official gfx update for my Vaio? Cause they haven't updated it since launch, 2 years ago! I've been running laptop2go hacked drivers to get updates..
So how about older ones? 6 and 7 series Nvidia? My 7900GS on my 3 year old laptop still runs most games, getting a update there too?
so what ..............
Most of the desktop drivers already worked on laptops by just adding the device ID string to the inf file anyways.
Thanks for posting this Kevin. I was worried I'd rarely see new drivers for my 320M.
So how about older ones? 6 and 7 series Nvidia? My 7900GS on my 3 year old laptop still runs most games, getting a update there too?
You can force a desktop driver package onto it provided the original package supports the 7 series etc
the only difference between the desktop and laptop drivers is the list of supported devices listed as VEN_xxxx&DEV_xxxx&SUB etc which dictates wether your hardware is supported with by the driver or not
about F%^% time they add a few lines in there drivers to actually add support for something, and btw apparently its the OEM's that make nvidia and ati do this - they want only there drivers to work and be supported etc apparently from what iv read.
Ya except nvidia drivers are 500% better, but yay go ATI you had a cool program for awhile instead of making your drivers better and updated more often.
500% better at cooking your graphics card.
I see this little thread is going to be dominated by terms like 'nvidiot'.
Last time I checked sites like EA forums, both companies have an assortment of driver issues with fresh games.
so what ..............
Do you need a bottle?
Bravo! I hate that they make a difference between a laptop and desktop still! There should be no difference at all!
Does this mean I don't have to wait for Sony to release an official gfx update for my Vaio? Cause they haven't updated it since launch, 2 years ago! I've been running laptop2go hacked drivers to get updates..
Just don't buy their laptops next time. For the same reason I would never buy a supported laptop again. I've had had it with my previous laptop.
You can force a desktop driver package onto it provided the original package supports the 7 series etc
Can't actually, if I try anything > 180 series on my 7150m I get BSODs. I really hope nvidia stretches back that far with these unified drivers, but I doubt it.
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com
So, they're playing catch-up to ATI (who started this type of program with the March Catalyst 10.3 drivers).
Well, I don't think this is a good example of ATI advancement!
Great! I'd bought a Gateway with a GTX 260 and was stunned to find that drivers weren't available from gateway other than the ones supplied with the notebook. No updates! In my experience, driver updates are essential for smooth GPU performance.
I've had both a Nvidia 260GTX and now have a Ati 5970 and I from my experience Nvidia drivers are exceptionally well implemented and very stable compared to ATI.
I can't same the same with my ATI card... I'll be returning to Nvidia once they get their hardware act together.
This is from my personal experience anyhow.
I've had both a Nvidia 260GTX and now have a Ati 5970 and I from my experience Nvidia drivers are exceptionally well implemented and very stable compared to ATI.
I can't same the same with my ATI card... I'll be returning to Nvidia once they get their hardware act together.
This is from my personal experience anyhow.
if its the same computer with the two cards, did you make sure to use drivercleaner in safe mode to get rid of all of the NV drivers before adding the 5970, that can cause issues sometimes
though if you want to talk about personal experience, i have a 4870 (now 2x4870) and have never had a driver crash (or even instability with the GPU)
So, they're playing catch-up to ATI (who started this type of program with the March Catalyst 10.3 drivers).
ATI did something good a few months earlier, but you think Nvidia shouldn't have bother to do the same when it was smart and easy enough to do so? Congrats it's clear you love ATI from the waist down now go troll in another forum.
if its the same computer with the two cards, did you make sure to use drivercleaner in safe mode to get rid of all of the NV drivers before adding the 5970, that can cause issues sometimesthough if you want to talk about personal experience, i have a 4870 (now 2x4870) and have never had a driver crash (or even instability with the GPU)
its kinda lame to compare a duel gpu driver with single gpu driver offcourse a single gpu driver will always win even if u decide to compare HD 5870 with GTX 295...
Can't actually, if I try anything > 180 series on my 7150m I get BSODs. I really hope nvidia stretches back that far with these unified drivers, but I doubt it.
Depends on what architecture that 7150 is based on - may not be a real 7 series etc, sounds IGP related too...
Well IT'S ABOUT TIME!!
I bought a Sager 9260 A few years back. It was intended to replace my desktop at the time (which it eventually did).
It would BSOD once or twice a week. Event log always implicated the video drivers as the problem.
I went to nvidia's site and got updated drivers only to be told during the aborted install that the OEM had to supply them.
After the 3 months with no update from the OEM and no word that they ever would provide new drivers I finally discovered a few
places similar to laptoptogo and got new ones. It took 4 different versions and trys before I finally got one that worked. Worse I had
to develop my own process for installing them since the standard installer would only install them for one of the two gtx 7950's in sli and leave the other one as an unknown device. So this driver thing is way over due.
Oh and eventually that 9260 became a good computer. I've never had another crash on the system since but I'll never forget or forgive for the hassle I went through over that one and I'll never buy another one ... EVER.
By the way for those of you who don't have a notebook or never tried to update video drivers on a notebook stuff like closing the lid and going to sleep and other features like that are all built into the video drivers. Point is they are different than desktop drivers in many respects.
Well, NVIDIA has been running the UDA program (Unified Driver Architechure) for a while now. For laptop GPUs, it's possible to use desktop drivers but a few of the laptop only features might get disabled.