Nvidia Unleashes 'Release 256' Graphics Drivers
By - Source: Tom's Hardware US
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57 comments
These will make your Fermi even faster.
Nvidia this week introduced the Release 256 family of its drivers. Nvidia marks this as a revolutionary release that should bring both new features and some pretty significant performance boosts.
Those with Fermi-based GPUs will get some better performance in games. Check the graph below to see what sort of gains Nvidia is talking about.
Aside from that, the Release 256 drivers also bring:
- Blu-ray 3D
- New Visual Quality Modes
- New Multi-GPU Setup Controls
- CUDA 3.1
- OpenGL 4.0
Check out the Nvidia blog post for the full details.
Version 257.15 beta can be downloaded here for GeForce and ION GPUs (a WHQL-certified version is planned for early June).
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in what imaginary world do you live in that you've found 5970's for 600?
Actually every model of gtx480 is in stock on newegg for $500 and HD5970s cost $700 to $750.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/KL_NVIDIA_Geforce_256.jpg
GTX480 are all out of stock at $500, you have to pay at least a $50 premium for one.
In which case, a $600 Radeon 5970 still rapes the f**k out of the GTX480.
And to the above post, man these cards are getting pricey, I thought $300 was over the top.
I wish they do something about the heat that is the real problem with the GTX480
It's not a problem, it's a feature!
There is an OC version planned called the "Aga Edition"
As well as playing games it can heat your home
in what imaginary world do you live in that you've found 5970's for 600?
GET OVER IT!
Has anyone even heard of a Fermi card failing due to heat?
Nope, my GTX470 sit's around 70-95C most of the time and it's running beautifully! Hoping to get another for SLi, absolutely rapes a 5970 (of course the 5970 being a single slot card owns all other single slot solutions..)
Ooooo... touched a raw nerve there methinks...
Actually every model of gtx480 is in stock on newegg for $500 and HD5970s cost $700 to $750.
Can it Play Crysis now? xP
Yes it works with that card. "This is the first driver release from the Release 256 family of drivers (versions 256.xx to 259.xx). This driver package supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, and 400-series desktop GPUs as well as ION desktop GPUs."
Ive been using these drivers for a few days no problems so far.
How bout you wait a couple months and see? If I recall, all those nvidia chipset failures we saw a while back didn't happen the second you turned the computer on. No, heat damage is more than just instantaneous smoke, its stress to the solder joins, degradation of the silicon, etc...
Not saying its gonna happen, I'm just saying 90C has never been a healthy temp for integrated circuits, not in the long run. But I guess if you can afford another $500 card in 6 months, by all means.
If not fermi failing by the heat, what about the other components choking over fermi?