Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Components > Graphics Cards > NVIDIA Detonator FX 45.23

NVIDIA Detonator FX 45.23

1:02 PM - August 18, 2003 by Lars Weinand

1. NVIDIA Detonator FX 45.23
2. NVIDIA's Optimization Guidelines
3. The New Driver V45.23
4. Image Quality: Unreal Tournament 2003, Continued
5. Drivers And Applications
6. Drivers And Applications, Continued
7. Drivers And Applications, Continued
8. Image Quality: Quake 3 Team Arena
9. Test Setup
10. UT 2003 Quincunx
11. UT 2003 4x FSAA

NVIDIA released the Detonator FX driver last week. However, it was not the eagerly-awaited "Release 50" that has been making the rounds in Web forum gossip. The new WHQL-certified driver, however, does offer some new things.

In addition to patching up driver issues associated with some games in the past, the v45.23 driver adheres to NVIDIA's new "optimization guidelines," and represents NVIDIA's attempt to heed criticism regarding its previous optimization attempts with Detonator FX drivers.

With the previous driver, NVIDIA used aggressive ways to improve the results of its own cards in 3D Mark 2003 benchmark, thus invoking much finger pointing and allegations of unfair cheating. The driver engendered a huge ongoing debate about what is fair optimization and what is not and where does optimization stop and cheating begin.

NVIDIA now set up its own guidelines in an attempt to end the controversy. The company wanted to make sure all optimizations used in future drivers were "legitimate," i.e., they should optimize gaming performance without compromising image quality.