NVIDIA ForceWare 163.44 BETA

crlorentzen

163.44 BETA released on August 20, 2007

Windows XP x86
Windows XP/2k3 x64
Windows Vista 32-bit
Windows Vista 64-bit

Highlights XP:

• Beta driver release.
• This driver supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0c and OpenGL® 2.1 support.
• Improved compatibility for Bioshock.
• Added PureVideo™ HD decode acceleration for GeForce 8600, 8500 and 8400 series GPUs.
• Numerous game and application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, feature limitations, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.

Highlights Vista:[list][*]Beta driver release.[*]This driver supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI™ technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL for GeForce 6, 7, and 8 series GPUs.[*]Improved compatibility for Bioshock.[*]Added HD video post-processing for H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2 HD content on GeForce 8500 series products.[*]Numerous game and application compatibility fixes. Please read the release notes for more information on product support, feature limitations, driver fixes and known compatibility issues.

Release Notes

Initial install indicates that nVidia has fixed the scaling issue for widescreen lcds [1440x900]

Zardon

I thought I saw a thread on these before?

Anyway, great drivers, been using them for a week. Took Nvidia a while to get on track but they are certainly shaping up extremely well now.

MIG-31

You may well of seen the Vista drivers Before.These was submitted on the day the bioshock demo was released.The XP drivers was overlooked at the time.

But as far as the Vista (32Bit) drivers go are pretty good..Only Minor snag for me is that games seem slightly darker than normal.

Zardon

if you load the nvidia control panel, go into DISPLAY/adjust desktop colour settings, and increase the brightness to compensate ...

OmegaRED

Pretty sure these are causing me crashes with the World in Conflict demo on Xp. When I play the demo on Vista with other drivers it doesn't have this problem. I checked around and quite a few people have these drivers and are getting the lockups (sound keeps playing but screen freezes).

BlueMak

Nvidia scaling with fixed aspect ratio still does NOT work under XP.
Using the drivers for a couple of days now, tried it several times, same result, the control panel does not keep the setting after you click apply. It reverts to other choice on its own.

I am not the only one saying the above.

(1920x1200)


Apart from that, looks stable and fast.

MIG-31

I know.. That was done after the first 5 minutes.I meant the default color settings appear slightly darker than the previous drivers.

Chaos

The one thing I noticed under XP was that the AA settings were removed from the taskbar functionality, you could still adjust AF settings from there but not AA

slickric21

You tried this yet Bluemak - worked for me on all latest few drivers (except for custom res's I added myself eg 1400x1050)
Answer

BlueMak

Yes man, many many times. Doesn't work. What perhaps makes a difference is that I have a widescreen monitor...
The most annoying thing is that it used to work up till the second driver release for 8800 cards back in December/January. AFter that they fucked it up. AND yes, I have tried it with two different PCs, same result.
I am not the only one still having problems with this...
BTW, under Vista it still works, under XP, not.

Zardon

We should post that front page, after all every issue I read with vista is the fault of the OS, so perhaps we should be blaming XP ?

BlueMak

I don't blame XP for the above. I blame Nvidia.

However, if you want I have something that XP is responsible for and Vista works fine. If you haven't already, check this thread:
ICS problems

Long story short, under XP no worky, under Vista worky and from the looks of it, by design!

crlorentzen

Odd, my 16x10 widescreen display does work properly with this release, as apposed to the last few that were like about 1 inch to wide for some reason. Perhaps your problem is the "fixed-aspect ratio" scaling. I am using my display's "built-in scaling" same way I used it in the other drivers that didn't work right between 94.24 and this release.

And just so you know, my monitor is widescreen, it is a Westinghouse LCM-19w4 16:10 widescreen native resolution of 1440x900 screen.

Perhaps you need to uninstall, then use Driver Cleaner/Guru3ds Driver Sweeper (Hope I got that right) to make sure the drivers are completely gone, all registry and file remnants.

BlueMak

No, if you are not trying to do the same thing, and instead you use the "display's built in scaling" then you are not doing the same thing. If you try to use the nvidia correct aspect scaling, and then it works, without using your display's build in scaler, then there is a difference that means there is something wrong with my config. But since you clearly stated you use your display to scale the images, then it is simply not the same thng we are talking about.


I have tried uninstall and various versions of drivers of the last 2-3 months. Same thing every time. Only with early 90s forceware it works correctly.

slickric21

Yeah I too have a 1680x1050 Samsung 215tw.
Once I've applied the above regfix I am able to apply any of the display adapter scaling options eg "centred timings" - and they stay applied, so hence work.
So I play R6Vegas and Dirt @ 1600x900 - with black bars around the edges to fill up the rest of the screen.
Also I tested 1280x1024 in BF2 does the same.

The only Resolution which won't centre correctly is 1400x1050, this always stretches to fill up the screen. (this is because I guess it a custom resolution i added myself).

This has been the same with all since 158.22 on WinXp 32 for me.

BlueMak

I will try to lower my resolution to test it. I currently use 1920x1200.

Why do you play R6Vegas at 1600x900? and why black bars? The latest official patch fixes the widescreen support.

slickric21

R6 VEGAS offically only supports up to 1600x900 as a widescreen resolution.

You can use the Squ1zzy patch from here Rainbow Six: Vegas - WSGFWiki
which allows any res to be used including 1680x1050, but there is some anomolies when zooming in, nightvison etc etc. Nothing drastic though.

So that is part of the reason,

the other is if I use 1600x900 and high settings I can force 2xAA & 8xAF - and play smoothly on any level.
If I use 1680x1050 I have to sacrifice the AA filtering otherwise I drop below 30fps in some areas.

As for BF2 there is no offical widescreen support to I use 1400x1050 and have black bars on the side (as opposed to stretching the screen).

PS I've just enabled the old control panel, using 163.44 and now even 1400x1050 centres correctly (after the regfix) !!!!

Good luck

BlueMak

slickric21, do yourself a favour, go and download the latest OFFICIAL PATCH. I have a 1920x1200 and it supports it perfectly. Widescreen and all...

BlueMak

Doesn't work.

In fact I just noticed something. It is two options that don't work no matter what. nvidia correct aspect scaling and no scaling.

I have tried several times the enable thingy exe that puts that line in the registry. I even checked the registry if it has created the key, and it has...
Oh well.

slickric21

Sorry I should have been clearer - on my system the Official Patch v1.5 only allows me to use 1600x900, as my screen only goes up to 1680x1050 - which v1.5 doesn't support yet (probably being a console port).

Its a shame the registry.exe doesn't work for you, and frustrating aswell I bet.
Sorry to lead you on a goose chase.

Lets hope nvidia finally fix it at some point soon.

Back to the topic of theses drivers 163.44 - they seem to be running fine for me on XP in
BF2, Dirt, Graw & R6 Vegas.

I've enabled the old control panel and its working well - no issues yet.

BlueMak

The are good drivers speed wise, no question about it.

How have you enabled toe old control panel? I read once about a registry "hack" to do it, but I prefer to do it only if I can change it easily back to normal.


And don't worry, you tried to help me, thank you.

slickric21

By using these handy little reg tweaks - one to enable old, the other to enable the new one (eg revert back)
RapidShare: 1-Click Webhosting

Have to use rapidshare as I can't post attachments on here.

I originally got them from here.............
[TWEAK] Enable old NVIDIA Control Panel in new ForceWare drivers (>95 series?) - nVision

BlueMak