NVIDIA ForceWare 186.18 WHQL

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NVIDIA ForceWare software unleashes the full power and features in NVIDIA's desktop, gaming, platform, workstation, laptop, multimedia, and mobile products. Delivering a proven record of compatibility, reliability, and stability with the widest range of games and applications, ForceWare software ensures the best experience with your NVIDIA hardware.

New in Release 186.18:

Numerous bug fixes. More information can be found in the release documentation.
Installs the new PhysX System Software version 9.09.0428.
Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

New in Release 185/186 drivers:

Adds support for Ambient Occlusion – the newest NVIDIA Control Panel feature to offer enhanced 3D gaming realism exclusively to GeForce GPUs.
Adds support for CUDA 2.2 for improved performance in GPU Computing applications. See CUDA for more details.
Expands GPU hardware acceleration for the NVIDIA Video Encoding library to GPUs with less than 32 cores. Applications using this library include CyberLink PowerDirector 7, Nero Move it 1.5, Loilo SuperLoiloScope MARS, and CyberLink MediaShow Espresso.
Accelerates performance in several 3D applications. The following are examples of improvements measured with Release 185/186 drivers vs. Release 181 drivers (results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and game settings):
- Up to 25% performance increase in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
- Up to 22% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with antialiasing enabled
- Up to 11% performance increase in Fallout 3 with antialiasing enabled
- Up to 14% performance increase in Far Cry 2
- Up to 30% performance increase in Half-Life 2 engine games with 3-way and 4-way SLI
- Up to 45% performance increase in Mirror's Edge with antialiasing enabled
Supports GeForce Plus Power Pack #3. Download these FREE PhysX and CUDA applications now!

Download: NVIDIA Forceware 186 WHQL

#1 diablos.son316 on 18 Jun 2009 - 18:33

Thanks for the update!~

(4 replies) #2 +TCLN Ryster on 18 Jun 2009 - 18:56

Being 186.x, I'm guessing these support WDDM 1.1 for Win7?

Edit: I just answered my own question, the answer is Yes!. I'm very impressed with nVidia at the moment. Final (non-beta) and WHQL'd drivers for Windows 7 BEFORE Windows 7 is released... a far cry from the situation at the time Vista was released

#2.1 +TCLN Ryster on 18 Jun 2009 - 19:12

Oh and the install without the need to reboot feature is awesome

#2.2 donBoomy on 18 Jun 2009 - 19:14

windows 7 is the 7hit, biatch!

#2.3 GP007 on 19 Jun 2009 - 01:39

It helps that MS changed the device driver model, I don't think you have to reboot for any video driver install, or for mostly any other drivers iirc.

#2.4 toadeater on 19 Jun 2009 - 01:43

TCLN Ryster said,

Edit: I just answered my own question, the answer is Yes!. I'm very impressed with nVidia at the moment. Final (non-beta) and WHQL'd drivers for Windows 7 BEFORE Windows 7 is released... a far cry from the situation at the time Vista was released

That's because Windows 7 is based heavily on Vista. Nvidia already learned the quirks of WDDM through Vista, so there isn't going to be a repeat of that mess with 7.

(1 reply) #3 TokiToki on 18 Jun 2009 - 19:37

I have a GTS 250. 186 WHQL is just as buggy as 185 WHQL.

Major bugs present in 185/186 WHQL that were working fine in 182 WHQL:
- NVIDIA scaling with fixed-aspect ratio unselectable, reverts back to Use my display's built in scaling.
- Monitor connected to HDMI-->DVI converter fails to standby. All open windows on secondary monitor are shifted around to primary monitor when monitors enters standby mode.

#3.1 Audi0 on 19 Jun 2009 - 03:06

Great Post Man!!! Happens to me also, i am aware of this bug. Can you please lets us know the news as new drivers are released until they fix the aspect ratio resizing.

#4 indiansboy94 on 19 Jun 2009 - 00:13

Thank you.

(3 replies) #5 big_matty5 on 19 Jun 2009 - 03:59

Just a word of warning.. Running Windows 7 X64, i just received a BSOD after upgrading to these (from the previous 185 whql drivers).. The stop message was 0X0000009F and i believe the BSOD happened when my computer went to sleep..
I can not be 100% sure, so i will continue to investigate, but i can confirm i had no BSOD's before upgrading to these.

#5.1 TokiToki on 19 Jun 2009 - 04:58

Did you uninstall the drivers first before upgrading?

#5.2 big_matty5 on 19 Jun 2009 - 06:19

Yes, i made sure to do that given past problems with over the top driver upgrades.. Oddly enough i've just tested my 'BSOD on sleep' theory and there was no BSOD..

So perhaps it is something else, or was just a once off... I'll keep a look out for any more.

#5.3 big_matty5 on 20 Jun 2009 - 09:34

Ok.. I've had 2 more BSOD's at the same time.. when the computer goes to sleep.

Going back to 185 and i'll update to confirm the problem is with these drivers.

#6 +BeLGaRaTh on 19 Jun 2009 - 07:30

I went back to 182.50 again as these whilst they have improved slightly over 185.85 are still very poor, I still have no 16:10 resolutions available, and games keep crashing with display driver has recovered errors, something I havent had for a long long time.

FYI this is on a clean install (Monday) of Vista x64 so it is not an issue with old drivers etc.

#7 soumyasch on 19 Jun 2009 - 07:39

What are the changes since 185.85? Only stability? Seems too many issues slipped out of their net!

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