Dell/AW Beta Driver 197.31 (DPC Fix - Driver) - Game Performance Related Discussion

[BatBoy]

The driver can be found here:
http://support.dell.com/support/down...easeid=R266107

From notes on the driver download page -

This Beta Driver has been through limited compatibility and stability testing by Dell on Dell platforms.
There may be more stable drivers, including the drivers originally shipped with your computer, available under the video section.

Fixes/Enhancements:
1. Fixes LCD color cycling and horizontal flickering lines during the Windows startup process on the initial boot found in 196.86 beta driver.
2. Fixes the clocks locking at max clock state found in 197.01 beta driver.
3. Includes the DPC latency fix within 196.86 Beta.

Known issue:
1. Low performance on Crysis.

Please post game related questions/NV CP 3D Profile questions in this thread.

The DPC Latency thread should be free of these posts. Posts concerning install of this driver can and should be posted in the DPC Latency thread however specific game related performance issues need to go here.

Typically, driver specifc threads belong in the Side Topics sub forum, however since this is an AW/Dell issued driver and given the reason for its release I am leaving this thread in the Main AW forum.

Some of you may notice with this driver one GPU is not downclocking after exiting a game. Here is what I have found -

Since NV changed the control panel to include the 'Power Management Mode' selection in 3D profiles, there has been a bug where one GPU will not downclock after exiting a 3D application/game. I remember first seeing this in the 195.55 release last November. NV did not fix this bug in 195.62, 195.81 or the 196.86 driver - basically every driver released under the Verde Project.

After looking into this further today, the workaround is to leave the Power Management Mode in Global settings/3D custom Profile set to "Adaptive". Do not set it to 'Prefer Maximum Performance'. If you do, you will see one GPU locked at 3D clocks even after terminating the app. This will persist until system reboot. As far as I can tell, there is no change in game performance from Adaptive to Prefer Maximum Performance settings.

(Thanks to Kade Storm for helping to confirm on his two systems)

[BatBoy]

hi bb, ive upgraded to these drivers, and i tested it on just cause 2, fps seems good, but my temps are sitting at 80 degree per 280! the fans dont seem to kick right up! whats wrong?

might want to turn on SLI Indicators in the NV Control Panel. I have not checked Just Cause 2 with this driver as I uninstalled the trial copy of JC2. It could be this driver does not have a valid SLI profile for JC2. Not sure.

You are seeing 80c on both GPUs? What about other games? Same issue or temps are fine?

[adrian890]

might want to turn on SLI Indicators in the NV Control Panel. I have not checked Just Cause 2 with this driver as I uninstalled the trial copy of JC2. It could be this driver does not have a valid SLI profile for JC2. Not sure.

You are seeing 80c on both GPUs? What about other games? Same issue or temps are fine?

erm both gpus are about 80-90 and i find in general the fans are not right up as high as in 186.xx the fps seems good, occasional latency lag but not too much, but just the temps are hot compared to b4

warhammer online is hitting 70, on both, before i updated it would be 55-63 ish. are those temps ok to play with?

[_XIII_]

temps and framerate are good for me the only issue so far is that I can't run crysis warhead because it crashes instantly

[adrian890]

temps and framerate are good for me the only issue so far is that I can't run crysis warhead because it crashes instantly

what temps you getting? have you tried just cause 2?

[jared_good]

So what exactly is this? Does this apply to the newer Alienware M17x-R2? Because I dont get any of the problems on my system that it says it fixes.

[BatBoy]

Jared, this is an NVIDIA driver for NV discrete GPUs on the M17x (R1). It does not apply to the R2.

[adrian890]

mm im getting 104 and 94 now on my 280s with this driver on just cause 2 =/ very worrying lol

[CUELLARM]

That is very high, what does your surroundings in reference to your m17x look like..i.e. closed off desk, no ventilation. My m17x at the most only goes as high as 60c with this driver and thats with both gpus full throttle.

[BatBoy]

Agreed - although I have only conducted limited testing in-game, my GPU temps are on par with 186.82. GPUs have yet to exceed 65c.