The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP represent a significant update for users of older Nvidia graphics cards running on the Windows XP operating system. This driver package, belonging to the Release 265 family (versions 265.xx to 269.xx), brings a host of improvements, optimizations, and new features to enhance the gaming and multimedia experience. This article will delve into the details of this driver release, outlining its key features, performance enhancements, supported hardware, and other relevant information.
Overview of Release 265 Drivers
The 266.35 Beta drivers are the inaugural release within the Release 265 family, a series of driver updates intended to provide ongoing support and enhancements for a wide range of Nvidia GPUs. Nvidia periodically releases new driver packages to address bugs, improve performance, and introduce new features. This particular release targets users with older hardware who are still using the Windows XP operating system.
Supported GPUs
This driver package boasts extensive compatibility, supporting a wide array of Nvidia GeForce and ION GPUs. Specifically, it includes support for:
- GeForce 6 Series
- GeForce 7 Series
- GeForce 8 Series
- GeForce 9 Series
- GeForce 100 Series
- GeForce 200 Series
- GeForce 300 Series
- GeForce 400 Series
- GeForce 500 Series
- ION Desktop GPUs
This broad support ensures that users with various Nvidia graphics solutions, from older legacy cards to more recent (at the time of release) models, can benefit from the improvements and features offered by this driver update.
What’s New in the 266.35 Beta Drivers
GPU Support
The most notable addition is the official support for the newly launched GeForce GTX 580 and GeForce GTX 570 GPUs. This means users who had recently upgraded to these high-end cards could now leverage their full potential with optimized drivers.
Performance Enhancements
A key focus of this release is performance improvement, particularly for the GeForce 400 and 500 Series GPUs. Compared to the previous Release 260 drivers, the 266.35 Beta offers notable performance gains in several popular PC games. It’s important to note that these improvements were measured on Windows 7 systems, and actual results may vary depending on the user’s specific GPU and system configuration.
Here’s a breakdown of the performance gains observed with the GeForce GTX 580:
- Up to 7% increase in Battlefield Bad Company 2 (1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 12% increase in Battleforge (SLI, 1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF, Very High)
- Up to 11% increase in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (SLI, 1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 7% increase in Dirt 2 (SLI, 1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 7% increase in Far Cry 2 (1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 5% increase in Just Cause 2 (1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF, Dark Tower)
- Up to 5% increase in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (SLI, 1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 9% increase in Stone Giant (SLI, 1920×1200, DOF on)
- Up to 8% increase in Unigine Heaven v2.1 (SLI, 1920×1200, 4xAA/16xAF)
Furthermore, the drivers also improved performance in Final Fantasy XI specifically for GeForce 400 and 500 Series GPUs.
Visual Quality Enhancements
The 266.35 Beta drivers introduced ambient occlusion support for Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, a highly popular game at the time. Ambient occlusion is a rendering technique that enhances the quality of lighting, shadows, and depth perception, leading to a more immersive and visually appealing gaming experience.
NVIDIA 3D Vision Updates
This release brought several enhancements to NVIDIA’s 3D Vision technology. Notably, the installation process for 3D Vision was modified, and users were directed to a knowledge base article for more information on these changes.
Other 3D Vision improvements included:
- Support for 3DVisionLive.com Beta 2, adding support for 3D photo sharing and viewing, new 3D video clips, and bug fixes.
- 3D Vision Window Mode support for numerous games and applications, including Aion, Crazy Racing Kart Rider, Crossfire, Dragon Nest, EverQuest 2, Guild Wars 2, Google Earth, and several others.
- Support for new 3D Vision Desktop LCD monitors from Hannstar, I-O Data, Lenovo, and Planar.
- Support for new 3D Vision projectors from Acer and Sanyo.
- Support for new DLP HDTVs from Mitsubishi.
- Addition of new 3D Vision game profiles for titles like Arcania: Gothic 4, Darksiders, DC Universe Online, and many more.
- Updates to existing 3D Vision game profiles, such as Lost Planet 2 and Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2.
NVIDIA Surround and SLI Enhancements
The drivers also included improvements for NVIDIA Surround configurations, specifically boosting performance for 3-way and 4-way SLI setups. The list of supported games for 3D Vision Surround and NVIDIA Surround was also updated.
Several SLI profiles were added for PC games like Alien vs. Triangles Demo, Endless City Demo, Lionheart: Kings Crusade, and Rift: Planes of Telara. Existing SLI profiles were enhanced for games like Age of Conan, Arcania: Gothic 4, and Civilization V – DX11.
Other Noteworthy Updates
Beyond the core graphics and gaming enhancements, the 266.35 Beta drivers included several other important updates:
- Installation of HD Audio driver version 1.1.13.1.
- Installation of PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0514.
- Support for Blu-ray 3D disc playback when connecting the GPU to an HDMI 1.4 3D TV (requires compatible software).
- Support for lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bitstreaming for compatible Blu-ray movies with specific GeForce GPUs.
- Support for high definition multi-channel audio sampling rates for compatible Blu-ray movies with various GeForce GPUs.
- Support for GPU-accelerated features in Adobe CS5.
- Support for GPU-acceleration for smoother online HD videos with Adobe Flash 10.1.
- Support for the new version of MotionDSP’s vReveal video enhancement software.
- Support for DirectCompute with Windows 7 and GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
- Support for OpenCL 1.0 for all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
- Support for OpenGL 3.3 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
- Support for OpenGL 4.1 on GeForce 400 series and later GPUs.
- Support for single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, 10, and 11, and OpenGL.
- Support for GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring via NVIDIA System Tools software.
Downloading and Installing the Drivers
The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP can be downloaded from various sources. A reliable download link is available at TechSpot Drivers.
Alternative Download Links:
- Guru3D: (Search Guru3D for "Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP")
- Softpedia: (Search Softpedia for "Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP")
- DriverGuide: (Search DriverGuide for "Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP")
- FileHippo: (Search FileHippo for "Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP")
- MajorGeeks: (Search MajorGeeks for "Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP")
It is crucial to download the driver package specifically designed for your operating system (Windows XP) to ensure compatibility and proper functionality. Before installing the new drivers, it is generally recommended to uninstall any previous Nvidia drivers to avoid potential conflicts. After downloading the driver package, simply run the executable file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
Conclusion
The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 266.35 Beta for Windows XP offered a valuable update for users of older Nvidia graphics cards. With its support for newer GPUs like the GTX 580 and GTX 570, performance enhancements in popular games, visual quality improvements through ambient occlusion, and numerous 3D Vision and SLI updates, this driver package provided a significant boost to the overall gaming and multimedia experience for Windows XP users.