Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL for Windows XP 64-bit

This article provides information about the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL release for Windows XP 64-bit operating systems. This driver package, certified by WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs), signifies that it has passed rigorous testing by Microsoft, ensuring stability and compatibility with the specified hardware and operating system. This particular release is part of the Release 260 driver family from Nvidia and aims to improve performance, add new features, and provide support for a range of Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs).

Supported GPUs

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL package supports a broad spectrum of Nvidia GPUs, including:

• GeForce 6 Series: Including models like the 6100, 6200, 6500, 6600, 6700, and 6800 series.
• GeForce 7 Series: Covering models such as the 7025, 7050, 7100, 7150, 7300, 7500, 7550, 7600, 7650, 7800, and 7900 series.
• GeForce 8 Series: Encompassing models like the 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, 8500, 8600, and 8800 series.
• GeForce 9 Series: Including models such as the 9100, 9200, 9300, 9400, 9500, 9600, 9800 series.
• GeForce 100 Series: Covering models like the G100, GT 120, GT 130, and GT 140.
• GeForce 200 Series: Including models such as the G210, GT 220, GT 230, GT 240, GTS 240, GTS 250, GTX 260, GTX 275, GTX 280, GTX 285, and GTX 295.
• GeForce 300 Series: Encompassing models like the GT 310, GT 320, GT 330, GT 340, and 315.
• GeForce 400 Series: Covering models such as the GT 430, GTS 450, GTX 460, GTX 465, GTX 470, and GTX 480.
• ION Desktop GPUs: This driver package also supports Nvidia’s ION desktop GPUs, designed for low-power, energy-efficient systems.

This extensive compatibility makes the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL a versatile choice for users with a variety of Nvidia graphics cards.

What’s New in Version 260.89

This driver release incorporates several key improvements and additions:

New GPU Support

The most notable addition is support for the newly released GeForce GT 430 GPU. This ensures that users who have recently acquired this graphics card can leverage its full potential with optimized drivers.

Performance Enhancements

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL offers significant performance improvements for GeForce GTX 400 series GPUs compared to the previous v258.96 WHQL drivers. These improvements were primarily measured on Windows 7 systems, but users can expect similar, though potentially varying, results on Windows XP 64-bit depending on their specific system configuration. Some examples of performance gains include:

• GeForce GTX 480:

  • Up to 10% increase in StarCraft II (2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF Ultra settings).
  • Up to 14% increase in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 16% increase in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (SLI – 2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 6% increase in Aliens vs. Predator (SLI – 1920×1200 noAA – Tessellation on).

• GeForce GTX 460:

  • Up to 19% increase in StarCraft II (SLI – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Ultra settings).
  • Up to 15% increase in Battlefield Bad Company 2 (SLI – 2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 12% increase in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (2560×1600 noAA).
  • Up to 9% increase in Aliens vs. Predator (1680×1050 4xAA/16xAF – Tessellation on).
  • Up to 7% increase in Metro 2033 (1680×1050 noAA – Tessellation on).
  • Up to 11% increase in Dirt 2 (SLI – 2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 12% increase in Crysis: Warhead (SLI – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Gamer settings).
  • Up to 13% increase in Far Cry 2 (2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 12% increase in H.A.W.X (SLI – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF SSAO Very High settings).
  • Up to 5% increase in Just Cause 2 (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF settings).
  • Up to 22% increase in Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (1920×1200 noAA).
  • Up to 5% increase in 3DMark Vantage (Extreme Preset).

These performance gains highlight the driver’s ability to optimize resource utilization and improve overall gaming experience.

Blu-ray 3D Support

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL introduces support for playing back Blu-ray 3D discs when connecting your GPU to an HDMI 1.4 3D TV. This feature requires compatible software applications from vendors such as CyberLink, ArcSoft, Roxio, or Corel.

HD Audio Enhancements

This release brings significant improvements to HD Audio capabilities:

• Adds lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bitstreaming support for compatible Blu-ray movies with GeForce GTX 460 GPUs.
• Adds high definition 24-bit, 96 and 192 KHz multi-channel audio sampling rate support for compatible Blu-ray movies with GeForce GTX 400 Series, GT 240, GT 220, and 210 GPUs.
• Upgrades the HD Audio driver to version 1.1.9.0.

It’s important to note that a Blu-ray movie player update may be necessary to enable these new features.

Installation Improvements

The driver installer has been revamped with an enhanced user interface and new installation options:

• Express Installation: A fast and easy one-click installation process.
• Custom Installation: Allows for customized installation, giving users control over which components to install.
  • Option to perform a clean installation, completely removing older drivers.
  • Option to choose which driver components (e.g., PhysX or 3D Vision) to install.

The installation time for multi-GPU PCs has also been improved.

NVIDIA Surround Updates

The NVIDIA Surround setup wizard has been updated with several enhancements:

• After the initial setup, users can jump to any setup step.
• Improved display connection diagrams and tooltips.
• Improved UI for setup and arrangement of displays.
• Improved bezel correction setup experience.
• Help page highlighting which in-game resolution to select.
• Option to dedicate an extra GPU to PhysX or to drive an additional display.
• Allows for portrait or landscape setup directly from the setup wizard.

NVIDIA 3D Vision Enhancements

The installation process for 3D Vision has been modified. The driver also adds:

• NVIDIA 3D Vision streaming support for Firefox 4 and Google Chrome web browsers.
• Support for Sony’s 3D Sweep Panorama picture format in NVIDIA 3D Photo Viewer.
• Support for new 3D Vision Desktop LCD monitors (BenQ X2410 and NEC F23W2A) and projectors (Sanyo PDG-DWL2500 and ViewSonic PJD6251).

Several new 3D Vision game profiles have been added and existing profiles have been updated.

NVIDIA SLI Updates

New or enhanced SLI profiles are included for the following PC games:

• City of Heroes: Going Rogue
• Alien Swarm
• Dead Rising 2
• Front Mission Evolved
• Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days
• LEGO: Harry Potter

Other Improvements

• Adds support for OpenGL 4.1 for GeForce 400 series GPUs.
• Upgrades PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0514.
• Improves compatibility for older PC games (DirectX 7 to DirectX 9) running on Windows 7.
• Adds drag and drop display arrangement support to the "Set up multiple displays" page.
• Includes numerous bug fixes.

Additional Information

The driver supports:

• GPU-accelerated features in Adobe CS5.
• GPU-acceleration for smoother online HD videos with Adobe Flash 10.1.
• The new version of MotionDSP’s video enhancement software, vReveal, which adds support for HD output.
• DirectCompute with Windows 7 and GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• OpenCL 1.0 (Open Computing Language) for all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• OpenGL 3.3 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• Single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL.
• GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.

Downloading the Drivers

You can download the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL for Windows XP 64-bit from the following links:

• TechSpot: https://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/information/14541/
• Softpedia: https://drivers.softpedia.com/get/Graphics-Board/NVIDIA/NVIDIA-GeForce-260-89-Beta-Windows-XP.shtml
• Guru3D: https://www.guru3d.com/files-details/geforce-260-89-whql-download.html
• DriverGuide: https://www.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=1563285
• FileHorse: https://www.filehorse.com/download-nvidia-geforce-driver/old-versions/ (You may need to search for the specific version on this site)

Before installing the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.89 WHQL, ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements and that you have backed up your important data. Always read the release notes for the latest information and known issues before proceeding with the installation.