Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit

This article provides information about the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta, a driver package released by Nvidia for Windows XP 64-bit operating systems. This particular release falls under the Release 260 family of drivers and includes support for a wide range of Nvidia GPUs, including desktop GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, and 400 series cards, as well as ION desktop GPUs. It’s crucial to understand that this is a beta release, meaning it is a pre-release version intended for testing and evaluation. Users should be aware that beta drivers may contain bugs or stability issues.

Key Features and Enhancements in Release 260.63

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta brings several improvements and new features to supported graphics cards. Here’s a breakdown of the key highlights:

New GPU Support

GeForce GTS 450: This driver version introduces official support for the newly launched GeForce GTS 450 GPU. This ensures proper functionality and optimized performance for users who have recently acquired this graphics card.

Performance Improvements

The 260.63 Beta driver offers performance gains in various PC games compared to the previous v258.96 WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) drivers. The performance improvements are most noticeable on the GeForce GTX 400 Series GPUs running on Windows 7. Note that the actual performance increase can vary depending on your specific GPU model and system configuration.

Here are some examples of performance improvements reported by Nvidia:

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

GeForce GTX 460:

Up to 19% increase in StarCraft II (SLI configuration – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Ultra).
Up to 15% increase in Battlefield Bad Company 2 (SLI configuration – 2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF).
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 configuration – 2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF).
Up to 12% increase in Crysis: Warhead (SLI configuration – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Gamer settings).
Up to 13% increase in Far Cry 2 (2560×1600 4xAA/16xAF).
Up to 12% increase in H.A.W.X (SLI configuration – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF SSAO Very High).
Up to 5% increase in Just Cause 2 (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF).
Up to 22% increase in Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (1920×1200 noAA).
Up to 5% increase in 3DMark Vantage (Extreme Preset).

Blu-ray 3D Support

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta introduces support for playing back Blu-ray 3D discs when your GPU is connected to an HDMI 1.4 3D TV. This functionality requires compatible software applications from vendors like CyberLink, ArcSoft, Roxio, or Corel. For more information, it is recommended to visit the NVIDIA Blu-ray 3D website.

HD Audio Enhancements

Lossless Audio Bitstreaming: Adds support for lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bitstreaming for compatible Blu-ray movies when using GeForce GTX 460 GPUs.
High-Definition Audio Sampling: Introduces support for high-definition 24-bit, 96 and 192 KHz multi-channel audio sampling rates for compatible Blu-ray movies with GeForce GTX 400 Series, GT 240, GT 220, and 210 GPUs.
HD Audio Driver Update: Upgrades the HD Audio driver to version 1.1.9.0.

Important Note: These HD audio features are only supported on Windows 7 and may require a Blu-ray movie player update. Check with your movie player software manufacturer for more details.

Improved Installation Process

The driver package features a new installer with an enhanced user interface and offers two installation options:

Express Installation: A fast and easy one-click installation for users who want a straightforward process.
Custom Installation: Allows users to customize the installation by choosing specific driver components (e.g., PhysX or 3D Vision) and performing a clean installation (completely removing older drivers). 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:

The wizard allows users to jump to any setup step after the initial configuration.
Improved display connection diagrams and tooltips for easier setup.
Enhanced user interface for setting up and arranging displays.
Improved bezel correction setup experience.
A help page has been added to guide users in selecting the correct in-game resolution (e.g., how to pick bezel-corrected resolutions).
An option is now available to dedicate an extra GPU to PhysX processing or to drive an additional display.
The setup wizard now allows for portrait or landscape setup directly.
The 3D Vision Surround and NVIDIA Surround game support list has been updated.

NVIDIA 3D Vision Enhancements

The installation process for 3D Vision has been modified.
Adds NVIDIA 3D Vision streaming support for Firefox 4 and Google Chrome web browsers.
Adds support for Sony’s 3D Sweep Panorama picture format in NVIDIA 3D Photo Viewer.
Adds support for new 3D Vision Desktop LCD monitors: BenQ X2410 and NEC F23W2A.
Adds support for new 3D Vision projectors: Sanyo PDG-DWL2500 and ViewSonic PJD6251.
Numerous new 3D Vision game profiles have been added, and existing profiles have been updated.

Other Improvements

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 various bug fixes.

Additional Information

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

Supported Products

The Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta supports a wide array of Nvidia GPUs, spanning multiple series. Here’s a detailed list:

GeForce 400 Series: GTX 465, GTX 460, GTS 450, GTX 480, GTX 470
GeForce 300 Series: GT 330, 315, GT 340, GT 320, 310
GeForce 200 Series: GTS 240, GT 240, GTX 275, G210, GTX 280, 210, GTX 260, 205, GT 230, GTX 295, GTS 250, GT 220, GTX 285
GeForce 100 Series: GT 130, G 100, GT 140, GT 120
GeForce 9 Series: 9500 GS, 9800 GT, 9600 GSO, 9300, 9400, 9600 GT, 9400 GT, 9200, 9100, 9500 GT, 9300 GS, 9800 GTX/GTX+, 9800 GX2, 9600 GS, 9300 GE
GeForce 8 Series: 8600 GTS, 8600 GT, 8300, 8800 GT, 8400 GS, 8800 GTS 512, 8400, 8200, 8800 GTX, 8500 GT, 8300 GS, 8800 GS, 8200 / nForce 730a, 8100 / nForce 720a, 8400 SE, 8800 GTS, 8600 GS, 8800 Ultra
GeForce 7 Series: 7900 GT/GTO, 7100 GS, 7300 LE, 7300 GT, 7800 SLI, 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7150 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7350 LE, 7900 GS, 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 620i, 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7800 GTX, 7500 LE, 7650 GS, 7600 GS, 7300 SE / 7200 GS, 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce 630a, 7300 GS, 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a, 7950 GX2, 7550 LE, 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 610i, 7600 GT, 7600 LE, 7900 GTX, 7800 GS, 7950 GT
GeForce 6 Series: 6200 LE, 6800 GS, 6100 nForce 420, 6200 TurboCache, 6500, 6100 nForce 400, 6100, 6800 Ultra, 6200, 6100 nForce 405, 6800, 6150, 6700 XL, 6800 XT, 6600, 6610 XL, 6200 A-LE, 6600 GT, 6600 LE, 6800 GS/XT, 6150LE / Quadro NVS 210S, 6800 LE, 6600 VE, 6800 XE, 6150 LE, 6150SE nForce 430, 6200SE TurboCache, 6800 GT, 6250

Download Links

Before proceeding with the installation of the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta, it is highly recommended that you back up your current drivers in case you need to revert to a previous version. Also, ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements for the driver package.

Here are the download links for the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit:

TechSpot: https://www.techspot.com/drivers/driver/file/information/14425/

Here are 5 alternative download links for the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta for Windows XP 64-bit:

Softpedia: Search on Softpedia as direct links can change.
Guru3D: Search on Guru3D as direct links can change.
DriverGuide: Search on DriverGuide as direct links can change.
FileHippo: Search on FileHippo as direct links can change.
CNET Download: Search on CNET Download as direct links can change.

Disclaimer: Always exercise caution when downloading files from the internet. Ensure that you are downloading from a reputable source and scan the downloaded files with an anti-virus program before installation.

By understanding the features, improvements, and supported products of the Nvidia GeForce Ion Graphics Drivers 260.63 Beta, users can make informed decisions about whether to install this driver package on their Windows XP 64-bit systems. Remember to always back up your existing drivers before installing a new version, especially a beta release.