This article provides information about the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16, a driver release designed for notebooks running Windows Vista and Windows 7 64-bit operating systems. It’s crucial to understand the context of this driver and its compatibility before proceeding with installation. This driver is part of the NVIDIA Verde Notebook Driver Program, which aims to provide reference drivers that can be installed on supported NVIDIA notebook GPUs.
Understanding the NVIDIA Verde Notebook Driver Program
The NVIDIA Verde Notebook Driver Program offers a centralized source for driver updates for NVIDIA notebook GPUs. These drivers are intended as a general solution for a range of supported hardware. However, NVIDIA emphasizes that notebook original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) often provide customized and certified drivers specifically tailored for their individual notebook models.
Important Considerations Before Installation
Before downloading and installing the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16, it’s paramount to heed the following warnings and recommendations:
- OEM Driver Priority: NVIDIA strongly advises users to first check with their notebook OEM’s website for recommended software updates. OEMs often optimize drivers for their specific hardware configurations, ensuring optimal performance and stability. Installing a generic driver like the 197.16 version may lead to unforeseen issues or compatibility problems.
- Limited OEM Support: Be aware that your notebook OEM may not provide technical support for issues that arise from using this reference driver. If you encounter problems after installation, you might need to troubleshoot independently or seek assistance from NVIDIA’s community forums.
- GPU Compatibility: Verify that your notebook’s GPU is explicitly listed under the "Products Supported" section provided later in this article. Installing the driver on an unsupported GPU could result in system instability or driver malfunction.
- System Backup: Prior to any driver installation, it’s always a good practice to back up your current system configuration. This allows you to revert to a stable state if the new driver causes problems.
- Dell Software Update (Specific Models): If you own a Dell Inspiron 1420, Dell XPS M1330, Dell XPS M1530, or Dell Latitude D630/D630c, NVIDIA highly recommends installing a specific Dell software update before installing this driver. This likely addresses compatibility issues specific to these Dell models.
Release Highlights of the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16
The Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 introduces several enhancements and new features, including:
- 3D Vision Support for External Displays: This driver adds support for NVIDIA 3D Vision technology on external displays connected to supported notebooks. This allows users to experience stereoscopic 3D gaming and other 3D content on larger screens. GPU and display requirements for notebook PCs can be found on the NVIDIA website. Separate 3D Vision drivers for notebooks are also required and can be downloaded from NVIDIA’s website.
- Enhanced SLI Support: The driver significantly improves SLI (Scalable Link Interface) support for several popular gaming titles, including Assassin’s Creed II, Avatar, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Command and Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, Dirt 2, Mass Effect 2, Metro 2033, Napoleon: Total War, Supreme Commander 2, and World of Warcraft. SLI technology allows two or more NVIDIA GPUs to work in tandem, delivering increased graphics performance.
- PhysX System Software Update: The driver upgrades the PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0129. This update is particularly relevant for new PhysX-enabled games like Dark Void, ensuring proper physics processing and enhanced visual effects.
- HD Audio Driver Update: For supported GPUs, the driver updates the HD Audio driver to version 1.0.9.1. This update improves audio quality and compatibility for HDMI audio output.
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Performance Improvements: The Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 delivers performance increases in several PC games compared to the previous v195.62 WHQL driver. These improvements vary depending on the specific GPU and system configuration, but some examples include:
- Up to 13% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with a single GPU.
- Up to 30% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with SLI technology.
- Up to 13% performance increase in H.A.W.X with a single GPU.
- Up to 15% performance increase in H.A.W.X with SLI technology.
- Up to 30% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with a single GPU.
- Up to 28% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with SLI technology.
- Bug Fixes: The release includes numerous bug fixes, addressing various issues and improving overall stability. Refer to the release notes on the documentation tab for detailed information about the key bug fixes included in this release.
Existing Support
In addition to the new features, the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 maintains support for the following technologies:
- GPU-Accelerated Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta: Enables smoother online HD video playback with the Adobe Flash 10.1 beta by leveraging the GPU for decoding and rendering.
- DirectCompute with Windows 7: Supports DirectCompute, a Microsoft API that allows GPUs to be used for general-purpose computing tasks.
- OpenGL 3.2: Provides support for the OpenGL 3.2 graphics API.
- OpenCL 1.0 (Open Computing Language): Supports OpenCL 1.0, an open standard for parallel programming of heterogeneous systems.
- CUDA Toolkit 3.0: Supports CUDA Toolkit 3.0 features and performance enhancements. CUDA is NVIDIA’s parallel computing architecture.
- NVIDIA PhysX Hardware Acceleration: Enables hardware acceleration of PhysX physics simulations on GPUs with a minimum of 256MB of dedicated graphics memory and 32 processing cores.
- Single GPU and NVIDIA SLI Technology: Supports both single GPU configurations and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL applications.
- NVIDIA SLI Multi-monitor Support: Allows users to use two monitors with their GeForce graphics cards in SLI mode.
Products Supported by Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16
The Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 supports a wide range of NVIDIA notebook GPUs, including:
- GeForce 300M Series: GTS 360M, GTS 350M, GTS 250M, GT 335M, GT 330M, GT 325M, 310M, 305M
- GeForce 200M Series: GT 230M, GT 240M, G210M, GTX 285M, GTX 280M, GTX 260M, GT 220M
- GeForce 100M Series: G 110M, GT 130M, GTS 160M, G 105M, G 103M, G 102M, GT 120M
- GeForce 9 Series: 9600 GT, 9400
- GeForce 9M Series: 9400M G, 9650M GS, 9200M GS, 9500M GS, 9400M GS, 9800M GS, 9300M GS, 9800M GT, 9100M G, 9800M GTS, 9500M G, 9700M GT, 9600M GS, 9650M GT, 9400M, 9300M G, 9800M GTX, 9600M GT, 9700M GTS
- GeForce 8M Series: 8800M GTS, 8600M GT, 8400M GT, 8200M G, 8800M GTX, 8800M GS, 8600M GS, 8400M G, 8700M GT, 8400M GS
- Quadro FX Notebook Series: FX 3800M, FX 3700M, FX 360M, FX 1600M, FX 380M, FX 370M, FX 3600M, FX 2800M, FX 2700M, FX 880M, FX 770M, FX 570M, FX 1800M, FX 1700M
- Quadro NVS Notebook Series: NVS 5100M, NVS 3100M, NVS 150M, NVS 160M, NVS 140M, NVS 320M, NVS 130M, NVS 135M
- ION Series: ION LE, ION
Important Notes Regarding Compatibility
The following notebook configurations are not supported by this release of the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16:
- Notebooks supporting Hybrid Power technology.
- Fujitsu notebooks (support will be added in a later release; Fujitsu Siemens (FSC) notebooks are supported).
- Sony VAIO notebooks (support will be added in a later release; Sony VAIO Windows 7 users can click here for driver update support).
- Any notebook launched after the release date of this driver.
Download Links
You can download the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 for Windows Vista/7 64-bit from the following locations:
Before proceeding, remember to review the compatibility information and heed the warnings about OEM-provided drivers. Ensure that your system meets the requirements for the Nvidia WHQL Notebook Driver 197.16 to prevent potential issues.