This article provides an overview of the nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 for Windows XP and Media Center Edition (MCE). This driver package represents a significant update, offering enhanced support for newer graphics cards, improved performance in various applications, and numerous compatibility fixes. This driver package is WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs) certified, ensuring stability and reliability for your nVIDIA graphics card.
What’s New in Version 178.24?
The 178.24 update specifically introduces the following key improvements:
- Support for GeForce 9-series Motherboard GPUs: This update expands compatibility to include newly released GeForce 9-series motherboard GPUs, allowing users with these integrated graphics solutions to benefit from the latest driver enhancements and bug fixes.
- Application Compatibility Fixes: The driver includes several fixes aimed at resolving compatibility issues with various applications. For detailed information on specific fixes, users are encouraged to consult the official release documentation.
Release 178 Highlights: A Comprehensive Update
The ForceWare 178.24 driver builds upon the foundation established in the Release 178 series, offering a comprehensive set of features and improvements for a wide range of nVIDIA graphics cards.
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WHQL Certification: The driver is WHQL-certified, guaranteeing that it has passed rigorous testing by Microsoft and meets their standards for stability, reliability, and compatibility with Windows XP and MCE. This certification provides users with confidence in the driver’s overall quality and performance.
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Expanded GPU Support: Release 178 brings support for a wider range of nVIDIA GeForce GPUs, including the 6-series, 7-series, 8-series, 9-series, and 200-series. Specifically, it adds support for the GeForce 9800 GTX+, 9800 GT, 9500 GT, and 9400 GT GPUs. This ensures that users with these cards can take advantage of the latest features and optimizations.
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NVIDIA PhysX Acceleration: One of the key highlights of Release 178 is the introduction of NVIDIA PhysX acceleration for GeForce 8-series, 9-series, and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB of dedicated graphics memory. PhysX is a physics engine that allows for more realistic and immersive in-game physics effects. This driver package installs NVIDIA PhysX System Software v8.09.04. Users can experience GPU PhysX acceleration in several full games and demos by downloading the GeForce Power Pack.
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2-way NVIDIA SLI Technology Support: The driver adds support for 2-way NVIDIA SLI technology with GeForce GTX 200-series GPUs on Intel D5400XS motherboards. SLI (Scalable Link Interface) allows users to combine the processing power of two or more graphics cards for increased performance in demanding applications and games.
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DirectX 9 and OpenGL Support: The nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on both DirectX 9 and OpenGL, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of games and applications.
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CUDA Support: The driver supports CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture), NVIDIA’s parallel computing architecture. CUDA enables developers to utilize the processing power of nVIDIA GPUs for a variety of tasks beyond graphics rendering, such as scientific simulations, video encoding, and image processing.
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Folding@home Support: The driver supports the Folding@home distributed computing application, allowing users to contribute their GPU’s processing power to help researchers study protein folding and develop cures for diseases. Users can download the high-performance client for NVIDIA GPUs and join the NVIDIA team: #131015.
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GPU Overclocking and Temperature Monitoring: The driver enables GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring when used in conjunction with NVIDIA System Tools software. Overclocking allows users to increase the clock speed of their GPU for improved performance, while temperature monitoring helps to ensure that the GPU is operating within safe thermal limits.
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Performance Improvements: The 178.24 WHQL driver includes several 3D application performance improvements compared to the v175.19 WHQL driver. These improvements vary depending on the game and hardware configuration. Examples include:
- Single GPU increases up to 11% in 3DMark Vantage (performance preset)
- Single GPU increases up to 11% in Assassin’s Creed DX10
- Single GPU increases up to 15% in Bioshock DX10
- Single GPU increases up to 15% in Call of Duty 4
- Single GPU increases up to 8% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
- 2-way SLI increases up to 7% in Bioshock DX10
- 2-way SLI increases up to 10% in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts DX10
- 2-way SLI increases up to 12% in Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
- 2-way SLI increases up to 10% in World in Conflict DX10
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Application Compatibility Fixes: This nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 includes numerous 3D application compatibility fixes, addressing issues that may have caused crashes, graphical glitches, or performance problems in specific games and applications. Users are advised to consult the release notes for detailed information on product support, features, driver fixes, and known compatibility issues.
Downloading the Driver
You can download the nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 for Windows XP / MCE from the following link:
Download nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24
Alternative Download Links:
Here are some alternative download links for the nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 from other sources:
- Softpedia: (This link is placeholder and may need to be replaced with an actual download page on Softpedia if available)
- Guru3D: (This link is placeholder and may need to be replaced with an actual download page on Guru3D if available)
- FileHippo: (This link is placeholder and may need to be replaced with an actual download page on FileHippo if available)
- DriverGuide: (This link is placeholder and may need to be replaced with an actual download page on DriverGuide if available)
- NVIDIA Official Archive (if available, otherwise a general NVIDIA driver search): (This link is placeholder and may need to be replaced with an actual download page on NVIDIA official site if available)
Important Considerations:
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Read the Release Notes: Before installing the driver, it is highly recommended to read the official release notes provided by nVIDIA. These notes contain important information about supported products, new features, driver fixes, known issues, and installation instructions.
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Clean Installation: For optimal performance and stability, it is recommended to perform a clean installation of the driver. This involves uninstalling the previous driver version before installing the new one. You can use the nVIDIA driver uninstaller or a third-party driver removal tool to ensure a complete removal of the old driver files.
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System Requirements: Ensure that your system meets the minimum system requirements for the driver. These requirements typically include the operating system version, GPU model, and amount of system memory.
Conclusion
The nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24 for Windows XP / MCE represents a significant update, offering expanded GPU support, improved performance, and numerous compatibility fixes. This driver package is WHQL-certified, ensuring stability and reliability for your nVIDIA graphics card. By following the recommendations outlined in this article, users can ensure a smooth and successful installation of the driver and take full advantage of its features and improvements. Updating to the latest drivers, such as this version of nVIDIA ForceWare WHQL Drivers 178.24, can often improve gaming performance and resolve compatibility issues.