Nvidia has released the GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66, a driver package specifically designed for Windows XP 32-bit operating systems. These drivers offer a range of enhancements and new features targeted towards users of GeForce 9-series, 100-series, and 200-series desktop GPUs. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the key improvements, supported technologies, and compatible products included in this driver release.
Key Highlights of the 185.66 Drivers
The Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 for Windows XP 32-bit bring several noteworthy additions and improvements to the table, focusing on performance optimization, feature enhancements, and expanded compatibility.
Support for GeForce GTX 275
A primary highlight of this release is the official support for the GeForce GTX 275 GPU. This ensures that users with the newly released GTX 275 can leverage the full potential of their hardware with optimized driver support. This includes ensuring proper functionality, stability, and performance within games and applications.
Ambient Occlusion Technology
The 185.66 drivers introduce support for Ambient Occlusion, a cutting-edge feature within the NVIDIA Control Panel. Ambient Occlusion enhances the realism of 3D gaming environments by accurately simulating the way light interacts with surfaces. It adds depth and detail to scenes by rendering realistic shadows where objects occlude ambient light. This technology is exclusively available for GeForce GPUs, giving users a visually superior gaming experience. More information about Ambient Occlusion can be found at https://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_ambientocclusion_home.html.
CUDA 2.2 Support
The Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 include support for CUDA 2.2, NVIDIA’s parallel computing architecture. CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) allows the GPU to be used for general-purpose computing tasks, significantly accelerating performance in various applications. This update enables developers to leverage the power of GeForce GPUs for computationally intensive tasks such as video encoding, image processing, and scientific simulations. Detailed information about CUDA can be found at www.nvidia.com/cuda.
Performance Enhancements in 3D Applications
One of the major focuses of the 185.66 drivers is to improve performance in various 3D applications. Nvidia conducted internal testing comparing the performance of these drivers against the older Release 182 drivers. While actual results may vary depending on your specific GPU, system configuration, and in-game settings, the following improvements were observed:
- Up to 11% performance increase in Call of Duty: World at War
- Up to 5% performance increase in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts
- Up to 22% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with antialiasing enabled
- Up to 11% performance increase in Fallout 3 with antialiasing enabled
- Up to 14% performance increase in Far Cry 2
- Up to 45% performance increase in Mirror’s Edge with antialiasing enabled
These performance gains translate to smoother gameplay, higher frame rates, and an overall improved gaming experience.
GeForce Plus Power Pack #3
The 185.66 drivers also support GeForce Plus Power Pack #3, a collection of free PhysX and CUDA applications designed to showcase the capabilities of NVIDIA GPUs. These applications provide users with practical examples of how PhysX and CUDA can enhance gaming and other applications. The Power Pack can be downloaded from https://www.nvidia.com/content/graphicsplus/us/download.asp.
Bug Fixes
In addition to the new features and performance enhancements, the Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 address numerous bug fixes. These fixes improve the stability and reliability of the drivers, ensuring a smoother and more consistent user experience. Detailed information about the specific bug fixes can be found in the release documentation notes.
Existing Supported Technologies
The 185.66 drivers retain support for a range of existing NVIDIA technologies, ensuring continued compatibility and functionality for users.
Single GPU and NVIDIA SLI Technology
The drivers support both single GPU configurations and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL. SLI (Scalable Link Interface) allows multiple NVIDIA GPUs to work together to increase rendering performance. The drivers support 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI configurations on SLI-certified Intel X58-based motherboards.
OpenGL 3.0 Support
The drivers include full support for OpenGL 3.0, a cross-language, cross-platform API for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. This ensures that users can take advantage of the latest OpenGL features and capabilities in compatible applications.
NVIDIA SLI Multi-monitor Support
The Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 support NVIDIA SLI Multi-monitor support, enabling users to connect two monitors to their GeForce graphics cards in SLI mode. This allows for expanded desktop space and enhanced multitasking capabilities.
NVIDIA PhysX Acceleration
The drivers support NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on a dedicated GeForce graphics card. PhysX is a physics engine that simulates realistic physical effects in games, such as cloth movement, fluid dynamics, and particle effects. By dedicating a separate GeForce card to PhysX processing, users can experience more realistic and immersive gaming environments without sacrificing graphics performance. GPU PhysX is supported on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series, and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB of dedicated graphics memory. The driver package automatically installs PhysX System Software version 9.09.0203.
GPU Overclocking and Temperature Monitoring
The drivers support GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring through the installation of NVIDIA System Tools software. Overclocking allows users to increase the clock speed of their GPU, potentially improving performance. Temperature monitoring allows users to track the temperature of their GPU, ensuring that it remains within safe operating limits.
Supported Products
The Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 for Windows XP 32-bit support the following GeForce desktop GPUs:
- GeForce GTX 295
- GeForce GTX 285
- GeForce GTX 280
- GeForce GTX 275
- GeForce GTX 260
- GeForce GTS 250
- GeForce GT 140
- GeForce GT 130
- GeForce GT 120
- GeForce 9800 GX2
- GeForce 9800 GTX+
- GeForce 9800 GTX
- GeForce 9800 GT
- GeForce 9600 GT
- GeForce 9600 GS
- GeForce 9600 GSO
- GeForce 9500 GT
- GeForce 9500 GS
- GeForce 9400 GT
- GeForce 9400
- GeForce 9300 GS
- GeForce 9300 GE
- GeForce 9300
- GeForce 9200
Download Links
You can download the Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 for Windows XP 32-bit from the following locations:
Here are some alternative download links:
- Softpedia: (Search for "NVIDIA GeForce 185.66 Driver for Windows XP 32-bit" on Softpedia)
- Guru3D: (Search for "NVIDIA GeForce 185.66 Driver for Windows XP 32-bit" on Guru3D)
- FileHippo: (Search for "NVIDIA GeForce 185.66 Driver for Windows XP 32-bit" on FileHippo)
- DriverGuide: (Search for "NVIDIA GeForce 185.66 Driver for Windows XP 32-bit" on DriverGuide)
- MajorGeeks: (Search for "NVIDIA GeForce 185.66 Driver for Windows XP 32-bit" on MajorGeeks)
Note: Always exercise caution when downloading files from the internet. Ensure the source is reputable and scan the downloaded files with an antivirus program before installation.
Conclusion
The Nvidia GeForce Beta Drivers 185.66 for Windows XP 32-bit offer a significant update for users of GeForce 9-series, 100-series, and 200-series GPUs. With the addition of GeForce GTX 275 support, Ambient Occlusion technology, CUDA 2.2 support, and performance enhancements in various 3D applications, these drivers provide a compelling upgrade for gamers and users who rely on GPU computing. The inclusion of numerous bug fixes further enhances the stability and reliability of the drivers.