Posted 06/19/09 at 02:58:39 PM by Paul Lilly

Nvidia this week released new WHQL videocard drivers, now in version 186.18. A handful of bugs have been squashed in this newest update, most of which relate to Windows 7. Some of the resolved issues include:

• Resolves issue where PhysX option would be disabled by default in multi-GPU configurations (XP)
• Resolves issue where the system would not resume from Standby mode when running a 9800 GX2 (Vista and Windows 7)
• Changes made to program settings from the Nvidia Control Panel in 3D Settings are now preserved after closing and reopening when running a 9500 GS (Windows 7)
• SLI focus display can now be switched using "Set SLI configuration" for GTX 260 owners (Windows 7)

Not a whole lot has been done to improve performance if you're upgrading from a previous 186.xx or 185.xx driver release. However, if you're upgrading from 182.xx, Nvidia claims double digit performance boosts in a number of titles, including up to 45 percent in Mirror's Edge with antialiasing enabled, 30 percent better performance in Half-Life 2 engine games with tri- and quad-SLI enabled, and a 25 percent boost in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.

Windows XP Release Notes (PDF)
Windows Vista Release Notes (PDF)
Windows 7 Release Notes (PDF)

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