M17x Drivers thread

I have had good results by disabling the 9400 in Bios, installing the new driver right over the old one, enabling Sli & etc. Then re-enabling the 9400, it is seen right away and the 9400 is installed automatically. When I reboot, Hybrid kicks in and everything is performing very well.

I have done this process on an original respawn and 2 clean installs of Win7 with no issues.

 

How are your GPU clocks doing during office work (browsing etc.)?

 

In Boost Mode they(260s) are up and down depending on the load, the 9400 stays constant. Web site content Flash/Java effect the clocks for sure.
In power save mode the 9400 stays constant unless I use it to game.
First screen is Boost Mode during web browsing and second is Power Save Mode after exiting MW2 and browsing the web.

 

I've been reading this thread, and wanted to contribute some information. Ive have had and experienced buggy issue with drivers. I've just installed 186.82 today so hopefully i see better results. love my system just wished it ran normally

 

I've just finished going through CODMW2, Dragon Age, and some movie watching and all I can say is wow. 186.82 is an amazing driver that has finally put my system where it should be performance wise. I was experiencing, quite the problems with 186.64 to 195 that was just making regret buying the system but now im really enjoying the settings.

 

What drivers have you all found work best for COD MW2?

Got it for xmas and want to load it up

 

186.82 is the best drivers from what iv seen.

 

186.82 with nhancer to add sli support. i posted nhancer settings. 195.xx drivers have already sli support but i get some lags in game. with 186.82 and nhancer it runs smoothly.

 

yup perfect gameplay so far for all games ive played with it especially FPS's

 

When I try to install the 186.82 drivers it tells me I don't have any supported hardware. Any ideas?

I tried the 195.62 drivers, but they performed like crap in Crysis and I've been trying to go back for days. The drivers are from laptopvideo2go.com.

EDIT- figured out this INF stuff. Should have searched properly. I'm trying the 195.81 drivers now, mostly for kicks.

 

Yep, was about to say the INFs. 95% of the time that's the problem.

 

i was wondering what do I use to overclock my GPUs if I'm using 195.62 drivers.
Nvidia system tools don't work with 19x.xx drivers.

 

I should've read this thread 2 months ago when I started using the 186.82 drivers for Borderlands. My $0.02: I think these drivers work really well. Playing Batman:AA with these.

Also, I noticed that my screen dimming functions (keyboard and power settings) only work if I'm in Hybrid mode. Then it dimming works for both discrete and onboard modes.

I wanted to try the 191.07 or any 19x.xx drivers to use the 'trick' to boost performance of one of the apps to eliminate stutter.
Also, to assign PhysX to the onboard card and graphics to the 280Ms. Or does that work only on desktops?

 

The on board lacks the total amount of Processor Cores to handle Physics X. I think the min cores required are 32, someone plaese correct me if I am wrong.

Oh yeah, sure many you already saw them, but the 3xxm series are now up on Nvidia's web site. As usual, no sign of the new enthusiasts chips. Give them another month and then they will show on the site, or in a Sager!

 

the GPU needs dedicated RAM for physX which is why the 9400m cannot due it since it uses shared system memory

 

Just did a re-install of my graphics drivers (186.82), physX and nv system tools. Can't adjust my screen brightness. Also re-installed osd (R240771).

 

you need to have the 9400m enabled to adjust screen brightness (dont ask me why )

 

I am able to adjust brightness without any problems using the FN+F4/F5 keys and have Hybrid Graphics & Integrated Graphics both disabled in the BIOS.

aneroid is not the first person posting he isn't able to adjust brightness - not sure what is going on in this situation. Perhaps its a conflict with NVIDIA System Tools - I dont have it installed. Its certainly a driver/config issue. Try 186.82, OSD and CC both current with BIOS A02. Once you are able to adjust using the FN keys and Windows Power Settings, then update your GPU driver if you want.

 

Now that you mention it, I just adjusted my brightness using the functions keys in 186.64 without 9400m on as well lol

It also worked through the windows power options window

 

have you tried adjusting the screan brightness via "Power Options?"

 

@ aneroid

Here is the list of requirements for Physics X directly from the Nvidia website

Supports NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series, 100-series and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB dedicated graphics memory and 32 CUDA cores. Note: Some applications may have higher minimum requirements.

 

Yes, that was the 2nd thing I tried. Didn't work.

saw the PhysX specs, doesn't look like the 9400M will manage it, even though the nvidia site implies it will:

Will try that but I think the issue will pop up again when a new driver is installed. Unless you mean install new drivers over 186.82.

 

aneroid, before you start mucking with display drivers, try this:

Verify you are running the A02 BIOS. If not, update to BIOS A02 - ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/R235673.exe

1. Uninstall OSD using the Programs & Features Control Panel. Reboot normally.
2. Uninstall Command Center. Reboot and this time enter Safe Mode (F8 @ BIOS).
3. Once in Safe Mode, run CCleaner's Registry Module and 'fix' any left over entries it finds from the two uninstalls. Once complete, reboot normally.
4. Once back at the desktop, install in this order:

OSD - ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/app/R240771.exe

Command Center - ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/app/R232274.exe

Hopefully, this will resolve your issue. You should be able to adjust brightness level via the FN+F4 and FN+F5 keys in addition to using the OS's Power Profile Options settings.

If you are still having issues, then look at display drivers. I doubt its the cause, but its a next step in troubleshooting. Are you running Vista or Windows 7? Perhaps its a Windows 7 issue??

 

Will update the bios. I was quite sure i was running the A02 bios since I downloaded and installed it when it came out. The file name "R231503.exe", but now I'm getting a different one from the dell site and your link. So will do that, and update here.

 

Installed the new bios.

OSD wasn't listed in the programs and features. so I deleted the folder and ran ccleaner. command center wouldn't uninstall so did the same.

Then re-installed OSD and command center.

After that, I could change my display brightness. Then I went into bios again, disabled hybrid and integrated - now I can't change brightness.

(I'm using vista 64 home premium.)

 

are you disabling any startup items? If so, which?

 

My startup list has everything checked.

Now, also getting a flashing caps-lock key. Two others got it too - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5267295&postcount=3
I've not opened my unit...yet.

 

Any one hear any news on the New Bios A03 BIOS ?

 

I just installed Dox brand new 195.62 drivers through "have disk" method.

Just to let you know they exist, available since this morning

sorry if this has been posted already ^^

 

that is first I have heard of Dox 195.62, heard they had stopped modding

 

According to the Dell blog it should be out tomorrow at the latest. We'll see. I'll take well tested vs quickly released.

I am using the current Beta 195.81 drivers with no issues (on top of a clean Windows install).

 

how are the drivers? does it have the problems the orginal 195.62 has? gpus not downclocking properly etc

 

It may also be possible that with the problems of the recent M15x BIOS release ours may be delayed a few days for further testing. I'd rather they did that than force a release out.

 

Downclocks both discrete gpus for me, both idle around 35c degrees. But then i never checked the issue with original nvidia drivers, maybe i wasn't affected by it.

Only issue i still have with dox 196.62 compared to original version is that at every startup i gotta switch to integrated graphics (if i don't want to play of course). Not a problem for those who disable the 9400m in Bios obviously

I don't have too much time to play right now, so i cannot say more. sorry

 

Dox's 195.62 didn't work for me. Even after using the have disk method, the two GPUs weren't showing up in HWmonitor (v 1.15.0) and no nvidia control panel.

I did a clean re-install of the 186.82 drivers. In the step where we've to wait for windows to install the default drivers, it does so only for the 9400M integrated. Anyways, installed the drivers, restarted. When I ran OCCT, it SLIs to the correct two cards but if I run fluid mark, it's using the 9400M and the 1st GPU...instead of 1st and 2nd GPU. Source SDK Orange box also SLIs with the integrated and 1st GPU.

HWmonitor lists the integrated first, then the 2nd GPU and then the 1st (the 1st one always runs 2-3 C hotter than the 2nd).

So how do I tell NV to pair GPU 1 & 2? Apart from disabling the integrated.

Anyone got feedback on the 195.81 drivers?

 

before using have disk method, did you select hybrid sli?

and when using have disk method, did you use the inf in the hybrid sli folder? (i even replaced the inf in driver folder with the hybrid sli one to be sure)

Can't help you with your sli issue though

 

No, didn't do that. Any idea what I can change in the nv_dispm.inf to disable powermizer settings? Found this on line 875:

Code:

HKR,,PerfLevelSrc,%REG_DWORD%,0x3333;=Powermizer on

Should I just change that to 'off'? Or I could just use the powermizer on/off utility.

 

Installed Dox 195.62 successfully. Still have the SLI issue.

Oddly, fluidmark worked better using my 9400M and one GTX 280M, though the benchmark says 3-way SLI: FPS: min=59 max=300 avg=78. from the temps, I know the 2nd card was barely used.

Source SDK Orange box SLIs with the integrated and 1st GPU.

OCCT used the right GPUs, but had significant drop in FPS - 62 avg (from 72 before and 79 when OCed previously).

Batman:AA benchmark was the same, but with SLI on. Can't switch off SLI without going to integrated only. Will nv ever fix this? (so you can hybrid with SLI on, SLI only the discrete with integrated off, not hybrid the SLI with integrated off).

Will retry all of these tomorrow with hybrid disabled in Bios.

 

Update: With hybrid disabled, fluidmark scores.
OCCT: back to 70-72 FPS
Orange Box SDK - same as before (155 fps, if that's possible)
Batman:AA -the same.

figured out how to change brightness using the function keys and get OSD working: when you plan on restarting to install OSD (after uninstalling command center and other steps as described by BatBoy below): in your bios, disable hybrid but keep the integrated enabled. so you should install it when you're running the GPUs. Then if you Fn + F7, you have to restart and hybrid gets automatically enabled and u still can change the brightness. (after that if you disable integrated totally, the OSD might stop working but you can still change brightness. fyi, the greyish graphic that pops sometimes stop displaying but eventually tends to come back.) personally, if i can change the brightness, i don't care if the thing doesn't pop-up.

also, you may want to change the Dim Timer in your advanced settings. coz when I play Batman:AA, it kept going dark every x minutes, since i was using the xbox360 controller.

btw, if someone can find a way to have the Fn + F4/F5 brightness to change by 10% instead of 20%, then let me know.

thanks to whoever gave me +1 rep, just noticed it now.

my thoughts on the Dox 195.62 driver: looks about as good as 186.82, except slight loss in 'detail', i think coz of the mipmapping. since i used the 'have disk' method, i don't know where i can customize that like how the dox installer lets u. same for powermizer. there was one area in lost coast where sli kept dropping off, but then stabilized.

 

whats the difference between the Dox 195.62 and the stock nvidia 195.62 ?

 

supposed to look better and play better. I don't think Dox ever released a driver that didn't improve fps ingame. Difference may not be huge but that's just driver tweaking

 

example, the 195.62 don't exist for laptops other than laptopvideo2go, iirc. generally, dox's drivers are optimized for performance at the expense of nicities. while some may not agree, I, personally, did NOT buy the alienware for simple nicities, but for pure portable performance. So far, it's not lived up to the price tag but while you have it, these drivers will do you good. If you're already on 186.82's then it won't make much of a difference.

Having said all that, my comp is running higher temps on idle. The area around the mousepad feels hotter than it normally does. Been idle for 9 hrs before this. It should have been on the lower side of 45-50 but has been running at 55 so far.

 

Notebook Release 195 WHQL 195.62

its available on notebooks from nvidia website.

 

ok, will have another go at that...

PhysX not included in Dox drivers. For this one, manually install v8.09.04 first and v9.09.0814 over it (but after insatalling v8.x, I installed 9.09.1112).

...from http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/26002-forceware-19562/

 

Just wondering what NVIDIA drivers everyones been using?
I heard the new one on NVIDIA's site ain't that hot. Ive been using the stock drivers from Dell (186.64 ), but just want something better and I really don't want to try every single one thats been released. I heard 186.81 is pretty decent.
Just looking for least amount of bugs, my screen colors not being all weird, and most stable, and just overall "best"?
Thanks for any suggestions!

 

186.82 was released a short time after the official 186.81. 186.82 came straight from Microsoft as a Windows Update release driver. Between the two - 186.82 is the more stable driver.

 

How did you guys with Win 7 Home Premium wipe your old drivers in safe mode, boot normally to install new ones without Windows automatically installing the new ones?

 

See this for an overview (W7):
http://winobs.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A5A4E44FC39554C5!565.entry

For Windows Vista users, open the system control panel, choose advanced settings from the left side bar, on the hardware tab select Windows Update Driver Settings. Check the option to 'Never check for drivers when I connect a device'.

 

Thanks, but I've tried that and restarted numerous times. I've got 'No' then 'Never install driver software from Windows Update' selected.

There's still a service running somewhere that's causing it to happen. But I can't disable it because Local Group Policy Editor does not exist in Windows 7 Home Premium.

The only thing I can think of doing is disabling my wireless, deleting wherever it grabs the driver from the 'preconfigured driver folders' and restarting but I don't know where it's getting it from.

Or, writing my own key in the registry under policy options to have that service disabled, but I'm unsure how to write that correctly either.

 

It shouldn't be auto installing from any source if you have that option checked. Something is seriously funky if it is. You mentioned a service running but cant disable it - what service are you trying to disable?

As for the question earlier, re: clean driver installs, this is my suggestion for the display driver - for both OS's:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5699970

The basic process can still be used for other drivers as well - shorten it to:

1. Uninstall driver via Programs & Features CP
2. Boot into Safe Mode
3. Run CCleaner's registry module - fix all issues it finds
4. Reboot normally and install the new driver