actual PERFORMANCE difference with updated drivers?

Just like the title says, has anyone seen any actual real world preformance difference with the updated drivers on the r1? Or should I stick with the old 197.xxx drivers?

 

Definitely update to the nvidia drivers. The Dell drivers are complete garbage.

If you upgrade and don't like them, you can always roll back. I say go for it. You will get FPS improvements in your games.

 

If you're asking that question, then there's probably no reason to upgrade/change.

You won't get any 'real' FPS benefits from Nvidia. It has been mooted you may even loose performance when upgrading to newer drivers.

The only reasons I can think of to upgrade is specific 'fixes' for games/applications you use AND the lesser known reason that default Intel GMA GPU acceleration does not work on the original M11xR1 driver-set. You need Intel GMA 2202 or above (as I remember) for Firefox and at least Intel GMA 2020 for IE9 to work natively.

If you look at the highest (look mum no soldered CPU mods) 3DMark06 rankings, they were almost all done on the original M11xR1 driver-set.

Think I stopped at 260.63/2020 and forced Mozilla GPU acceleration.

With Intel GMA enabled we see the following:

Using the Microsoft fish-tank on Firefox 9.0 _WITHOUT_ GPU acceleration and 100 fish in full screen (F11) you get around 10 FPS.

Using the Microsoft fish-tank on Firefox 9.0 _WITH_ GPU acceleration _FORCED_ and 100 fish in full screen (F11) you get around 40 FPS.

The technicalities of what the IE fish tank is really testing aside, a 4 times increase is not a bad thing.

I'm guessing IE9/IE10 would be much the same with GPU acceleration enabled under Intel GMA.

One test, is if your IE9 browser is locked to software GPU rendering, your Intel GMA version is not high enough.

On the Nvidia front, GPU acceleration is fine if you're over 258.96

 

263 official release seemed same as 197 to me but there was no downside either. Give em a whirl.

 

Im still rockin the 197 drivers. Work great for me.

 

I use Intel integrated GPU quite a bit, like for coding and web browsing.

Using the 197 hybrid Nvidia driver set would imply you are using the Intel GMA 1994.

How's that going using the Intel GPU?

Or are you a Game on, Game off sort of person?

In Intel GMA 2413 they fixed the following issue:

3886450 - BSOD seen after installing Switchable Graphics driver and then restarting the system.​

With Intel GMA 1994 you would have no IE9/IE10 GPU acceleration.
You'd have to force GPU acceleration for Mozilla (Hows that go out of interest on Intel GMA 1994?)

So with Intel GMA 1994 what do you get for the following?

Intel GMA 8.15.10.2020 integrated GPU:

IE9.0 - Internet Options -> Advanced [Accelerated graphics]

[ ] Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering*​

This option should NOT be ticked.​

Firefox 9.0 - about:support

Adapter Description Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
Vendor ID 8086
Device ID 2a42
Adapter RAM Unknown
Adapter Drivers igdumd64 igd10umd64 igdumdx32 igd10umd32
Driver Version 8.15.10.2020
Driver Date 12-11-2009
Vendor ID (GPU #2) 10de
Device ID (GPU #2) 0caf
Adapter RAM (GPU #2) 1024
Adapter Drivers (GPU #2) nvd3dumx,nvwgf2umx,nvwgf2umx nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Driver Version (GPU #2) 8.17.12.6063
Driver Date (GPU #2) 9-10-2010
Direct2D Enabled true
DirectWrite Enabled true (6.1.7601.17563)
ClearType Parameters DISPLAY1 [ Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: RGB ClearType Level: 50 Enhanced Contrast: 300 ] DISPLAY3 [ Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: RGB ClearType Level: 50 Enhanced Contrast: 200 ] DISPLAY5 [ Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: RGB ClearType Level: 100 Enhanced Contrast: 200 ]
WebGL Renderer Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family) -- OpenGL ES 2.0 (ANGLE 0.0.0.740)
GPU Accelerated Windows 1/1 Direct3D 10​

Chrome 17.0 - about:gpu

Canvas: Hardware accelerated
3D CSS: Hardware accelerated
HTML Rendering: Hardware accelerated
WebGL: Hardware accelerated
WebGL multisampling: Hardware accelerated​

Opera 12.0 - opera:gpu

Vega backend: Software
OpenGL Backend not supported: Unsupported backend version​

If Opera GPU acceleration was supported we'd see the following:

Vega backend: OpenGL
OpenGL Blocklist version: 1.0.4
OpenGL Blocklist status for 2D: Supported
OpenGL Blocklist status for 3D: Supported

Opera GPU acceleration is supported on Nvidia 260.63​

 

Old intel works pretty good for me, heats up pretty good while running media monkey for some reason though...

USing chrome, I havent had any of those old non working youtube videos like we had long ago.

 

So using the Chrome browser you have GPU acceleration using Intel GMA (Graphics Media Accelerator) version 7.14.10.1944?

Just trying to get my ducks in a row, before I start herding cats.

You can test this in the Chrome browser with the following 'URL' input:

about:gpu.

You can check the GMA version in Device Manager->Display adapters->Driver Details and then check the version of igdkmd64.sys

I know IE9.0 GPU acceleration doesn't work with GMA version 7.14.10.1944.

 

This is the driver link that I am using.
http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/04/DriverDetails/DriverFileFormats?DriverId=R273113




Graphics Feature Status
Canvas: Software rendered. Hardware acceleration not enabled.
3D CSS: Hardware accelerated
HTML Rendering: Hardware accelerated
WebGL: Hardware accelerated
WebGL multisampling: Hardware accelerated
Problems Detected
Accelerated 2D canvas has been disabled at the command line
Version Information
Data exported Fri Dec 02 2011 06:12:43 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time)
Chrome version 15.0.874.121 (Official Build 109964) m
Software rendering list version 1.22
Driver Information
Initialization time 584
Vendor Id 0x8086
Device Id 0x2a42
Driver vendor
Driver version 8.17.11.9772
Driver date 4-28-2010
Pixel shader version 3.0
Vertex shader version 3.0
GL version
GL_VENDOR
GL_RENDERER
GL_VERSION
GL_EXTENSIONS
Diagnostics
0
b3DAccelerationEnabled true
b3DAccelerationExists true
bAGPEnabled true
bAGPExistenceValid true
bAGPExists true
bCanRenderWindow true
bDDAccelerationEnabled true
bDriverBeta false
bDriverDebug false
bDriverSigned false
bDriverSignedValid false
bNoHardware false
dwBpp 32
dwDDIVersion 10
dwHeight 768
dwRefreshRate 60
dwWHQLLevel 0
dwWidth 1366
iAdapter 0
lDriverSize 0
lMiniVddSize 0
szAGPStatusEnglish Enabled
szAGPStatusLocalized Enabled
szChipType
szD3DStatusEnglish Enabled
szD3DStatusLocalized Enabled
szDACType
szDDIVersionEnglish 10
szDDIVersionLocalized 10
szDDStatusEnglish Enabled
szDDStatusLocalized Enabled
szDXVAHDEnglish Supported
szDXVAModes ModeMPEG2_A ModeMPEG2_C ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_C ModeVC1_B ModeVC1_C
szDescription Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family
szDeviceId 0x2A42
szDeviceIdentifier {D7B78E66-6902-11CF-5274-4924A7C2C535}
szDeviceName \\.\DISPLAY1
szDisplayMemoryEnglish 1695 MB
szDisplayMemoryLocalized 1695 MB
szDisplayModeEnglish 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
szDisplayModeLocalized 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
szDriverAssemblyVersion
szDriverAttributes
szDriverDateEnglish
szDriverDateLocalized
szDriverLanguageEnglish
szDriverLanguageLocalized
szDriverModelEnglish WDDM 1.1
szDriverModelLocalized WDDM 1.1
szDriverName
szDriverNodeStrongName oem15.inf:NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1:iCNT0:8.17.11.9772 ci\ven_8086&dev_2a42&subsys_04431028
szDriverSignDate
szDriverVersion
szKeyDeviceID Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2A42&SUBSYS_04431028&REV_07
szKeyDeviceKey \Registry\Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video\{C41725D9-2210-47DE-99CE-EFF94260F487}\0000
szManufacturer
szMiniVdd
szMiniVddDateEnglish
szMiniVddDateLocalized
szMonitorMaxRes
szMonitorName Generic PnP Monitor
szNotesEnglish No problems found.

szNotesLocalized No problems found.

szOverlayEnglish Supported
szRankOfInstalledDriver 00E60001
szRegHelpText
szRevision
szRevisionId 0x0007
szSubSysId 0x04431028
szTestResultD3D7English Not run
szTestResultD3D7Localized Not run
szTestResultD3D8English Not run
szTestResultD3D8Localized Not run
szTestResultD3D9English Not run
szTestResultD3D9Localized Not run
szTestResultDDEnglish Not run
szTestResultDDLocalized Not run
szVdd
szVendorId 0x8086
Log Messages
[2552:3092:209275:INFO:gpu_child_thread.cc(108)] : gpu_info_collector::CollectGraphicsInfo complete

 

Oh dear, Sorry to read that

Both(All) Dell M11xR1 drivers use Intel GMA version 7.14.10.1944, so, well, oppps.

Pity peoples like me didn't man up and say, but I'm not a gamer and I use Intel GMA and maybe Dell would have put GMA version 2202 into the driver build.

So, natively it appears Intel GMA version 7.14.10.1944 doesn't support GPU acceleration. bummer. Not even sure if you can force it in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox using this version.

I know using Google Chrome 17.0.932.0.Beta with Intel GMA 8.15.10.2020 GPU Hardware acceleration is supported.

Also with Nvidia 197.72 you may not get Mozilla GPU acceleration and would most definately have to force it, if one can.

I'd use Dell Nvidia 263.08 as then at least your Nvidia driver is in the ball park, even if your Intel GMA driver has gone to hell in a hand cart.

 

For whatever reason, I cant get the 263 to ever work. When I install it, I loose my switching sometimes, and sometimes it says it switches, but I am stuck at 800x600 for my games. I tried on a fresh install of windows, old install of windows, and even the factory install of windows. Nothing ever worked. So I just left it at the 197. It runs just fine this way anyhow.

I cant update to the newest nvidia, I use my intel more than the nvidia so I need my battery life.

 

263 was a pia for me to install but once I did run as admin it was fine

 

See, I tried that, I tried just about every way possible. Spent about 3 days working on it, never could get it to work

I try it again every now and then, it still fails though

 

Dang. I would stick to 197 then