186.81 Mobile Released - get it while its hot :)

Version: 186.81 WHQL
Release Date: 2009.08.27
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit
Language: English (U.S.)
File Size: 138 MB

64-bit Vista/Win7:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_x64_186.81_whql.html

32-bit Vista/Win7:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winvista_win7_186.81_whql.html

64-bit XP:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winxp64_186.81_whql.html

32-bit XP:
http://www.nvidia.com/object/notebook_winxp_186.81_whql.html


FYI - This will install the 9.09.0408 version of PhysX. You may have to update PhysX to the current release after driver install. Remember, with PhysX installs/updates you want to install OVER your existing version.

A point of interest (at least to me):
Checking the INF for 186.81 I find the same custom entries that Dell placed in the stock driver. xfastest.com's 190.40 modded driver had the AlienFX and AlienFusion entry but they were lacking the ToggleWidescreen entries. The specific entries which are written to your registry are:

The best guess I have is the AlienFXController and the AlienFusionController are being added to tell the driver to override its own power profile and allow the AW app to take master control over the behavior of each Power Profile. By default there should be an entry in the Vista Power Profile Advanced Settings on HybridSLI machines for 'GPU Settings' --> NVIDIA HybridSLI, which control the On Battery use mGPU or On AC which uses Boost Mode (multiple GPUs).

The ToggleWidescreen entries most likely are tied to the Stealth Mode touchstrip button. Why they label it as ToggleWidescreen is a mystery. Regardless, it appears NVIDIA is serious about supporting mobile driver updates and is working with manufacturers to add in proprietary code.

This observation is not law, but just my opinion. Anyway, enjoy the new driver - it seems to perform much better than the 179.85 and 186.12. Appears really close to the 186.24 from what I have seen with my limited testing. I also have noticed less 'wake from sleep to black screen' occurences.

*****UPDATE*****

The 186.82 driver is a better choice for the M17x. Please see a few posts down for the links. As an alternative, you can fall back to the 186.81 however the consensus is the 186.82 is the best release to date for full HybridSLI support on the M17x.

 

Thanks!!

Will all modes like hybrid work with this one or do we have to wait for dell's release?

 

I'm still testing - running a couple of benchmarks. As luck would have it, the $#%@!^% Futuremark/Orb Server is down so I can't get my 3DMark06 results... lol

Haven't tested HybridSLI/Stealth Mode functions yet. It does install fine with HybridSLI enabled though

I also hope this one clears up the wake from sleep blank screen issue I have been having.

 

Oh my, that would be excellent

 

Thanks for the heads up - downloading now. Will add to my list of benchies

 

Doesn't install for me (hybrid mode enabled, haven't tested anything else). Here is the error I get:

"The NVIDIA Setup program could not locate any drivers that are compatible with your current hardware. Setup will now exit."

Can't even install the drivers manually through the device manager, as it says it's incompatible for the hardware.

That's on Windows 7 64 bit RC Build 7100 (tried with 186.81_notebook_win7_winvista_64bit_international_whql.exe from Nvidia's side as well as 18681_win7x64.exe from the Nvision boards, both with the same result).
Very strange.

 

You need a modded inf for it to install....

 

That's what I thought, but BatBoys post implied there was none needed. Nor is there one on the Nvision boards. I'm confused. Shouldn't mobile driver releases support mobile cards off the bat anyways?

 

I take it back. lol

It should install without any mods to the inf file. Thought it was a desktop driver for some reason

 

I figure your system isn't still clean of the old drivers. I had this same message when my system was auto-installing drivers after I whiped them of. Check your device manager before installing, it should state 3 vga-adapters for a install to work (if you have Dual SLI with hybrid).

 

No, that's not it. I've uninstalled the drivers properly and rebooted several times. When I tried this, I had 3 standard VGA adapters in the device manager (2 of them had the exclamation mark on them). Any drivers with modded .inf also install fine. Just not this official 186.81 Notebook driver.

 

Not sure why you aren't able to install Glzmo. Since you have already tried uninstalling several times you might want to try a driver sweeper cleaning and ccleaner registry scan in safe mode. I know some people are nervous about driver sweeper and I understand the hesitation, but to be safe and feel 100% comfortable, just reinstall the chipset driver (NVIDIA) after reboot from safe mode. then install the 186.81 driver.

On a side note, the driver is performing as well as the 186.24 in benchmarks. Will do some gaming later tonight. Waking from sleep is still an issue and I am starting to suspect that maybe it has something to do with the RAM. I plan on running a memory check later. Hell, maybe this whole 'wake to a blank screen sleep issue' needs its own thread.

 

you need to install with have disk metod open device manager locate your video card driver clik update driver -let me choose for software on my computer clik have a disk- browse were you unzip the folder and clik ok that's what i did and is working

 

Am I the only one who was able to get it to install just by running the NVDIA Installer?? lol.

 

I will try tomorrow. Dont have time tonight. Then I am gonna format vista and put windows 7 ultimate 64bit RTM on there.. lol

 

Mine installed fine and working great! Thanks for posting!

 

Excellent. Thanks for the confirmation blade.

 

this is one of the best drivers i ever try on this laptop is working good with games, overcloking and benchmarking also runs good with hybrid setup thank's again

 

Downloaded it, installed it, and love the performance increases!

 

Hm, that didn't work for me either. Says the driver isn't compatible.

 

Mine installed perfectly aswell. It's a good driver!

 

Are you sure your behind the right computer?

 

Posiitve the Alienware M17x. I'm running 190.62s on my Desktop at the moment.

And by the way, I always use Driver sweeper to sweep the old drivers off my system. I am quite versed in installing drivers, I never had such a problem before unless a driver didn't natively support my videocards via the .inf.

What kind of OS are all you people using for who the driver installs fine and which one do the ones use for whom it doesn't? I'm on Windows 7 build 7100 (aka the "RC"), x64.

 

I'm downloading it now.

 

confirmed: works with m15x!!!

Lower latency too!!

 

Its working on mine. All seems real good. No benches yet, hopefully soon.

 

So Hybrid stealth mode works for everyone?

*excited*

 

Some interesting changes in the 3D settings.

 

Is everything working for you drake?

ie stealth, hybrid, etc....

 

Mandrake, did you get it to work on Win7 without hassle?

 

Haven't tested that yet. Running 3DMark.

 

I'm not running Win 7 right now.

 

Everything works; hybrid, stealth, sleep (worked regardless if I was on the 280s or the 9400), FN+F7 (although I did this a few times only once I was prompted to reboot). The only thing that didn't work was unplugging from AC didn't put automatically put me into stealth mode.

 

the one from microsoft is even newer guys 186.82 ... 81 is from 8/19 82 is from 8/20

Windows Vista x86, Windows 7 x86: http://download.windowsupdate.com/m..._b22967d13ca80b3820a6b9812a4842a9caba3194.cab


Windows Vista x64, Windows 7 x64: http://download.windowsupdate.com/m..._a264562952e6190367120219121f78e35815d057.cab


know this is ONLY GRAPHICS driver no audio that must be installed separate

 

I've noticed this as well - Even when I went back to the stock 179.85 driver it would not automatically switch to the mGPU and disable the 280's. Kind of annoying but no big deal.

I also noticed another bug (not just with this driver, but all of them) - When switching to battery, shouldn't the FX functions (lighting, etc) be switched off automatically? There is an option in the Fusion module of Command Center which is to turn off Alien F/X while on battery - not sure why its not working.

 

It'd be nice if AW would get crackin' with some cc/alienfx updates. (Chaz??)

Even in the promo video at E3 the AW rep was having trouble using the keyboard lighting. lol

 

my bone question has been answered.

cheers
mike

 

Never tried this but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work.

 

a_beast33: Vista 64bit drivers will work on Windows 7 so don't worry! Stick with the 18x.xx drivers if you want Hybrid to keep working on your M17x. 19x.xx are reported to be not working with hybrid

 

cheers azelexx

 

186.82 drivers from Nvision install fine for me on Windows 7, by the way, including Hybdrid mode.
I did have to use the nv_whql.inf from the included additional_infs.zip archive, however (186.81 are missing that inf in the additional_infs.zip archive).
I noticed the Hybrid SLI icon behaves differently with these drivers compared to 186.42 and lower. I can no longer switch between save power and boost performance with these driversvia the icon. FN+F7 still works, though.

Where does that additional_infs.zip come from anyway? Is it just a .zip that includes various modified infs?

 

Why are the 18x.xx drivers newer than the 19x.xx drivers?

I thought higher numbers meant latest versions...or am I understanding nvidia system wrong? XD

 

The 18x.xx drivers are mobile drivers. The 19x.xx drivers are modified desktop drivers.

 

re: LV2go's version -

The additional INF zip is the actual INFs which were supplied with the driver. The INF the driver uses by default is the modded version by Pieter.

 

I see. Somebody should let Pieter know that his modded infs don't work even though the original ones do for these drivers.

Anyhow, the 186.82 drivers seem to be working fine, although the Nvidia chevron icon now doesn't allow changing Hybrid modes via click anymore. FN+F7 still works, though.

 

I exchanged a couple of PMs with Pieter a few days ago when I was working on getting the 190.40 driver up and running. As you know it wasn't a win.

190.xx HybridSupport is most likely going to be put off untill NVIDIA or AW/DELL release a 190 series driver. Until we can see how its being implemented with 190.xx it just isn't worth trying to mod. I hit a brick wall each time.

With 190.40 I added in the registry entries I mentioned earlier in the thread. I was able to install without issue and have HybridSLI functioning, but the timings or something was off. Had some odd lockups occur. Bottom line is the architecture is just different with the 190 series

 

ha! That is all I did! None of this uninstalling crap, stealth switching! I just ran and it updated!

 

Yea installed just fine for me. Just ran the installer.

Interesting though, it never asked me to reboot. I had the previously molded ones that batboy provided then just ran this installer. It went through the whole process and no reboot prompt and all gpus were using the new version of driver.. strange.. that was a first for me.. It has always asked me to reboot after install.. lol

Didnt get to check them with gaming last night.. I will some tonight and see how they perform.

 

I couldn't get them to install no matter what I tried. I think maybe the inf isn't made for Windows 7 64-bit. That's the only explaination I can think of. If I use the inf from the older Dell release and change the driver version and date string to match the nVidia release, it installs. That's the only way I could get the new driver installed.

 

Mine installed fine from the exe, runs great!