News - NVIDIA pulls potentially-lethal 196.75 driver

[HEXUS]

NVIDIA suggests returning to older drivers amid reports its latest release could cause your GPU to overheat.

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[shaithis]

Not the publicity they want right now....

[Jaffo]

I've been running the 32 bit XP ones since they came out and haven't noticed anything odd but then I've not done much gaming to test them. Reverting to 196.21 just to be on the safe side.

[Irien]

Like Jaffo, been running new ones on 8800GT for a few days since swapping around some hardware here in the office. It is only being used for light 3D and extensive 2D-DirectDraw work (full screen) but no obvious problems. Glad I didn't stick it on the SLI rig tho - that was today's job!

Other sites seem to reference blizzard, so I'm guessing it is mostly affecting people doing long-session 3D gaming.

[Grey M@a]

Like Jaffo, been running new ones on 8800GT for a few days since swapping around some hardware here in the office. It is only being used for light 3D and extensive 2D-DirectDraw work (full screen) but no obvious problems. Glad I didn't stick it on the SLI rig tho - that was today's job!

Other sites seem to reference blizzard, so I'm guessing it is mostly affecting people doing long-session 3D gaming.

Seems Blizzard are getting a bit of flack recently due to their Authenticators being broken so now the codes are known for some models etc. Think there is a post about it on the WoW site. Haven't played the game in years but I had to get an authenticator a while back as a mate of mine asked why I was back in WoW which is how I found out the 3 year dormant account was in use with my details etc.

[JCBeastie]

Surely you can use these drivers and use a third-party app (like Riva Tuner) to manage the fan speed, I know I always keep mine on 100% regardless, it's quiet anyway!

[Shooty*]

Hmmmm.... I've had an Arkham Asylum session of a couple of hours, and no problem on an 8800gt with aftermarket cooling.

However, I HAVE noticed my windows "score" reduce from 6.9 with that card to 6.8 since putting the new drivers in.

[sadbuttrue]

Considering the temperatures NVidia cards run at, if you can't smell burning it's probably not overheating

[warejon9]

I installed these drivers, and sadly my primary card in my geforce 7950gx2, has failed and is useless, so is there anything i can do? As my card is outside its warranty.

[shaithis]

I installed these drivers, and sadly my primary card in my geforce 7950gx2, has failed and is useless, so is there anything i can do? As my card is outside its warranty.

Sheesh.....I would probably contact nVidia directly......the potentially saving grace for your almost-certainly-out-of-warranty card is that the driver was WHQL (instead of beta) and nVidia really cannot afford much more bad publicity....

[matty-hodgson]

My GTX 275 was running about 5 - 8'C hotter than usual last night while playing Bad Company 2, but I can't tell if that was because the game is a massive heat producer or if my fan just wasn't spinning properly.

[kalniel]

Not the publicity they want right now....

I don't know - this way they can claim that fermi isn't any hotter than their previous products

[jnutt]

I was running the drivers until I saw the Hexus post. Noticed after waking the PC up from sleep mode fan speed was zero luckily I had the system monitor running or I wouldn't have noticed it. Back on the older drivers now.

[Bloke]

Jesus, I cant believe nvidia let this happen, their latest round of drivers post 191. has been crappy but to overheat your GPU?...
I hope their first release drivers for fermi fair better other wise alot of people will be toasting marshmellows over their 480/470... That would certainly made the chaps over at amd smile.

[mercyground]

/cynical and tongue in cheek.

Kill off older cards and then release fermi? Sounds like a PR stunt.

/cynical.

Tis funny as hell they screwed that up thou.

[Sumanji]

Hmm I just played through most of Crysis with these drivers... oops!

Saying that, I had no problems whatsoever, and although the temps were hitting the low 80's, I could hear the fan ramping++ to keep up with the heat.

Su