Driver Update: Nvidia GeForce/Ion 196.75 WHQL

Update, Friday 13.00: Nvidia has let know that it has retired GeForce/Ion 196.75 WHQL due to users experiencing fan speed issues.

Nvidia has released a new set of GeForce/Ion drivers. They are suitable for the GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200 and 300 series, and the Ion GPUs. The drivers have been given version number 196.75 and are provided with a whql certification. Versions are available for Windows XP, 2003 Server, Vista and 7 in both 32bit and 64bit versions. New in the 196-series drivers is support for a number of new graphics cards, the control panel now shows if PhysX is being used, and if so whether the processor or graphics processor is being used. Furthermore, Adobe Flash 10.1 beta and CUDA 3.0 can now be used from the GeForce 8 and above, where it was previously only available on the GT 240. In version 196.75, the following things have also been improved:

New in Version 196.75:

• Adds support for Next Generation ION.
• Adds support for GeForce GT 320, GeForce GT 330, and GeForce GT 340.
• Upgrades PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0129.
• Upgrades HD Audio driver to version 1.0.9.1 (for supported GPUs).
• Increases performance in several PC games from v196.21 WHQL. The following are examples of measured improvements. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration:
  • Up to 13% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with a single GPU
  • Up to 30% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with SLI technology
  • Up to 13% performance increase in HAWX with single GPU
  • Up to 15% performance increase in HAWX with SLI technology
  • Up to 30% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with single GPU
  • Up to 28% performance increase in Left 4 Dead with SLI technology
• Adds SLI and multi-GPU support for top new gaming titles including Assassin Creed II, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Command and Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City, Mass Effect 2, Napoleon: Total War, and Zombie Driver.
• Enhanced SLI support for World of Warcraft and Unigine.
• Adds Ambient Occlusion support for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, Need for Speed: Shift, Resident Evil 5, RUSE, and Street Fighter IV.
• Adds override anti-aliasing support for Mass Effect 2.
• Includes numerous bug fixes. Refer to the release notes on the documentation tab for information about the key bug fixes in this release.
• Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

The following downloads are available:
nVidia ForceWare 196.75 whql for Windows XP (32bit)
nVidia ForceWare 196.75 whql for Windows XP and Server 2003 (64bit)
nVidia ForceWare 196.75 whql for Windows Vista/7 (32bit)
nVidia ForceWare 196.75 whql for Windows Vista/7 (64bit)