How important is it to upgrade drivers

[InverseOfNeo]

I have an GeForce2 GTS and I was just wondering how important it is to update the drivers everytime NVidia comes out with a new detonator driver version. And how can I tell which version I have?

 

[nemesismk2]

Originally posted by: InverseOfNeo
I have an GeForce2 GTS and I was just wondering how important it is to update the drivers everytime NVidia comes out with a new detonator driver version. And how can I tell which version I have?

Goto display properties, advanced, then click on the name of your video card and it should display the driver version information. The reason to get the latest driver release is because they usually improve performance, image quality or stability.

 

[dude]

That's true nemesismk2, but, because the GF2 is an old card, most of the driver updates relate to the GF3 and GF4 only, so updating your drivers doesn't really do much. I would still say upgrade to the latest drivers, but you don't need to do this.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[Furor]

Originally posted by: dude

<STRONG>If it ain't broke, don't fix it!</STRONG>

wrong

I believe it's "If it ain't broke, tweak/overclock more"

 

[Rand]

You certainly don't need to update the drivers every time a new revision becomes available but it's generally adviseable to at least grab the latest WHQL certified drivers every few months ago.

Over time small bug fixes, and additions to the drivers, perfromance enhancements etc will add up.

 

[dude]

Originally posted by: Furor

Originally posted by: dude If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

wrong I believe it's "If it ain't broke, tweak/overclock more"

Yes, True, I tweak my stuff until it breaks or I get bored. But the question referred to a GF2 card, which was pretty much maxed out over a year ago in the drivers department.

 

[Goi]

I agree with Rand and dude. Update your drivers once every few months rather than every driver revision, since you're dealing with an old GF2 GTS...if you have a GF3 Ti or GF4 Ti card, then the benefits of new drivers will be greater.

 

[Mem]

I follow a simple rule,I always upgrade to every new official Nvidia drivers, never had any problems with this method.

 

[diehlr]

I was running Detonator 21.83 in Windows XP on a GeForce 2. I just upgraded my Celeron 850 to a Pentium 4 and kept those video drivers. I noticed my computer didn't seem much faster on the desktop and some PC demos were running kind of choppy.

Then I upgraded to 29.42 ... HUGE difference in performance. Windows desktop is smooth, all the choppyness in the demos are gone.

So, I would definitely recommend upgrading your drivers every once in a while.