If you use the nVidia one (which is what I use), I don't think I'd recommend installing the nForce Firewall (or whatever it is they call it). I think it is crap. They sell it saying it will take burden off of the CPU by letting the hardware handle a lot of the firewall functions, but none of my directx games worked after that and I had to reinstall everything to get it back going. One of these days I will backup my machine and try nForce Firewall again to see for sure if it is what corrupted directx, but I am better that 90% sure that is what did it.