NVIDIA Optimus 258.96 Drivers Bring Transparency and Custom Settings

NVIDIA's Optimus technology now features in more and more laptops, and should soon filter down into netbooks too. Until now, the technology hasn't exactly been transparent for users, who have no way of monitoring activity, and few custom settings have been available. However, the new 258.96 driver is set to change all that!

Optimus technology allows the computer to switch instantly and automatically and between the Intel integrated graphics system (to save battery life) and a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card (to boost performances). This helps optimise energy use as the dedicated graphics card is only activated as and when required, such as when watching HD or 3D content etc. The rest of the time (when word processing, for example), the built-in Intel graphics system takes care of things.

Improved management of application profiles

Previously, it wasn't possible for users to choose when they wanted to use the NVIDIA graphics card and when they wanted to deactivate it. With the new NVIDIA Verde 258.96 drivers, options are now available for managing individual application profiles.

As well as being able to configure profile updates (automatic download, checking the last update date etc.), you can now force the use of either the Intel or NVIDIA graphics system for any given application. Just, right click on the software icon to view your options.

Real-time monitoring

Another very useful option for optimising your computer's performance (or just out of curiosity), is real-time monitoring of what the NVIDIA GPU is up to. Click the icon in the notification bar to bring up a small transparent window showing all the applications using the NVIDIA graphics card at that precise moment in time. In the video below, you can clearly see that the NVIDIA GPU starts working when an HD video is played on YouTube. The rest of the time, the GPU isn't activated and graphics are taken care of by the built-in Intel system. You can therefore now choose to deactivate the NVIDIA GPU when playing YouTube videos, as the Intel graphics system will do the job just fine.


These new features are very welcome indeed and they give more control to users. We reckon NVIDIA Optimus technology is likely to feature in most upcoming laptops with NVIDIA graphics cards ... or at least, we hope it will!

> Download NVIDIA Verde 258.96 drivers

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