Thursday, May 7 2009
NVIDIA has just released the latest 185.85 WHQL version of its video driver for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200-series desktop GPUs and ION. To download it please follow one of the links below:

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 185.85 WHQL for Windows XP 32-bit | Windows XP 64-bit | Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows Vista 64-bit | Windows 7 32-bit | Windows 7 64-bit

  • Adds support for the new GeForce GTX 275 GPU.
  • Adds support for Ambient Occlusion – the newest NVIDIA Control Panel feature to offer enhanced 3D gaming realism exclusively to GeForce GPUs. (Vista and Windows 7 Only)
  • Adds support for CUDA 2.2 for improved performance in GPU Computing applications. See CUDA for more details.
  • Expands GPU hardware acceleration for the NVIDIA Video Encoding library to GPUs with less than 32 cores. Applications using this library include CyberLink PowerDirector 7, Nero Move it 1.5, Loilo SuperLoiloScope MARS, and CyberLink MediaShow Espresso.
  • Accelerates performance in several 3D applications. The following are examples of improvements measured with Release 185 drivers vs. Release 182 drivers (results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and game settings):
  • - Up to 25% performance increase in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
    - Up to 22% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with antialiasing enabled
    - Up to 11% performance increase in Fallout 3 with antialiasing enabled
    - Up to 14% performance increase in Far Cry 2
    - Up to 30% performance increase in Half-Life 2 engine games with 3-way and 4-way SLI
    - Up to 45% performance increase in Mirror’s Edge with antialiasing enabled
  • Automatically installs the new PhysX System Software version 9.09.0408.
  • Supports GeForce Plus Power Pack #3.
  • Numerous bug fixes. Refer to the release documentation notes for XP, Vista and Windows 7.
Source: NVIDIA
posted by malware - 6:02 PM |  Related News

User comments
by iStink (May 7th - 6:20 PM) - Reply
How well are games running in windows 7 with these drivers?
by RadeonX2 (May 7th - 6:22 PM) - Reply
Rivatuner lost support of my OC and fan settings :(
by marsey99 (May 7th - 6:25 PM) - Reply
have you tried sytem settings instead of low lvl?
by RadeonX2 (May 7th - 6:29 PM) - Reply
by: marsey99
have you tried sytem settings instead of low lvl?
can't access driver settings

by _jM (May 7th - 6:41 PM) - Reply
strange. R.Tuner is working fine for me with these drivers... but the GPUTool is acting funny with this new driver
by marsey99 (May 7th - 6:42 PM) - Reply
i just checked on 3dguru and riva needs an update, i just realised i have the beta working not the whql version.

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?p=3124946#post3124946

i would go back to the beta till rv is updated if your fan speed and overclock are that important to you.
by RadeonX2 (May 7th - 6:44 PM) - Reply
I've just read the RT 2.24 changelog no support for 185 driver yet
back to 182.50 driver for me
by Bjorn_Of_Iceland (May 7th - 8:16 PM) - Reply
Use EVGA Precision tuner. Much better. Rtuner is like mediaval days ^^
by Slessum (May 7th - 8:46 PM) - Reply
by: Bjorn_Of_Iceland
Use EVGA Precision tuner. Much better. Rtuner is like mediaval days ^^
yeah, really anymore I only use rtuner for low level fan control, and that still works.....

you can get evga percision from the news topic about it, it works quite well :)
by Studabaker (May 7th - 9:13 PM) - Reply
Awesome, thanks for the good news.
by Jeffredo (May 7th - 9:36 PM) - Reply
I have two games that supposedly have Ambient Occlusion in their profiles (Fallout 3, WoW). The option isn't in either game (it should be above aniso filtering I would imagine). Anyone else finding it missing? I have an 8800 GTX and thoroughly scoured out the old drivers with Driversweeper in safe mode (as usual), so I had a clean slate for installation.
by Slessum (May 7th - 9:43 PM) - Reply
by: Jeffredo
I have two games that supposedly have Ambient Occlusion in their profiles (Fallout 3, WoW). The option isn't in either game (it should be above aniso filtering I would imagine). Anyone else finding it missing? I have an 8800 GTX and thoroughly scoured out the old drivers with Driversweeper in safe mode (as usual), so I had a clean slate for installation.
AO is enabled DRIVER SIDE on most games today, the only game i have found with it as an option in game is the new riddick game, and if you enable AO it dissables AA....

just enable it in the games profile and your set(you can even turn WoW shadows to LOW and it will look ALOT better then the stock wow shadows)

give it some time, these are the first drivers i have seen with AO support built in :)

grab nHancer it will let you edit game profiles FAR better then nvidias own CP(alot of options they dont offer like AA modes using super sampling)

you can even enable AO on games with no AO profiles, its worked in a few tests i have done.
by Jeffredo (May 8th - 12:41 AM) - Reply
I'm sorry, I may have misspoke. Its not in the Nvidia Control Panel "manage 3D settings" period. Not under any game, grayed out, enabled, whatever. I've seen screenshots of the new Nvidia Control Panel with the 185.XX drivers and the option should be above the anisotropic filtering option. I don't have it in the drivers in other words.

Edit: Did some more Googling. Its a DX10 feature only. No where in Nvidia's release do I see that mention.
by alexp999 (May 8th - 12:44 AM) - Reply
by: Jeffredo
I'm sorry, I may have misspoke. Its not in the Nvidia Control Panel "manage 3D settings" period. Not under any game, grayed out, enabled, whatever. I've seen screenshots of the new Nvidia Control Panel with the 185.XX drivers and the option should be above the anisotropic filtering option. I don't have it in the drivers in other words.
You have XP, the ambient occlussion feature is only available in Vista and Windows 7 :)
by Jeffredo (May 8th - 12:44 AM) - Reply
by: alexp999
You have XP, the ambient occlussion feature is only available in Vista and Windows 7 :)
Thanks, I just found that out. /sigh Dirty buggers. ;)
by alexp999 (May 8th - 12:48 AM) - Reply
by: Jeffredo
Thanks, I just found that out. /sigh Dirty buggers. ;)
Updated the OP with it, hope it makes it a bit clearer.

:toast:
by ..'Ant'.. (May 8th - 2:35 AM) - Reply
Drivers work fine here with EVGA Precision.
by Kursah (May 8th - 4:10 AM) - Reply
Works fine with EVGA Precision and EVGA GPU Voltage Tool v1.0, though I noticed intermittent stuck in 3D, severe performance losses in Cryostasis and Bioshock (all I've tried thus far). I'll be going back to 182.08 whql's again. I'd go 182.50 or 185.81b but after folding for a few hours+ my fan randomly kicks to 100% out of no where for no reason, sometimes I can turn it down w/Precision, sometimes it requires a restart (odd), but 182.08's are still solid drivers, I don't necessarily mind not going to 2d as this card is always folding when not gaming. I guess better luck next whql maybe...

My average FPS in Cryostasis and Bioshock was around 11-18FPS with these new drivers...I don't recall beforehand because both played smooth, Bioshock more-so.

:toast:
by aquariuz (May 8th - 5:04 AM) - Reply
Now which driver will actually work best on Windows 7, the W7 version or the Vista version? The last time, it was better for me to use the Vista driver on W7.

I wonder if these drivers will yield better scores for Folding. If they do, then i will update my drivers. If not, then i wont. at least for now.
by alexp999 (May 8th - 10:11 AM) - Reply
by: aquariuz
Now which driver will actually work best on Windows 7, the W7 version or the Vista version? The last time, it was better for me to use the Vista driver on W7.

I wonder if these drivers will yield better scores for Folding. If they do, then i will update my drivers. If not, then i wont. at least for now.
Since 185.81, the Windows 7 drivers are the best drivers to use between Win Vista and Win 7 drivers IMO

I was using Vista drivers up till that point. :)
by Hayder_Master (May 8th - 1:04 PM) - Reply
what :eek: , hold a second
182 vs 178 = 182 in crysis warhead 15% more performance
185 vs 182 = 158 22% more performance in warhead
so 185 vs 178 = 37% more performance mean FPS jump form 30 to 43 that's shit , same thing for farcry2 :banghead:
by aquariuz (May 8th - 9:46 PM) - Reply
by: hayder.master
what :eek: , hold a second
182 vs 178 = 182 in crysis warhead 15% more performance
185 vs 182 = 158 22% more performance in warhead
so 185 vs 178 = 37% more performance mean FPS jump form 30 to 43 that's shit , same thing for farcry2 :banghead:
Hehehe...i dont think u can count it like dat.
by Bundy (May 9th - 7:56 AM) - Reply
by: hayder.master
what :eek: , hold a second
182 vs 178 = 182 in crysis warhead 15% more performance
185 vs 182 = 158 22% more performance in warhead
so 185 vs 178 = 37% more performance mean FPS jump form 30 to 43 that's shit , same thing for farcry2 :banghead:
:laugh: I wonder what the "improvement" is is we go back even a few more months.
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