Video Cards FAQ

How to properly update your video cards drivers

*** For ATI users ***

1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the ATI Control Panal, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself.....in this order.

2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "ATI" from the drop down menu and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out.

3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.

*** For Nvidia users ***

1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver.

2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "Nvidia" from the drop down menu (seperate from nforce2 drivers) and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out.

3: Restart your computer (normally this time) and wait for windows to go through it's stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.

*** For users switching from ATI to Nvidia.....or vise versa ***

1: Through "Add/Remove Programs" proceed to uninstall the Nvidia Display Driver if you're currently using an Nvidia product.....or uninstall the ATI Control Panal, Display Driver, and finally the Uninstaller itself if your current video card is a Radeon.

2: Boot up into safe mode and run Driver Cleaner. Select "ATI" or "Nvidia" from the drop down menu (whichever applies to your current hardware) and click on "Clean". Do the cleaning twice to make sure that everything is cleared out.
-- Selecting "Nvidia" if you have an nforce2 motherboard will not have any negative effects, they are seperate options. --

3: Shut down your computer and swap the cards, remembering to plug in the 4pin molex power connection if your new card requires one.

4: Turn on your computer and wait for windows to go through it's stupid auto detection of your hadware before continuing. Install your new drivers and restart your computer.


*** Q&A ***

- Q1: Why all the extra work???
- A1: This is mainly an issue with Windows XP and its integrated file protection. When a person installs their video card drivers, some files are naturally stored in system folders. Anytime Windows XP detects some/one of these files missing, it will automatically replace them. As you can see, by simply uninstalling the drivers in windows you are NEVER completely getting rid of the old drivers. By starting in Safe Mode you are bypassing XP's file protection and allowing full, uninterupted access to those files. Driver cleaner is just moreso there for convienience as it knows what files to look for, and saves you the trouble of doing the job manually.

- Q2: Why would you do this if you're just switching to another version of your drivers???
- A2: I have found through personal experience that some files left behind after an install (due to XP's file protection) are basically meant for THAT driver set, as stupid as that might sound. Here's an example: From time to time I will load up the good old Doom3 alpha to kill a few minutes. The shadows in the game are spectacular, but not ALL the time. Using anything newer then the 3.9 Catalyst drivers the shadows begind to flicker sporatically, really ruining the experience. I'm sure that you have all at one time or another run into or heard of a bug in a game due to video card drivers. Truth be told, simply uninstalling the "bad" drivers will NOT always clear things up. I tried this originally, and going from the 4.3's back to the 3.9's the "quick" way.....the flickering remained. Running the Driver Cleaner in safe mode made it good as new, go figure.

- Q3: Why not just format???
- A3: Look at this realistically, what are you essentially doing when you format? Cleaning out every file from your hard drive, including any trace of your display drivers. Taking a few extra minutes to follow the above process does EXACTLY the same thing, and is no worse an option then formatting. Wouldn't you like to get the exact same job done in a few minutes that would normally take an hour or more? To have to restore your entire system to it's previous state manually just to install different video drivers just isn't practical to me.

- Q4: Then why have I never had a problem just uninstalling my drivers in windows???
- A4: This is a very valid point that a lot of people make and use to back up their actions. Again, think of this in black and white.....not EVERYone has issues with certain/all games. I for one have NEVER had a problem with any retail game on the market using my ATI hardware, even when many horror stories were running rampant throughout our forums. Other people however are not so lucky. When I installed the 4.3 Catalyst drivers to test the Doom alpha and do some benchmarking it was ONLY that one thing that had changed, everything else remained, stability intact. Again, I know that I'm using the same example a number of times here, but it's the truth.....and a very easy picture to paint. Wouldn't you rather just not EVER have to worry about driver conflicts? Just because you've never run into anything, doesn't mean it won't happen. I hadn't ever seen anything like I did with Doom until that day, and now I understand that it's quite worth it to spend a few extra minutes dong something the "long way" if it means eliminating one more thing from the list of things that COULD go wrong with my computer.

- Q5: Why are you taking the time to write this out???
- A5: All to often I see people having problems or running into hiccups with their system that could have been avoided. In addition to that, there are a number of people who just aren't sure what to do. I don't think I'd be alone if I said it'd be a nice thing if we could "clean" some of these posts from our forums.


Thank you for taking the time to read my guide. I hope that some of you will get something out of this, and if not, then at least you know there's someone out there as crazy about this stuff as you.

Post answers to Frequently Asked Questions here.

Originally posted by W1zzard
Post answers to Frequently Asked Questions here.

Thx for moving the post over dude.....I owe ya.

cornelious0_0

Thank you very much for this guide, it will help ME & alot of other people.

Will you forgive me if I request a second guide? This 2nd guide specifically and only applys to the installation of a new/another video card.

Guys will be installing R420, NV40, 9800XT and brand new GPUs as the prices drop. Does your guide apply in this scenario or are diff procedures needed?

Is formatting needed now? What is THE BEST sequence to re-install things like DirectX, chipset drivers, audio drivers, application accelerator, Window's updates, anti-virus, vc drivers, etc?

I have read (years ago) that this sequence makes the diff between ok and great performance.

These are questions that I have and maybe cornelious0_0 or someelse in the know can supply this info.
So my question is:How do you properly install a new video card and & all associated system software?


Thanks!!!!!!

Davidj

Will you forgive me if I request a second guide?

Yes

Guys will be installing R420, NV40, 9800XT and brand new GPUs as the prices drop. Does your guide apply in this scenario

Yes, check out the section for switching from ATI to Nvidia (or vise versa).....it works out the exact same way, the same steps are followed for shutting down and installing the new card.

Is formatting needed now? What is THE BEST sequence to re-install things like DirectX, chipset drivers, audio drivers, application accelerator, Window's updates, anti-virus, vc drivers, etc?

There are some scenarios where formatting is still the only true option/solution. DirectX can just be installed at your leasure, I have never once had to un-install the old version first.....and it's actually quite a pain to do so. Audio/video drivers and things like Norton I don't feel require a format, if they're taken out properly and cleaned from the registry. Windows updates are also no biggie. I've never really bothered uninstalling chipset drivers WITHOUT a format, 'cus that's usually the only time I ahve to install them. I completely back the fact that it's a VERY good idea to format your computer every 3-6 months just to keep it maintained and cleaned up. And it gives you that "new computer smell" everytime.

In terms of Installing them all I typically have everything burnt or on a second drive so that I dont have to connect to the internet until I absolutely have to. Anythign that doesn't require the internet gets installed before I plug in the Cat5.....just be sure to install your chipset drivers BEFORE your video card drivers. Other then that the order doesn't really matter. The last things I install before "jacking in" are the Blaster Patch and ZoneAlarm, so that they're on their before anythign else can be. Once I'm online Norton gets stuck on their right away and updated up the wazoo. From their you're free to straight away head to microsoft and download all the critical updates. Head off on your own from there but that's the basic process I'll usually go through.

I'll switch things up a bit and customize the order slightly if I'm installing some new hardware though 'cus I love benchmarking RIGHT after a format.


Hope i could help, let me know if it wasn't enough.

Alright, here's a "copy and paste" of a discussion that I just went through with a few guys on overclock that some of you might find informative, as I address a lot of concerns here.





First off, overclocking your video card does/will have its own pros and cons, just like overclocking anything else. How can any of you say that it simply isn’t' worth it? Especially without knowing WHAT games he plays at WHAT detail levels.....please don’t be so closed minded about this. I'll just take these comments one at a time as to not get side tracked.

What I'm going to be saying relates almost entirely to ATI hardware, as the software mentioned is geared towards ATI cards.

I have a 9800 pro, and I see less than 10% performance gains, it’s not worth running a hot card which will shorten the life of the card.

I do know where you're coming from here after owning a 9800Pro and having it overclocked.....but you're still being FAR too negative. Your comment of "it’s not worth running a hot card which will shorten the life" has got to be one of the most stereotypical anti-overclocking comments out there, and has little credibility. First off, if a person takes the time to find the HEALTHY limit for their card they're not in any danger of killing it, or shortening the lifetime. It is true that there are people out there that run their cards overclocked without ever testing it PROPERLY.....and funny thing is, they're always the ones complaining about this and that. Do yourself a favor, and do it right. Stop off and download ATITool and make this a hell of a lot easier then it used to be. The problem with a lot of people’s overclocks out there is that they don't take ENOUGH time to test it. So many people will just run it through 3DMark and say it's good if they don't SEE anything. The problem with that is that it takes time for artifacts to appear, especially if you're not REALLY stressing the card. ATITool gives you the option to tell it how long to test for artifacts at a certain clock before it is considered stable. What's better is that you can tell it how often and for how long to run its "heat up phase" so that the card stays warm all the way through. I want to be sure that my card isn't going to start artifacting during Unreal or something, so I really love the flexibility of this program. I have it set to increase the length of the heat up phase by 10% every time it runs, and to keep testing for artifacts at a clock speed for up to 1 hour. If the card is kept warm and it can "hold out" for a full hour without producing any artifacts then you're basically good to go. What's even better is the fact that ATITool detects artifacts that you can't see.....so you can be sure that there are absolutely NONE there when you're gaming, or doing whatever.

This basically takes the heat and artifact issues out of the picture. The only other real complaint against video card overclocking is the question of "Is it worth it"???

"Back in the day" a lot of people couldn't find value in video card overclocking because it had to be done the hard way, and took quite awhile to get it 100% stable and artifact free. Now that we've got ATITool that really isn't a valid complaint.....it just comes down to whether or not you want the free performance. Depending on your SPECIFIC card you might not get a huge speed boost out of your 1 hour stable overclock, but it's still worth it, especially considering you don't really have to DO anything. How can you say no to that? ATITool is testing your card to the extent where you're not going to be at risk of damaging your card, shortening the lifetime, or causing instability later on.....so what else is there to question about this???

Some people will see more gains in other areas then others, depending on the games/apps you're using your card for, and WHICH card you've got.

yah there’s no real reason unless you’re going to benchmark

Read above dude. It is true that today’s cards are running games faster and faster, to the point where overclocking just isn't REQUIRED anymore. We used to be in the situation where you would have to overclock to keep Quake running at 24fps.....but no more. Now, it just comes down to other aspects of it. While your card/system might be able to handle high IQ levels and get UP TO a certain fps, but a lot of people forget about those minimum points.....where it DOES drop off. Those points are where you really notice the slowdown. What overclocking can do for ANYONE is minimize those low points, and make the lows higher. At the same time, it's often a realistic outcome to see more acceptable performance with AA/AF cranked up after overclocking. If it means getting your average fps up 5 more so that it's clearing 60 I'd say it's more then worth it.....even though it IS those min values that bother people. Who cares if your game can run up to 200fps if it still drops off to 35 during play??? Get my point???

dude, if you're games run fine, and you don't need to brag then don't....this is stupid.

This is far from a stupid; he's asking a VERY legitimate question that does get asked a lot. It's true that overclocking is mainly used for bragging rights and overclocking, but I can guarantee you that your games don't ALL run over 60fps.....ALL THE TIME, and this is what I'm getting at. It just safe guards yourself that much more.....and gives a person less reason to upgrade or get mad at their system later on. As I said before, many people's games DO run fine, but not perfect. Maybe not everyone is a perfectionist, but how can you say no to free performance when all you have to do is click a button before you go to bed and wake up to find your max STABLE overclock??? I can completely understand the "it's not worth it" objection if you had to do it the hard way, but ATITool takes all the work out the equation, and will guarantee EVERYONE, SOMETHING of an overclock. Those with better cards or better cooling WILL gain more from it, but all will see some rise.

If you are happy with your performance as it is there is no need to overclock.

This is honestly the only real objection that is still very acceptable nowadays. If you are happy with your performance then no, you might NOT have the ambition to overclock. But again I say, it’s a hassle free gain that you have to do nothing for.....why not take it???

If I was just some guy that wasn't interested in overclocking and I was told that I'd have to spend a half a day just sitting here testing this thing to gain 5fps in Unreal I would have laughed in your face. The truth is that since it can be done without any intervention, while you sleep.....nobody really has a COMPLETELY legit reason for NOT doing it.

I'm not actually trying to MAKE anyone go overclock their cards, but there are a lot of people that just don't understand it, or have maybe thought about it that could use the information.

Thank you for sitting through what I have to say, whether you agree with me or not. All I ask of you if you don't agree is the forum standard.....don’t flame me IN the thread and messy it up for others to see. I have no problem dealing with concerns and talking to people one on one, but I ask that you address me in the form of PM's. Flaming somebody just because you don't agree with something they say is a thing we've got WAY too much of on these forums, and don’t need any more of.

Very good post. A lot of very good points but one thing is a little off.

Overclocking when stable won't kill your card yes but It will shorten the life of your chip. No matter what you do any kind of overclock will shorten the lifespan of the chip. Fortuneatly if done right you wont notice this before you upgrade to a new chip. You mainly just have to watch out for going to far and killing the chip like corny said.

Also for any kind of server based computer that needs to run absolutely 100% stable all the time and get every ounce of life out of its components is a legitiment reason not to overclock.

Just my 2 cents.

Originally posted by Bun-Bun
Very good post. A lot of very good points but one thing is a little off.

Overclocking when stable won't kill your card yes but It will shorten the life of your chip. No matter what you do any kind of overclock will shorten the lifespan of the chip. Fortuneatly if done right you wont notice this before you upgrade to a new chip. You mainly just have to watch out for going to far and killing the chip like corny said.

Also for any kind of server based computer that needs to run absolutely 100% stable all the time and get every ounce of life out of its components is a legitiment reason not to overclock.

Just my 2 cents.

For sure, I agree with you on both accounts. In reference to the lifespan topic I guess I just got a little carried away, and forgot to clarify what I was thinking. Hey, we all make mistakes.

I do agree that there's no need for some office computer or server system to be overclocked, but that's not really what I'm talking about here. You're almost making it sound like I'm talking about system overclocks, when I am not, no biggie. Overclocking of any kind is unneccesary in server situations but that's not what I'm addressing here. The people I'm talking to are gamers and hardware enthusiasts.....including benchmarking whores like myself.

I'm completely open to any comment people might have on this topic, as I realise that I'm not perfect, I'm just doing my best to fairly bring the topic and points out into the open.

Originally posted by cornelious0_0
For sure, I agree with you on both accounts. In reference to the lifespan topic I guess I just got a little carried away, and forgot to clarify what I was thinking. Hey, we all make mistakes.

I do agree that there's no need for some office computer or server system to be overclocked, but that's not really what I'm talking about here. You're almost making it sound like I'm talking about system overclocks, when I am not, no biggie. Overclocking of any kind is unneccesary in server situations but that's not what I'm addressing here. The people I'm talking to are gamers and hardware enthusiasts.....including benchmarking whores like myself.

I'm completely open to any comment people might have on this topic, as I realise that I'm not perfect, I'm just doing my best to fairly bring the topic and points out into the open.

And im just making you clarify your statement instead of clarifying it myself

Originally posted by Bun-Bun
And im just making you clarify your statement instead of clarifying it myself

Thank you for that.

And w00t for me.....getting back up to 12 posts per day.

What is the lifespan of a vid card?

How much does the lifespan of an OCed card gets reduced?

I run an OCed 9800pro at 414/350, and its brand new... I dont plan to get a new card for some time so what do you recommend?

BTW, i OCed it because i wanted to run KOTOR with full AA and Aniostropy... Star Wars accepts no jaggy edges...

Originally posted by chinoquezada
What is the lifespan of a vid card?

How much does the lifespan of an OCed card gets reduced?

I run an OCed 9800pro at 414/350, and its brand new... I dont plan to get a new card for some time so what do you recommend?

BTW, i OCed it because i wanted to run KOTOR with full AA and Aniostropy... Star Wars accepts no jaggy edges...

It's impossible, or at least VERY difficult to say what the lifetime would be, or what the new one is after overclocking.

What do you define as "some time"???

Q: How to identify the ram your card has.

A: look on the chips.

- taken from my stupid thread where i was a moron

Originally Posted by fallsincluded

Q: How to identify the ram your card has.

A: look on the chips.

- taken from my stupid thread where i was a moron

Heh, nice little addition.....thx.

man, I've been slacking off.....the forums are back up and here I sit. I'm gonna try and finish up my video card overclocking guide tonight and get it posted up.

If one uses the latest video drivers such as 4.6 with a Ati 9700 pro and upgrades to a x800 pro, can one just switch cards, or is it best to reload the drivers, please no guess work now.

Technically both cards are supported by the drivers, but some ppl might call me a little OVER cautious, or paranoid.....because I usually end up re-installing the drivers anyways. I'm not saying you HAVE to, just that I do.....I have no doubt in my mind that leaving them will work just fine.....I have chosen my path, and now you must choose yours.

Where can I find the list of all the current video cards and their rankings?

I thought it might be cool to post a list of what most (myself included) consider an appropriate heirarchy of Video Cards (based not only on who wins and who loses in most games from Quake3 to UT2k3 to Halo to Far Cry- (and also factoring in to a degree who has the most potiential for OCing to a degree). So here it is (took me a few minutes to think :-p)

Radeon X800XT-PE
Geforce 6800 Ultra
Radeon X800XT
Geforce 6800 GT
Radeon X800 Pro
Geforce 6800 (non-ultra)
Radeon X800SE
Radeon 9800XT 256MB
Radeon 9800XT 128MB
Geforce 5950Ultra 256MB
Radeon 9800Pro 256MB
Radeon 9800Pro 128MB
Geforce 5950 128MB
Radeon 9700Pro 128MB
Geforce 5900 128MB
Radeon 9600XT 128MB
Geforce 5700Ultra 128MB
Geforce 5900SE 128MB
Radeon 9500 Pro 128MB
Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB
Geforce 5700 128MB
Radeon 9600 128MB
Geforce 5600 128MB
Radeon 9500 128MB
Geforce4 Ti4600 128MB
Geforce4 Ti4400 128MB
Geforce4 Ti4800 (its just a ti4200 with AGP8X) 128MB
Geforce4 Ti4200 128MB
Radeon 8500 (Retail) 128MB
Radeon 9100 (same chip as the 8500) 128MB
Radeon 8500LE (also sometimes listed as an 8500 OEM) 128MB
Geforce3 Ti500 128MB
Radeon 9200 128MB
Geforce3 128MB
Radeon 9000 128MB
Geforce3 Ti200 64MB

(NO PIXEL SHADERS - after this point...so naturally try to get one of the above cards if possible :-) )

Geforce 2 Ultra 64MB
Radeon 7500 64MB
GeforceFX 5200 128MB (yes it has pixel shaders-but its so unbelieveably slow that its almost a crime-if u need cheap pixel shader power-go for a GF3 or above)
Geforce 2 Pro 64MB
Geforce4MX 460 64MB
Radeon 7200 64MB
Geforce4MX 440 64MB
Geforce2 GTS 64MB
Geforce4MX 420 32MB
Geforce1 DDR 32MB/64MB
Radeon 7000 32MB
Geforce1 SDR 32MB

and anything slower and you really really need an upgrade :-)

Also (in general for those card varriations i didnt list) any sort of SE or M64 designation (or anything mentioning 64-bit) tends to make the card about 2/3 to 1/2 as fast as the normal itteration (ie 9200 vs 9200SE) so try to steer clear of those as well.

Cool list there dude.....but I've got a nice database post that I'm working on that a few radeon benchmark whores around here are SURE to appreciate.....stay tuned in the next few days for the announcement of what I've got cookin' for you guys.....I'll have it posted up in the Video Card forum, just not in my FAQ thread here.

Well, that Catalyst database kinda fell through as I got kinda busy with work.....and I'm selling my 9800XT today to finish paying for my 6800GT.....it'll be here in a week baby!!!

Anyways, I did have time to get this posted before I ditch the card. I'll have an enhanced copy of the "review" online when I get the 6800GT too so keep watch.