This is a WHQL-certified release from the Release 256 family of drivers (versions 256.xx to 259.xx). This driver package supports GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, and 400-series desktop GPUs as well as ION desktop GPUs. Learn more about Release 256 drivers
here
.
New in Release 258.96
- Adds support for
GeForce GTX 460
.
- Adds additional performance increases for GeForce GTX 400 Series GPUs in several PC games (these improvements are in addition to the previously reported Release 256 improvements). The following are examples of some of the most significant improvements measured with GeForce GTX 480. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration:
- Up to 11% in Aliens vs. Predator (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Tessellation on)
- Up to 7% in Crysis: Warhead (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Gamer)
- Up to 4% in H.A.W.X (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Very High)
- Up to 10% in Just Cause 2 (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Concrete Jungle)
- Up to 6% in Metro 2033 (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Tessellation on)
- Up to 7% in Metro 2033 (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF – Tessellation on)
- Up to 10% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 12% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
- Up to 4% in World in Conflict (SLI – 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
- Upgrades
PhysX
System Software to version 9.10.0224.
- Upgrades HD Audio driver version 1.0.15.0 (for supported GPUs).
- Includes numerous bug fixes. Refer to the release notes on the documentation tab for information about the key bug fixes in this release.
- Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver
here
.
New in Release 256 Drivers
- Adds support for OpenGL 4.0 for GeForce GTX 400 Series GPUs.
- Adds support for CUDA Toolkit 3.1 which includes significant performance increases for double precision math operations. See
CUDA Zone
for more details.
- Adds a new NVIDIA Control Panel setup page for SLI and PhysX for ultimate control over multi-gpu configurations.
- Adds a new NVIDIA Control Panel feature for ultimate control over CUDA GPUs, allowing the user to effectively choose which GPU will power each CUDA application.
Additional Information:
- Supports the new GPU-accelerated features in
Adobe CS5
.
- Supports GPU-acceleration for smoother online HD videos with Adobe Flash 10.1. Learn more
here
.
- Supports the new version of MotionDSP's video enhancement software, vReveal, which adds support for HD output. NVIDIA customers can download a free version of vReveal that supports up to SD output
here
.
- Supports OpenCL 1.0 (
Open Computing Language
) for all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
- Supports OpenGL 3.3 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
- Supports single GPU and
NVIDIA SLI technology
* on DirectX 9 and OpenGL.
- Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software
.
*Note: The following SLI features are only supported on Windows Vista and Windows 7: Quad SLI technology using GeForce 9800 GX2 or GeForce GTX 295, 3-way SLI technology, Hybrid SLI, and SLI multi-monitor support.
Supported Products
GeForce 400 series:
GTX 460, GTX 465, GTX 470, GTX 480
GeForce 300 series:
GT 330, GT 320, 310, 315, GT 340
GeForce 200 series:
GTS 240, GTX 295, GTX 285, GT 230, GTX 260, 205, GT 220, GT 240, GTX 275, GTX 280, 210, GTS 250, G210
GeForce 100 series:
GT 120, GT 130, G 100, GT 140
GeForce 9 series:
9300 GE, 9400 GT, 9600 GT, 9800 GTX/GTX+, 9500 GT, 9800 GX2, 9300, 9600 GS, 9100, 9300 GS, 9200, 9500 GS, 9400, 9800 GT, 9600 GSO
GeForce 8 series:
8300 GS, 8800 GTS 512, 8800 GS, 8800 Ultra, 8600 GT, 8200 / nForce 730a, 8500 GT, 8800 GTS, 8800 GTX, 8300, 8400 GS, 8800 GT, 8400, 8200, 8100 / nForce 720a, 8600 GTS, 8600 GS, 8400 SE
GeForce 7 series:
7150 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7050 PV / NVIDIA nForce 630a, 7550 LE, 7100 GS, 7650 GS, 7600 GT, 7800 GTX, 7600 GS, 7500 LE, 7600 LE, 7300 LE, 7900 GT/GTO, 7900 GTX, 7300 GS, 7025 / NVIDIA nForce 630a, 7300 GT, 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 610i, 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7900 GS, 7350 LE, 7050 / NVIDIA nForce 630i, 7950 GT, 7800 SLI, 7300 SE / 7200 GS, 7950 GX2, 7800 GS, 7100 / NVIDIA nForce 620i
GeForce 6 series:
6600, 6200 A-LE, 6800 XE, 6700 XL, 6200SE TurboCache, 6600 LE, 6200 TurboCache, 6600 GT, 6800 LE, 6800 GT, 6250, 6610 XL, 6100 nForce 405, 6150 LE, 6150, 6800, 6800 GS, 6100 nForce 400, 6100, 6150SE nForce 430, 6150LE / Quadro NVS 210S, 6800 GS/XT, 6800 Ultra, 6800 XT, 6200, 6100 nForce 420, 6200 LE, 6500, 6600 VE
ION series:
ION, ION LE
NVIDIA GeForce/Ion Driver 258.96 - Windows XP/Server 2003 x64 - 64bit 
