With the number of unofficial driver updates that have been leaked recently, it's a given that NVIDIA continues to fine tune and add new features to their reference drivers. The release of the Detonator 3 drivers represents NVIDIA's most significant update since the introduction of the GeForce256.

NVIDIA Detonator 3 Drivers

Here is a list of the features offered by the Detonator 3 drivers:

Advanced, object-oriented software technology:

• NVIDIA's unified driver architecture reduces support costs and end user confusion when installing new drivers. Users don't have to figure out which drivers to install



• Allows rapid implementation of new features and enhancements, protecting user investment.



• Leverages NVIDIA's hardware technology by offering forward looking support of new products while maintaining compatibility with existing products.

Full support for modern graphics APIs:

• Direct3D 7.x (including DirectX 7.1 in Windows ME). Full support for Direct3D hardware transform and lighting, multitexturing, cube environment mapping and dot3 bump mapping.



• Full support for the new OpenGL 1.2 standard, plus an extensive array of NVIDIA feature and performance extensions.

Support for TwinView multiple monitor technology:

• Supports virtual desktop, application zooming, display clone mode and Windows 9x and Windows 2000 multimonitor modes.



• Hotkey support for easy mode switching

And a list of the performance optimizations in the Detonator 3 drivers:

• Enhanced for the full range of Intel chipsets, including the i815, i820 and i840



• Takes advantage of advanced CPU instruction sets, such as AMD's 3DNOW! and Intel's SSE and SSE2



• Highly efficient blending modes implemented in both Direct3D and OpenGL



• Reduced OpenGL driver call overhead over previous driver revisions



• Improved OpenGL asynchronous command processing



• Advanced vertex buffer support in Direct3D



• Advanced vertex array support in OpenGL



• Improved Direct3D texture management

The Detonator 3 drivers enable the Digital Vibrance Control feature found on the GeForce2 MX and Quadro2 MXR. Digital Vibrance Control lets users experience the full richness of colors, which otherwise may appear washed out, especially in bright fluorescent lighting. Unfortunately, the various settings cannot be shown using a screenshot, but the feature is very effective.

Digital Vibrance Control

The Detonator 3 drivers also enable support for TwinView capabilities found on the GeForce2 MX and Quadro2 MXR. TwinView offers dual, independent displays, display cloning, zooming of documents on either display, virtual desktop, and hotkey support for instant mode changes.

TwinView Controls

Settings for full screen antialiasing in OpenGL can now be enabled in the OpenGL control panel.

OpenGL FSAA Controls

And the various Direct3D FSAA settings have been labeled.

Direct3D FSAA Controls

OK, show me the numbers!

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