As you know, any computer consists of many hardware components, known under the generalized name "components". It is they who to a large extent determine the speed: when they purchase a new computer in the store, they base their choice, of course, apart from cost, on the performance of the hardware components. The processor, video card, memory - these are the very “culprits”, about the basic characteristics of which every user should know.
Now you will not surprise anyone using the colossal computing resources of a personal computer for games. This is understandable - such is the development trend. Developers need funds to release new technical solutions, the lion's share of finance is provided by proceeds from the sale of gaming applications, although this is not always obvious. In fact, everything is interconnected: new games can fully reach their potential only on powerful components (in this case, we are talking about video cards). Game lovers, in turn, are forced to purchase more powerful hardware components. As a result, everyone wins: programmers make a profit thanks to sales of games, hardware developers get their part by selling new components, and users enjoy a new game.
However, it is possible to improve the performance of a new game without replacing a video card. To do this, just update the drivers for nVidia, ATI (AMD) or Intel, depending on the video card installed in the computer. Currently, video adapters of two manufacturers are particularly popular: nVidia and AMD. They are the ones who produce high-performance products that are in demand among gamers. The article will focus on nVidia products, although all of the above applies to components of other companies.
Without going into design features, we can assume that the heart of the video card is a video processor. In fact, this is a fairly large programmable chip. The functions of managing its work are assigned to the driver - a small specialized program. The driver is an intermediary between applications and the electronic part of the video adapter, so it is so important to know how to update nVidia drivers . Obviously, you cannot change the hardware. It is impossible to take a soldering iron and solder microcircuits. However, even a novice can upgrade the driver of an nVidia graphics card. The developer periodically releases updated versions of drivers. There are two ways to update them: use the built-in update mechanism or download the file from the developer's site. To update the nVidia drivers , you need to go to the nVidia website, select "download drivers" in the "support" section and, indicating the type, series and other passport characteristics of the installed video card, download the driver. Obviously, there is nothing difficult in updating nVidia drivers. In this case, the necessary condition is access to the Internet.
Users of expensive tariffs with megabyte pay should be aware that the update volume may exceed 100 megabytes.
What does the nVidia driver update provide? As mentioned earlier, the driver is a software intermediary between the application and the hardware of the video adapter. Often, new versions use computing power more efficiently, increasing overall performance. They can also implement new features: for example, the correct operation of several video cards in SKI mode; support for new configuration options; adding teams. And, of course, external changes expressed in a refined interface and convenient functions. In general, it is recommended that each user periodically update the driver. You can read about the changes in the accompanying documentation for each new version (information file).