System Setup

Intro

Generally when you release a new driver version, the next logical step in the numbering sequence follows the n+1 rule. NVIDIA makes their own rules when it comes to driver releases. Jumping nearly ten full digits, the new driver brings us to the Detonator 21.81. Our minds went into a flurry; what could possilby have happened to deserve such a large number increase? Surely NVIDIA wouldn't do this merely to taunt us. Dropping everything, we ran to the FS lair and scrambled the testbeds for duty. The result is a mind bogglingly large amount of graphs. A graph for everyones sweet spot, a place to see just where you are going to get the most benefit from these new drivers.

Were you expecting something different? I guess we could have tailored an intro specific to Win2k, but we just didn't have the inclination to do so after running a bazillion tests.

Test System Setup

AMD Thunderbird 1400 MHz
Intel Pentium 4 1800 MHz

Abit KT7A RAID KT133A
VIA 4in1 version 4.32

Asus P4T i850
Inf version 3.20.1008

128MB Mushkin Rev3 PC133 CAS2 SDRAM

256MB PC800 RDRAM

GeForce3
GeForce2 Ultra
GeForce2 MX
Driver version Detonator 12.41
Driver version Detonator 21.81

IBM 30 GB Hard Drive

Benchmarks

3DMark 2000
3DMark2000 - 640x480x16
3DMark2000 - 800x600x16
3DMark2000 - 1024x768x16
3DMark2000 - 640x480x32
3DMark2000 - 800x600x32
3DMark2000 - 1024x768x32
3DMark 2001
3DMark2001 - 640x480x16
3DMark2001 - 800x600x16
3DMark2001 - 1024x768x16
3DMark2001 - 640x480x32
3DMark2001 - 800x600x32
3DMark2001 - 1024x768x32

Quake III
Quake 3 Retail - 640x480 Fastest, Normal, High Quality
Quake 3 Retail - 800x600 Fastest, Normal, High Quality
Quake 3 Retail - 1024x768 Fastest, Normal, High Quality
Quake 3 Retail - 1280x1024 Fastest, Normal, High Quality
Quake 3 Retail - 1600x1200 Fastest, Normal, High Quality

MDK2 640x480x32
800x600x32
1024x768
1280x1024
1600x1200