Remember, quality comes from the card...

[legoalex2000]

...not just the program. Your graphics aren't going anywhere unless the card is willing to render them. i give these links for you guys to ensure you have the latest drivers for your card. yes even Intergrated graphics might have a better driver, depending on company

*this is a comprehensive list of drivers, intended to help the community gather the best picture with that they have.
-
graphics cards

ATI Drivers
Catalyst supports all ATI video cards, and all windows OS' up to Vista RC2 32 and 64 bit. also versions of Linux & Mac OSX

[url=http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/[/url]ATI Tool[/url]
*this is only if you know how to and wish to Overclock your ATI card. i recommend consulting with a trusted computer technician before proceeding.
*this will speed up your graphics card, resulting in better graphics. especially helpful in screenshot taking

Nvidia Drivers
Nvidia drivers support all Nvidia cards, also up to Vista RC2 Operating systems. also Linux/Unix & freeBSD

Ageia PhysX drivers
windows XP only

VIA drivers
all operating systems.

Omega Drivers
3rd Party Drivers for ATI and nVidia Cards
*thanks Harold Kip!

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OEM's (original equipment manufacturers)

***Since i don't own an OEM, i have limited knowledge of where the drivers are, after you enter your service or serial number, submit and look for drivers > Video or graphics. if there are multiple drivers, test them all. if not, revert to VGA, or contact me for further help.

Dell
enter your service tag, found on the back or side of the case, and select drivers, click Go.

Gateway
Enter your serial number in the box on the left side, click submit.

Emachines
select your computer type, series, and model. open the downloads menu, and scroll down to video and download

Sony
these drivers are a bit confusing to find. enter your product number for your computer, and find video drivers for those. best option is to click the everything tab and sift through that.

HP & compaq
enter a product model, select your respective country if asked. it looks like drivers are for windows XP only. I selected a random computer model, and i didn't find drivers, this may not be true for other models.

All other drivers, wether OEM or just the card, please post the link here

ramos - my 2 cents in this forum

[Clipper]

Great post Ramos. This should be a great help to many of us.  :)

[legoalex2000]

aye, it's only smart. cause those graphics aren't going anywhere specialk unless the card renders it. so if you get the lastest drivers, you get the best of what your card or intergrated graphics has to offer.

i will always recommend a video card (i like ATI, others dont) over intergrated graphics. but i'm also very willing to help those who lack the financial &/or knowledgeable abilites to get a card.

ramos

[legoalex2000]

i ask wether this can be stickied. now a lot of the stuff people post here has plenty of merit, but this helps the computer itself, i have previously stated my reasons why.

if not, no hard feelings. if so, i thank you!

Ramos

[born_2_fly]

I have a Dell and use ATi drivers?! Why would they be any different?

[legoalex2000]

I have a Dell and use ATi drivers?! Why would they be any different?

well you would only use a dell if you have dell intergrated graphics, and they didn't state if they were using a company. if it says intergrated and ATI (nvidia, etc...) then use the drivers for the card.

Ramos

[Harold]

I've been using the Omega Drivers since a couple of days and I'm pretty happy with them. They come with a vast array of graphic card tweak options. Check these out if you like!

[legoalex2000]

a side note: if your drivers are having problems, either roll them back to the previous version, or use the installler disc to revert to older drivers. if the problem persists, completely uninstall drivers, and re-install them.

SimViation and StudioV CANNOT be held responsible for changes made to your computer that produce undesired effects. if you are unsure or unknown to installing drivers and such, ask a qualified technician to help you out.

Ramos - a qualified A+ technician

[Sytse]

Hi Ramos!

I have an ATi Radeon X 1900 GT GPU and I use the latest catalyst driver. I'm pretty happy with it. I was just wondering about the Omega driver. Do you recommend it to me?

[Mythical]

:-?

[Alonso]

Hey Ramos!

I also have a little question, talking about Omega drivers, I have a Radeon 9550 256mb.... In the page it says:

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Starting from Catalyst 6.6 and up, the following cards/chipsets (including Mobility) are no longer supported by the ATI or Omega Drivers:

7000 Series
7200 Series
7500 Series
8500 Series
9000 Series
9200 Series
9250 Series

But my card isn't included in that list.. right? That means I can install Omega drivers? I'm only asking this because I don't want to have any BSOD

[ATI_7500]

Yeah, the Omegas are better than the "stock" drivers and yes, you can install them.

[Sytse]

Yeah, the Omegas are better than the "stock" drivers and yes, you can install them.

What exactly does improve?

[ATI_7500]

What exactly does improve?

Performance...a bit...plus, I think the filtering stuff.

[Alonso]

Just installed them, overclocked a bit (enough to be safe) and ran FS, man.... it looks gorgeous + better FPS...