NVIDIA released the WHQL-signed GeForce 258.96 driver suite. This particular version of the driver were earlier released in its beta form last week. The drivers provide official support for the GeForce GTX 460, GeForce GTX 480M, GeForce 315/310 series graphics accelerators, apart from supporting every GeForce GPU since 6-series, and ION chipsets. Along with updates to the graphics driver, it also brings along updated PhysX system software, and updated HDMI audio drivers. The release notes documents (for Windows 7/Vista and Windows XP) reveals numerous game-specific performance updates, and bug fixes.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 WHQL.

A list of changes follows.

• 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:
  o Up to 11% in Aliens vs. Predator (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Tessellation on)
  o Up to 7% in Crysis: Warhead (SLI - 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Gamer)
  o Up to 4% in H.A.W.X (SLI - 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Very High)
  o Up to 10% in Just Cause 2 (SLI - 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Concrete Jungle)
  o Up to 6% in Metro 2033 (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Tessellation on)
  o Up to 7% in Metro 2033 (SLI - 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF - Tessellation on)
  o Up to 10% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  o Up to 12% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (SLI - 1920x1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  o 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.