Thursday, October 15th 2015
NVIDIA Prepares a Controversial Change to its Driver Update Distribution
NVIDIA is preparing a major change to the way it distributes driver updates. You now get new versions of NVIDIA GeForce drivers by either downloading them from the company's websites (NVIDIA.com and GeForce.com), or use GeForce Experience to download and install (update) them for you. NVIDIA plans to change this such, that the latest driver updates will be only available through GeForce Experience, while standalone installers that are downloadable from the website will slow down to a quarterly update cadence.
NVIDIA is currently rolling out new drivers on a monthly basis, sometimes even twice a month, predating major AAA game releases, under its "Game Ready Driver" moniker. If you want the latest drivers to keep up with new game releases, then NVIDIA expects you to use GeForce Experience to update your drivers. Those without Internet connections or building offline (eg: system integrators, first-time installations), will have to use stale drivers from the website (which will be on a slower update cycle), and then update them to the latest using GeForce Experience. NVIDIA's justification for this move is that it finds that 90% of the driver updates are going through GeForce Experience. The part that's controversial about this is that it makes GeForce Experience an app gamers can't do without (and will probably stay loyal to the NVIDIA brand). This change will take effect this December.
Source:
AnandTech
NVIDIA is currently rolling out new drivers on a monthly basis, sometimes even twice a month, predating major AAA game releases, under its "Game Ready Driver" moniker. If you want the latest drivers to keep up with new game releases, then NVIDIA expects you to use GeForce Experience to update your drivers. Those without Internet connections or building offline (eg: system integrators, first-time installations), will have to use stale drivers from the website (which will be on a slower update cycle), and then update them to the latest using GeForce Experience. NVIDIA's justification for this move is that it finds that 90% of the driver updates are going through GeForce Experience. The part that's controversial about this is that it makes GeForce Experience an app gamers can't do without (and will probably stay loyal to the NVIDIA brand). This change will take effect this December.
173 Comments on NVIDIA Prepares a Controversial Change to its Driver Update Distribution
But of course they can do no wrong how ever restricted their shit gets.
Besides, the driver install process has always been smoother from within GeForce Experience, at least for me, than trying to do the install without it.
I've already stated I use GE specifically for ShadowPlay, frankly if something like GE is capable of bringing a system down to it's knees I would suggest you need to address certain issues with that system.
Beyond that, we get it... you hate Nvidia, move along.
Not saying that I'd use any AMD equivalent either...
These programs are just pathetic excuses for them not to fix the horribly out of date driver config menu.
Not to mention how much I loathe auto updates...
In the middle of a tournament match? AUTO UPDATE
In the middle of an interesting video or stream? AUTO UPDATE
In the middle of some important work? YOUR UPDATE HAS BEEN INSTALLED: RESTART NOW
There are many programs guilty for this, and GFE is one of them. What about if I just don't want to update every WHQL cycle? Exactly, if I need to optimize stuff for any reason I can do it far better myself than any program can. Same goes for these auto OC things, especially with intel pushing past 4GHz stock on many of their CPUs... +1 for that, should be implemented in a lot of things, for example google play applications for android. This "cache" is for all geforce drivers, when you open the installer it opens an un-zip (or whatever compression they use) thing which puts everything in a "cache" but doesn't get rid of it after installation. Don't see why corporate would want this, other than for applying updates over a large array of workstations. But I doubt GFE uses any kind of caching system for P2P so it reduces network load...
There are probably programs to remote install this kind of thing across multiple machines anyway.
What pisses me off is that they are FORCING GFE. I've tried using GFE, but it is a really clunky program to be fair and I have no use for it... So I download and install manually on my own update schedule. *scoffs*
___________________________________________
I've never been one to bandwagon on these hate trains. I've never had my own AMD card to be fair, but I think NV really needs to back off with the BS, especially after the Samsung fiasco...
No once has it auto-updated on me. Again, a checkbox to have it do that, but mine is simply checked to notify me of either available driver updates or GFE updates. So, none of those dire consequences you speak of is a reality, unless someone wants GFE to do that.
I repeat my earlier comment...such mass hysteria and anger going on, over basically nothing.
If you use it thats cool but a lot just want the drivers, i would not want to install.... i don't want to install stuff that i don't want on my system.
Nothing at all to do with hate.
WHY?
NVIDIA, thusly, could adapt the same policy with Quadro and Tesla they have with GeForce (version on website is not current; GeForce Experience has to be used to get the latest version).
Last time I saw someone try to install GFE on a workstation ( to play around with ShadowPlay) last year, all it did was act as download manager. The driver was all that was installed. If Nvidia state that the GFE bundling is for GeForce drivers, you either take it as such, or just make a whole load of assumptions based on no actual information. Personally, I'd rather spend time on facts rather than trying to induce a panic attack. Why the hell GFE would be mandatory for a Tesla math co-processor escapes me. It's the end of days!
1) If you don't want GFE you only get 4 updates a year. Unclear if you have to submit your information for the downloads.
2) if you don't want GFE but you want updated drivers or beta you have to install and submit your information each time then delete or uninstall what you don't want. Unclear if the uninstall will be tied to driver. That would be something nefarious if it happens. Gets annoying pretty quick if there is a bug and you have to revert back.
3) If you want GFE doesn't affect you, your already using it. Login with your email I suppose for the updates. They seem to want to force you to use GeForce Experience and get some info or get treated as a second class customer.
Practical example of making assumptions as outlined in #64
This will happen. Hardcore gamers are going to be pissed when word gets around.
For the record, I always uncheck Gaming Evolved too. Where I come from, software like these are considered bloatware. Since when did bloatware become acceptable?
I know what it is and I just don't want it to be there without my permission. I never asked GFE to download drivers but the 'cache' is there!
And really, all told GFE is using under 100MB of memory and hardly any CPU cycles. If I had the system I had in say, 2005, with 4GB of RAM, then I might be upset. But it's not.