Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) has rolled out its latest display driver update and it comes with more than Game-ready drivers for upcoming titles. Version 528.49 adds a multitude of features and updates as it added optimizations for upcoming Company of Heroes 3 (releasing 23rd Feb).
Notable additions include support for an upcoming Hello Neighbor 2 patch that will add ray tracing shadows, reflections and RT global illumination with DLSS 2 in tow to deal with the added overhead. The patch arrives on the 17th of Feb. Also in play is a patch that makes recently-released Perish by ITEM42/HandyGames, a co-op shooter that is set to benefit from DLSS 2 and DLSS 3 support as well as native RT and Reflex Low-Latency support. Last but not least, Nvidia’s Reflex low-latency solution finally makes it to Activision-Blizzard’s flagship World of Warcraft title after being teased last month as part of PTR testing.
In addition to said game optimizations, Nvidia has added more 1-click optimization presets for users who prefer to get an optimal out of the box solution for game titles based on the GPU their systems are currently sporting. Nvidia has listed 5 titles that have gained support since the last patch:
- Dead Space
- Dual Universe
- Goat Simulator 3
- Paragon: The Overprime
- STALCRAFT
Nvidia has also added 10 new G-Sync compatible displays to its list which contains monitors that provide a minimum tier of VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support with 2 LG-manufactured OLED panels as well as 8 IPS LED panels by AOC, Asus, MSI, IO-Data & ViewSonic making the list.
Lastly, Nvidia has finally unveiled its next-generation RTX-4000 series GPUs with 2 SKUs incoming starting today, namely the RTX 4080 and the RTX 4090 that will power the most powerful gaming laptops we have seen yet. Nvidia showcased massive performance gains which see RTX 4090 based laptops exhibit anywhere from 1.5x to 3x raw performance when compared to yesteryear’s mobility king of the hill, the last-generation RTX 3080TI. While the RTX 4070, 4060, 4050 will follow on Feb 22nd, Nvidia is promising improved “thinness, acoustics, and thermals” as said GPUs promise to provide up to RTX 3080-tier performance while requiring 1/3rd of the power and subsequently lower thermal solution requirements in tow.
Nvidia cited the 14’ form factor as the primary beneficiary of said technological enhancements as the GPUs powering said sizes would be considerably more powerful while compromising less on thermals/power limits than previous iterations. Nvidia has also provided pricing guidance for laptops sporting these GPUs, stating that RTX 4080/4090 GPU-based laptops will cost $1,999 while lower end laptops sporting the RTX 4070, 4060 and 4050 will start at $999.
