Introduction: Welcome back, during your time away from Before Dark Nvidia has released several sets of drivers within the last 3 days. All of which have been released with the similar promises, as usual, providing fixes and performance improves if possible. Obviously we’re here to test these claims and verify if it’s worth spending your good time using these sets, take this is a light guide and enjoy your stay.

Onwards!..

New in Release 186.18:

• Numerous bug fixes. More information can be found in the release documentation.
• Installs the new PhysX System Software version 9.09.0428.
• Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.
  

New in Release 185/186 drivers:

• Adds support for Ambient Occlusion – the newest NVIDIA Control Panel feature to offer enhanced 3D gaming realism exclusively to GeForce GPUs.
• Adds support for CUDA 2.2 for improved performance in GPU Computing applications. See CUDA for more details.
• Expands GPU hardware acceleration for the NVIDIA Video Encoding library to GPUs with less than 32 cores. Applications using this library include CyberLink PowerDirector 7, Nero Move it 1.5, Loilo SuperLoiloScope MARS, and CyberLink MediaShow Espresso.

Accelerates performance in several 3D applications. The following are examples of improvements measured with Release 185/186 drivers vs. Release 181 drivers (results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and game settings):

• 
  Up to 25% performance increase in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
• Up to 22% performance increase in Crysis: Warhead with antialiasing enabled
• Up to 11% performance increase in Fallout 3 with antialiasing enabled
• Up to 14% performance increase in Far Cry 2
• Up to 30% performance increase in Half-Life 2 engine games with 3-way and 4-way SLI
• Up to 45% performance increase in Mirror’s Edge with antialiasing enabled 

Testing methods

Benchmarks used: 

• F.E.A.R (built in performance tester) - Maximum settings, no soft shadows.
• 3D Mark 06 and Vantage.
• Crysis War Head (benchmark application from here, using the ambush map).
• World In Conflict Standard test ran at "High Quality".
• S.T.AL.K.E.R Clear Sky - Used a custom time demo and recorded the frame rate (average frame rate given).
• Far Cry 2 - built in benchmarking tool.
• Mirrors Edge - Used a custom time demo and recorded the frame rate (average frame rate given).

 Hardware used:

• Intel Q6600 Overclocked to 3Ghz
• Abit IP-35 E
• 4GB of OCZ Plat at 667Mhz (CL4)
• Nvidia GeForce 9600GT
• Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music

 Software:

• Microsoft Windows Vista x64 Ultimate 
• Fraps, for screen captures.

Cards supported by this driver (included .inf):

GeForce GTX 295
GeForce GTX 285
GeForce GTX 280
GeForce GTX 260
GeForce 9800 GX2
GeForce 9800 GTX+
GeForce 9800 GTX
GeForce 9800 GT 
GeForce 9600 GT
GeForce 9600 GSO
GeForce 9500 GT
GeForce 9500 GS 
GeForce 9400 GT
GeForce 9400
GeForce 9300
GeForce 9200
GeForce 8800 Ultra
GeForce 8800 GTX
GeForce 8800 GTS 512
GeForce 8800 GTS
GeForce 8800 GT
GeForce 8800 GS