Once again a new version of driver for nVidia based graphics cards has pioneered their way into the Internet itself. This time it’s the new ForceWare driver is dated 56 55d on the 29 January 2004 and was sighted for the first time on a ftp-server of graphics cards Gainward.

Already earlier this week, the rumor went around, that NVIDIA driver of the 55.xx generation 20 percent to provide for a higher performance. This performance should make nVidia allegedly to market the driver generation under the label “ForceWare 2.0″.

First performance measurements fall out ambivalent. On the one hand is on the other hand but not reported by significant performance jumps. But it is not only the performance that counts. Three new graphics cards dive to the depths of now unofficially available detonator/ForceWare 56.55:

• nVidia GeForce FX 5500
• nVidia GeForce FX 5700LE
• nVidia GeForce FX 5700VE

While she first show will be based on the NV34 graphics controller and as low-cost competition against the Radeon is to assert himself 9600 SE, the last two cards are based on the NV36 – yet nothing was known about them. However it will be in these two models slower low variants.

Also new in the detonator/ForceWare 56.55 or game profiles, which are loaded automatically with the start of a game. A total of 20 such as Halo, splinter cell, or Tomb Raider profiles are available. Anti-aliasing, anisotropic filtering, system performance can for each game (modes: high performance, performance, quality), forcing vertical sync, mipmaps, matching texture clamps, extension restrictions, and hardware acceleration be set separately. Last setting determines what the image will do if multiple monitors on the video card are connected.

The well-known coolbits 3 registry switch another new option for days will also promote: the performance analysis. A Direct3D game starts, a power curve on the screen can be map, which gives information about the current graphics memory allocation. Also shows, at which point it falls short on performance; waiting for the processor on the graphics card or the driver due to lack of processor power the demobilizing element?

The driver of version 56.55 is currently available for Windows 2000/XP from the Gainward ftp server in a 16-MB version, or also by our fast download mirror in a smaller version.