Nvidia GeForce 388.13 WHQL Driver download & Discussion

I do read these forums but I still ask that users please fill out the driver feedback form below in addition to sharing feedback on forums:

http://surveys.nvidia.com/index.jsp?pi=6e7ea6bb4a02641fa8f07694a40f8ac6

Most forum posts do not contain the info I need to submit a bug and have our QA start to investigate the issue. I'll have our software team look into the power monitoring issue. Thank you.

 

Theoretically, the issue is not related to MSI: AB + RTSS & once, I updated the latest VC++, the issue is disappeared. Henceforth, this solution is not placebo.

The particular issue is related to Microsoft & NVIDIA.

P.S. I don't care your issue with @Unwinder & please kindly settle your beef in outside rather than here.

 

After reinstalling the v388.00 WHQL driver and playing over a dozen more games, including Wolfenstein II, Hob, Hollow Knight, Project CARS 2, Mantis Burn Racing, etc, I can only conclude that, yes, while unchecking the Power monitoring in RTSS v7.7.0 Beta 30 *does* significantly reduce the stuttering in the games I tested (and completely fixes it for Hollow Knight) when using v388.13 WHQL, there is still some noticeable (to me) microstuttering in a few games that just is not there with the v388.00 WHQL driver.

This was tested with the RTSS overlay on by the way for both drivers and in the case of v388.00 I re-enabled Power monitoring with no impact to performance at all. Games just *feel* smoother on v388.00 than v388.13. There's a weird stutter/tear effect when cornering in the Chase camera in Project CARS 2 with v388.13 that is not there with v388.00 and doing the old stand-on-the-spot-and-turn-around-ever-so-slowly trick reveals 100% smooth movement with v388.00 but perceptible micro-stutter in most of those games with v388.13 (e.g. Wolfenstein II, Yonder).

My conclusion is that RTSS (and MSI Afterburner) would need to be disabled completely to fix the issue with the v388.10/v388.13 driver as evidently, based on what I've seen, other monitoring polling is still causing some micro-stuttering. Why this issue should occur on v388.10 and v388.13 but not v388.00 only NVIDIA will know but I'd guess it has something to do with the hotfix that added Kepler support for Wolfenstein since that is the only listed change to that driver vs. v388.00 WHQL.

Anyone concur with my findings? Or is v388.13 running as smoothly as v388.00 with MSI Afterburner Power monitoring unchecked?

 

That is correct. That is what I believe. It's difficult to quantify precisely since the nature of the PC means that other background tasks are always running but there is definitely still something a bit "off" with the v388.13 driver when used with RTSS monitoring/overlay and G-SYNC on my system.

I have reported this issue to NVIDIA but I neglected to mention to them that I used MSI Afterburner v4.4.0 beta 21/RTTS v7.7.0 beta 30 (I only saw the post after I'd submitted my report to them) and that disabling the Power monitoring does at least reduce the one-second stuttering but there is still some microstuttering there.

 

I've disabled the MSI AB/RTSS Power monitoring and there's definitely still stuttering present, so it's not that. I too believe it's G-Sync related because for the most part anyone I've talked to that doesn't use G-Sync doesn't seem to be having stutter issues.

 

Thanks for confirming that.

Sounds like the Power monitoring in MSI Afterburner might just be causing the one-second stutter myself and others mentioned but that there is still an underlying microstutter issue present as well for G-SYNC users (which together make for the bad experience we've been getting with v388.10/v388.13 vs. v388.00).

I really hope that NVIDIA can get to the bottom of this because this is like the issues I used to get when I had a 60 Hz fixed refresh display and used V-Sync. Since buying a 165 Hz G-SYNC monitor earlier on this year gaming has been transformed for me with smooth framerates in every game I've played since. However, the v388.10/v388.13 essentially make G-SYNC feel a bit broken, thanks to microstutter (more so in some games than others as Hollow Knight runs 100% smoothly with v388.13 and v388.00, although that is the only game I tested which did - it's 2D though so that is likely why).

 

I literally came here to report that all these new 388.xx (.00/.10/.13) drivers ALL have stuttering in games. I am currently playing CSGO and Wolfenstein 2 and both perform perfectly with 387.92 even though these are not the "game ready drivers" for wolf 2.

I see people pointing to MSI AB and RTSS.

I do use MSI AB but I don't use RTSS and I do have a GSYNC monitor but I rarely use GSYNC and for 90% of the time I just use "fixed refresh rate" of 144Hz.

I even thought it was something to do with my Windows install. I totally reinstalled Windows 10 and clean installed 388.10 hotfix and the same stuttering was seen.

 

Well like I said I do have a GSYNC monitor but its never activated. And I still have stuttering.

I just noticed a new AB is released I shall try and clean install the new version and see if that helps.

 

Done just now! I've also bookmarked that page so I can provide quick & easy feedback in the future. It's a lot easier just filling out boxes in a form, easy, so good idea that you guys created that form for the purpose.

 

Right I just installed lastest MSI AB (no RTSS) and I still have stuttering with 388.13

My overclocked has always been +110 core +500 memory +100 voltage 121% power and 92C temp limit (max).

Disabling this overclock and then closing MSI AB I just ran CSGO and the stuttering has magically disappeared. These drivers seem to give slightly less fps than 387.92 but that could just be placebo.

Going to test with the overlock applied but closing MSI AB, then going to test Wolf 2 as well.

I dont think this has anything to do with GSYNC, Microsoft, or VC++.

 

Do you mean that enabling "global" game mode helps with certain games? Did you notice registry value for re-turning Win+G to be enable configure game mode manually on per game basis?

 

I also have an additional overclock on my EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC2 over and above the factory one which is +75 MHz on the core and +500 MHz on the memory with a +50% voltage (which may have reset, need to check that...) and 120% power. Temp limit is left at the default (84 C, I believe). Never had any issue with those settings except when I used +100 MHz on the core after buying a G-SYNC monitor. That was 100% stable for 60 Hz gaming with v-sync on but obviously G-SYNC pushes games much harder and I found that setting was no longer stable.

I am now confused though so to sum up here is what I've found:

1. I first noticed the one-second stuttering issue after installing the v388.10 hotfix driver over the top of the v388.00 WHQL driver.
2. Switching back to v388.00 WHQL (using DDU, although I now no longer think that is necessary) completely fixes the issue.
3. The stuttering issue still occurs in v388.13 WHQL and the issue can be fixed simply by installing v388.00 over the top and without restarting my PC!
4. Disabling Power monitoring in MSI Afterburner v4.4.0 beta 21 eliminates the one-second stuttering but there is still persistent microstuttering noticeable in many games.
5. RTSS v7.7.0 beta 30 has no affect on game performance with the v388.00 driver even with Power monitoring checked (enabled).
6. RTSS v7.7.0 beta 30 + v388.10 or v388.13 results in one-second stutters in all the games I tested.

Conclusion: Whether the issue is related to G-SYNC, NVAPI (which is used for driver polling), manual overclocking of the GPU or something else entirely, the issue can be traced back to the v388.10 hotfix which introduced only *one* change, as far as I am aware, to add support for Kepler cards for Wolfenstein II. This does seem to be the trigger point IMO unless NVIDIA changed something else in that hotfix driver that they haven't disclosed?

 

Can somebody maybe record a video with this stuttering? Cause I still don't see any here. Granted, I don't have a gsync monitor.

 

I can record the repeated stutter on RTSS polling, unless you mean the microstutter reported regardless of monitoring (which I haven't had the time to confirm yet) ?

 

Count yourself lucky because either you do not have the issue or, if you do, then you are not noticing it. Either way, I really would not go actively looking for it as once you notice it then it can become distracting to the point of annoyance! Bit like screen tearing for me.

 

Seems to work just as fine as 388.00.

(minimalistic install)

 

Did anyone try enabling HDR in Chrome ? go into About://flags search HDR and Enable it. Youtube will have now HDR support. Search in youtube 8k60 and use the first movie Peru it's called. Enable HDR support from windows Display settings and use 2160p60 HDR from the settings wheel . How much is your CPU USAGE ? because it doesn't use the GPU and uses more the CPU . we need to open ticket to nvidia to support HDR hardware acceleration. My CPU with HDR is 100-95% .

3770K @ 4.2
1080GTX
Windows 1709 x64 Fall Creators

 

Youtube stop playing when chrome(Version 62.0.3202.75 x64) is minimized. Disabling HW accelleration fixes the issue so i guess it's driver related.

 

Hmm, doesn't happen to me with Chrome 62 windows 1709 388.13 Whql . HW acceleration is On always and I can minimize and back and video still playing properly


Can anyone Test Chrome 62 Youtube HDR support ? It takes so much CPU usage it's lagging so much. I can play the movie at 8K60Fps perfectly fine with 30% cpu , but HDR is killing it.

 

Apparently, I'm still unable to reproduce the issue no matter what & the HW acceleration is alway enabled + there's no reason to turn it off.