OK, I'll let them know that there should be hybrid functionality, but we aren't sure if it works, thus one of the many reasons we need testers.

Yeah, but what is insane, is that was in 2D mode with nothing that should trip the clocks to speed, and as far as I can tell, the clocks were running at 2D speed. So, really, those artifacts came about without even coming NEAR the 3D overclock speeds.

And like I said, I deleted the overclock settings from safe mode, and rebooted so that it would revert to stock (which is 600/1600/1500). BTW, that is Core/RAM/Shader clocks. And the 512mb 9800M GTS in my laptop is really just a desktop 9600 GT, and some of the 65nm ones (1GB models are 55nm) like the eVGA one is stock-clocked at 740/1950/1830, with room to spare. I've not had any heat or artifacting problems with that overclock before. Not until these drivers (beta and finals). I'm staying at stock clocks for now, until the next ones you come out with, to see if it is indeed a card pushed beyond its limits for too long, or a driver issue.

The weird thing is, I had no problems/artifacts in any marathon gaming sessions or benchmarking with the finals since I've had them. It was in 2D mode that happened... Strange.

I got a Hybrid user over at LV2G to try these drivers. Here's what he said:

It seems like it does not work.. After installing the driver the Intel seems to work fine but the nVidia has an error in the device properties "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)"

Here's his post, so you can see his specs. He's running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 RC, I believe.

any updates on this?

Error only happened once since installation, seems fine now..might have been sitting unhappy with some other drivers idk.

Since removing the overclock and sticking with stock, it hasn't happened to me again. I'm not to keen on trying to overclock my GPU again just to see if it would happen. I COULD, if you guys really need me to test. I'd prefer not to, though, LOL!

I was just going to wait until the next release to overclock again.

I'm still on my normal OC clocks, I'm pretty sure the problem is not related to OC. Could have maybe been the undervolt.

Quite possible, either that, or the driver itself is just plain sensitive to overclocks. That's happened a few times before, so that one wouldn't surprise me.

Oh, and the whole "in 2D mode" isn't valid with Vista\Win7. Remember, both Vista and Win7 use the GPU to draw windows, and if my memory serves me right, it uses "Low-Power 3D" clocks for standard Windows ops (I think I remember this because I figured out that to get rid of the funky anomalies in Vista on my M1710, I upped the Low-Power 3D memory clock from 100MHz to 150MHz). I think I remember this happening with the 169.0x drivers.

So, it could just be a random coincidence you both suffered, or the driver could just hate you for overclocking. Now that that little bit of info popped back into my mind, it could very well be the case that the drivers are too sensitive, or (in Shnike's case) a pushed-too-far overclock.

Yes, but I never overlocked my Low-3D settings. Rivatuner monitoring says my clocks right now are 169/200/338. I actually didn't have my OC as high as in my signature at the time the corruption was happening either. I had it at 650/1700/1600, which is my standard OC. I only went as high as in my signature when I needed it in certain games. And it was always 100% stable and temps stayed below 84C for a year now -- up until these drivers. Which makes me think it is the drivers themselves. I've never even gotten any artifacting before, or any anomalies like the one I got.

Though these drivers DO run hotter than any others I have tested. Just got Heroes of Newerth Beta and was playing tonight (at stock speeds of course), with my NZXT Cryo LX on full blast like I always do when I game, and my GPU temps hit 91C!!! Which is insane, and never happened with OTHER drivers, even while overclocked as high as in my signature...

Thus, overly sensitive drivers.

In my case it didn't totally lock up, it was just around maybe 5 seconds. Aside from that I've managed to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on a laptop that never accepted my Windows XP or Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit ...looking good so far

That game could also just be pushing the hell outta your GPU.

This driver does run cooler for me than the other ones. I usually hit 106 with other drivers, never topped 94 now.

That's awesome to hear!

Even better this driver is a monster on Win7. I used to run WoW on low settings to eat out decent fps(60+) out of everywhere with any driver on vista. I've got all my settings on Ultra and 3 other settings are at Mid-High (Shadows, Ground Clutter, Ground Clutter Density), with even more fps than I had with low settings. Really impressive.

Gonna get some more games installed later today and see how that goes. Temps have kept stable, during WoW I get nothing over 76 which is amazing. It's gonna get higher on GRID & CoD for sure.

Will have to re-establish a temp standard though, cooling my laptop (aiding the air out of the vents) using a Delta PFB1212UHE 256CFM (for the vga vent) and a Delta AFB1212SHE 151CFM (for the cpu vent), bottom lid is open and on a cooling pad without fans, I removed them and made it stand higher since I'm waiting for 3 60mm Delta fans with 34CFM each, should really help out the temps.

Update: In Win7 64 on low clocks the driver is just going berserk, even as I'm typing it's freezing with artifacts and stuff, gaming performance is awesome though.

So it sounds like this driver is sensitive to overclocks, and reveals itself in Low-Power 3D mode. Hm. Oh well, it runs what I am playing now plenty well enough at stock clocks (can't stop playing Heroes of Newerth Beta!).