Installing a new video card question

[DennisP]

I know what to do when you install a new VGA into a system...but this is a what- if question.

I currently am running a Geforce 8500GT 512 PNY card with the latest drivers. I'll be installing a Geforce 9800 GX2 which will also be using the same drivers as the 8500GT.

I normally remove the old VGA card from the device manager and the shut the computer down....remove old VGA, insert new VGA and power up...Windows finds new hardware and asks for drivers...point to location of driver and windows loads and configures.

Was wondering since the drivers for both cards are identical...if a person was just to shut off the computer and swap cards (without removing the old VGA from Device Manager)...what would happen...since the new card uses the same driver as the old card.

I know you can have some real issues when changing VGA card types ATI to Nvidia etc., and not deleting the old VGA from the Device Manager.

Just a question out of curiosity.

 

[br3nd064]

I'd re-install the drivers just to be safe.

 

[dagger]

Yes, reinstall the driver. The driver package may include a large number of models, but it only installs the one that it detects, which means 8500gt. The 9800gx2 driver is in the package, but not actually installed.

 

[DennisP]

Yeah..was going to do the re-install regardless. The odd thing about the driver....when I went to the Nvidia site to get the latest driver for my 8500GT....they (Nvidia) listed the 9800 GX2 as using the same driver Ver 178.13as the 8500GT. That's what prompted me to ask this question...it's a no-brainer to do the re-install if the cards used different drivers...but when the drivers are identical....I was just curious

I'm assuming that Nvidia writes their drivers to apply to pretty much their full line of video cards. The list of "products supported" was quite long.

 

[dagger]

Yeah..was going to do the re-install regardless. The odd thing about the driver....when I went to the Nvidia site to get the latest driver for my 8500GT....they (Nvidia) listed the 9800 GX2 as using the same driver Ver 178.13as the 8500GT. That's what prompted me to ask this question...it's a no-brainer to do the re-install if the cards used different drivers...but when the drivers are identical....I was just curious

I'm assuming that Nvidia writes their drivers to apply to pretty much their full line of video cards. The list of "products supported" was quite long.

The large package including many different drivers. It's not a single "one size fit all" driver, but rather lots of drivers that they collectively call 178.13, from which the installation program picks out the right one that fits your card.

 

[DennisP]

Ahh...I understand now....

Many thanks