NVIDIA ships out beta OpenGL 3.0 drivers in record speed

While boasting a fraction of DirectX usage in the gaming market, OpenGL hasn't been sitting around while Microsoft eats its lunch. Long favored as a foundation for cross platform games like World of Warcraft, and historically used by id Software to famous effect, the API just hit the 3.0 in a major reworking of the library. NVIDIA has had a hand in the API, and has wasted no time in releasing graphics drivers for the newly minted standard. The beta code supports GeForce 8000 series cards or higher on the desktop and laptop sides, and implements all of OpenGL 3.0 and the GLSL 1.30 shading language with just a few exceptions. Naturally, users won't be getting much out of this right off the bat, the beta drivers are mainly meant for developers looking to build software that takes advantage of 3.0, but it's nice to see a GPU builder hand-in-hand with a next gen graphics API and supporting it out of the gate on existing cards. And would you look at those screenshots!

[fourthletter Posted Aug 14th 2008 7:25PM]

Those drivers came out faster than most nvidia graphics cards overheat and die ! Nice to see where their priorities are..............

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 14th 2008 7:28PM]

bleep bleep blop

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 14th 2008 7:47PM]

Why 8800 and above? Can my 7800 not handle the power? :(

[PubeLess Posted Aug 14th 2008 7:52PM]

uhhhhh nope

[Dapman02 Posted Aug 16th 2008 11:07AM]

the 8800's are based on shader arcetecture that is only used in Direct X10. My guess is that open GL is going to use shaders.

[leok Posted Aug 14th 2008 8:24PM]

its a different architecture and they did not code the drivers for it. Either cus its beta, or cus the games taht will utilize this wont be able to run smoothly with anything below 8000. Like running windows vista on a 600mhz cpu... (IF it even installed)

get it?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 14th 2008 8:42PM]

Nvidia also ships out defective GPUs in record speed!

[Information Central Posted Aug 15th 2008 8:15AM]

WTF is the point of the "remember me" box when it doesn't cause the default to be "returning". Furthermore, "Returning" (or whatever tab you're not on) looks greyed out.

[colinwilcox Posted Aug 14th 2008 9:39PM]

Good job Khronos Group. If you hurry up you might find some crumbs left in your lunchbox.

[xValentine Posted Aug 14th 2008 9:47PM]

New comment system doesn't remember Name and E-mail ??

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2008 12:10AM]

Thanks for the information. :)

http://www.project-bb.org/

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2008 12:08AM]

this new comment system is awesome

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2008 9:48AM]

Yes folks these new drivers are even powerful enough to play such games as Quake and Doom.
Stay tuned Open GL 3.1 will let you play Command and Conquer and Warcraft

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 15th 2008 12:56PM]

Those graphics make me wanna go but a GTX 280 JUST so I can run that beast!