RivaTuner documentation

RivaTuner is a complete powerful tweaking environment, providing you everything you may need to tune NVIDIA GPU based display adapters. The widest driver-level Direct3D / OpenGL and system tuning options, flexible profiling system allowing to make custom settings on per-application basis, both driver-level and low-level hardware access modes, unique diagnostic and realtime hardware monitoring features and exclusive power user oriented tools like built-in registry editor and patch script engine make RivaTuner's feature set absolutely unmatched.
RivaTuner supports all NVIDIA display adapters starting from Riva TNT family up to the latest GeForce 6800 series and widest range of NVIDIA drivers starting from the oldest Detonator 2.08 up to the newest ForceWare drivers family.
In addition to complete NVIDIA hardware support, RivaTuner also provides limited support for display adapters based upon ATI RADEON 8500 and newer ATI graphics processors. All RivaTuner's features besides driver-level tuning options are also available on supported ATI hardware.

License agreement:

Your use of RivaTuner is governed by the following conditions. Please read this information carefully before using RivaTuner. By using it you are agreeing to the following conditions:

1. RivaTuner is freeware and can be freely used for any noncommercial purposes, subject to the following restrictions.
2. RivaTuner can be only distributed electronically through the official hosting partners www.guru3d.com and www.nvworld.ru. Distribution through other websites or in any other form without the author's permission is prohibited.
3. RivaTuner is supplied "as-is". The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of RivaTuner.
4. RivaTuner's SoftQuadro4, SoftR9x00 and SoftFireGL patch scripts are intended for testing purposes only. These scripts were exclusively developed in order to prove tests results stated in author's articles. The use of these scripts for any commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. The author expressly disclaims any liability for improper distribution and improper use of these scripts.
5. No derivative works and idea stealing. You may not clone any of RivaTuner's original modules and bring them to the tweaking scene as your own ideas without any references to the source.
6. RivaTuner is a copyrighted material of Alexey Nicolaychuk aka Unwinder. You may not decompile, disassemble or otherwise reverse engineer this product. You may not include the parts of RivaTuner (databases, patch scripts and bundled drivers) in your software without the author's permission. You may not alter or modify RivaTuner in any way or create a new installer for it.

System requirements:

Windows 98 (updated MFC libraries required), Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Note: Windows 9x/ME is no longer officially supported since version RC15. It doesn't mean that RivaTuner will not work under Windows 9x/ME, but it does mean that RivaTuner is no longer tested for compatibility issues under these OS.
Any desktop display adapter based on NVIDIA NV4, NV5, NV10, NV11, NV15, NV17, NV18, NV20, NV25, NV28, NV30, NV31, NV34, NV35, NV36, NV38, NV40, NV41, NV44, NV47, NV48 GPU or ATI R200, RV250, RV280, R300, RV350, R350, RV360, R360, RV370, RV380, R420, RV410, R423, R430, R480 VPU based display adapter.
Detonator 2.08 or higher NVIDIA reference drivers for Windows 98 / Windows 98 SE or Windows ME.
Detonator 5.08 or higher NVIDIA reference drivers for Windows 2000 / Windows XP.

Features:

Friendly, customizable, power user oriented UI.
Full multi-monitor support.
Extreme System / Direct3D / OpenGL and Color tweaking possibilities for all the existing versions of the Detonator 2.xx+ and ForceWare drivers:
- Advanced Direct3D settings including fine LOD bias adjustment, additional depth buffering, texture format, antialiasing and compatibility settings.
- Advanced OpenGL settings including advanced rendering quality settings, professional settings for (Soft)Quadro boards and extended VSync control (RivaTuner is the only tool that can control VSync for the Detonator 2.xx) .
- Desktop and overlay color control (RivaTuner is the only tool that provides overlay color control for the Detonator 2.xx).
- Advanced system settings.
Powerful overclocking tool for the Detonator 3.xx and newer drivers:
- Maximum overclocking safety due to NVIDIA driver's overclocking interface (aka CoolBits) utilization.
- Extended overclocking range. You can increase core and memory clock frequencies by up to 300%
- RivaTuner can detect default clock frequencies without rebooting your system.
- Optional "Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode" feature. RivaTuner can save core and memory clock frequencies before entering suspended mode and restore it when the system resumes. This virtually fixes the driver's bug and helps to avoid 100MHz/83MHz underclocking problem with certain versions of the Detonator drivers.
- Extended clock frequency controls for GeForceFX and newer GPU families. RivaTuner allows you to control clocks for low power 3D mode and disable driver-level dynamic clock frequency control.
Flexible built-in registry editor:
- No more *.REG files, no more manual registry exploring. Just forget about it. RivaTuner will correctly detect the driver's registry key and allow you to track changes and add, edit or remove the driver's registry entries.
- The list of registry entries, which can be edited via the built-in registry editor, is stored into a special file called a database. Each database contains default value for each entry, optional registry entry interpretators, registry entry descriptions and some additional information. I'm proud that RivaTuner was the first tweaking tool that provided database styled built-in registry editor, which became a de-facto standard in the tweaking utilities now and it is widely used in the most of tweakers today.
- Name/Alias modes allow you to switch between the real name of a registry entry and its' alias. This feature was implemented in order to simplify the work with encrypted registry entries, introduced in the Detonator 23.xx. Now you don't must be an extra experienced user in order to read the encrypted registry entry names. You can just switch to the Alias mode and the built-in registry editor will show decrypted names instead of encrypted.
- Value/Analyze modes allow you to switch between direct value editor and value interpretator. The value interpretator mode is another feature, which was also implemented in order to simplify the work with encrypted registry entries, introduced in the Detonator 23.xx. It allows you to select one of the predefined values (e.g. true/false) instead of entering the encrypted values directly. You can also enter the value directly then switch to the interpretator and see how the driver treats the value you've entered.
Easy customizable databases for the built-in registry editor:
- Full databases for more than 140 Detonator / ForceWare driver versions starting from the Detonator 2.08 up to the newest ForceWare 77.72 are included in RivaTuner.
Flexible preset editor, integrated into the built-in registry editor:
- The preset is a kind of script file which can add or remove specified registry entries. RivaTuner uses presets to store the current state of the driver's settings. You can easily create your own presets using RivaTuner's preset editor or export your settings to a REG file.
- RivaTuner uses macro names for the registry keys stored into a preset, so you can safely transfer the presets from PC to PC.
- Quality and performance optimized presets, professional CAD and DCC presets for Quadro boards and some game presets for the Detonator 5.xx and higher are included in RivaTuner.
Flexible preset / color scheme / overclocking profile / display mode / application launcher:
- You can launch any preset, created via RivaTuner's preset wizard or preset editor. It allows you to tune your system, save the driver's settings to a preset then recall these settings later at any time later with two mouse clicks.
- You can launch any color scheme, created via the built-in color scheme editor or via the Detonator control panel.
- You can quickly switch display mode and refresh rate (available under Windows2000/XP only).
- You can launch any low-level overclocking profile.
- You can associate a preset, low-level overclocking profile, color scheme and display mode with any application.
- You can create a shortcut to any launcher item and run it with a single mouse click directly from Windows desktop. It allows you to use the launcher's functionality even when RivaTuner is not loaded in memory.
- You can gain performance boost by changing the application's priority class under Windows2000/XP.
- Optional "Restore After Terminating" (RAT) mode. RivaTuner can save a display mode, clock frequencies, color scheme and preset entries before launching application and restore saved settings after terminating this application.
- You can associate a hotkey with any of the launcher's items and use the launcher's features (e.g. change a color scheme or clock frequencies) without leaving a game and switching to RivaTuner.
Flexible user customizable low-level diagnostic module. You can create graphics subsystem diagnostic report including the following categories:
- Northbridge information and northbridge PCI configuration space snapshot. RivaTuner can detect more than 70 ATI, AMD, SiS, ALi, NVIDIA, VIA and Intel northbridges. The database of the northbridges is user customizable and you can easily extend it.
- Display adapter information and display adapter PCI configuration space snapshot. RivaTuner can detect and dump display adapter's location, bus type, AGP settings, I/O and memory resources.
- IDirect3D7 HAL/TnL HAL, IDirect3D8 HAL and IDirect3D9 HAL capabilities dump.
- IDirect3D8 HAL and IDirect3D9 HAL adapter formats dump.
- OpenGL ICD info and OpenGL extensions list dump.
- NVIDIA specific display adapter information. RivaTuner can detect graphics core type, bus type, type and amount of onboard videomemory, memory bus type, reference, core and memory clock frequencies (both real and effective for DDR boards).
- NVIDIA graphics processor's registers snapshot. By default RivaTuner shows the most important general purpose and RAMDAC related registers. The database of the registers is user customizable and you can easily extend it.
- NVIDIA VGA BIOS information. RivaTuner can detect and dump BIOS signon message, BIOS version, default clock frequencies initialized via INIT_IO_RESTRICT_PLL token, decode performance table and voltage table (for GeForceFX and newer graphics processors).
- ATI specific display adapter information. RivaTuner can detect graphics core type, number of active pixel pipelines for R300/R350 graphics processors, memory bus type, type and amount of onboard videomemory, reference, core and memory clock frequencies (both real and effective for DDR boards), memory timings (for R3x0 and newer graphics processors).
- ATI VGA BIOS information. RivaTuner can detect and dump BIOS title, date/time, core and memory clock frequencies.
- ATI graphics processor's registers snapshot. By default RivaTuner shows the most important general purpose and memory related registers. The database of the registers is user customizable and you can easily extend it.
- RivaTuner's low-level diagnostic module allows to compare two graphics subsystem diagnostic reports. This feature is very effective when tracking changes in the driver's capabilities, PCI configuration registers or in the graphics processor's registers.
- Raw EDID data dump and decoded EDID info for DDC capable monitors.
Bundled RivaTunerStatisticServer v1.2 application:
- Framerate statistics collecting for fullscreen DirectDraw applications.
- Framerate statistics collecting for fullsceen Direct3D appplications, using DirectDraw derived Direct3D interfaces (Direct3D7 and older interfaces).
- Framerate statistics collecting for both windowed and fullscreen Direct3D8 / Direct3D9 applications. RivaTunerStatisticsServer provides both original OS GDI thunk hooking approach (for Windows XP only), which is not used in any of currently existing framerate monitoring software and greatly simplifies DirectX framerate monitoring implementation, and usual Direc3D runtime hooking approach, used by the rest compeeting products providing similar features.
- Framerate statistics collecting for both windowed and fullscreen OpenGL applications.
- Customizable on-screen display (further OSD) for displaying its' own framerate statistics. Furtehrmore, the server's OSD is a shared resource, providing 4 independent text slots. Any other application can attach to free slot and use the OSD for displaying any text information. The SDK included in the distributive demonstates OSD usage via third party tool.
- Ability to unload currently loaded RivaTunerStatisticsServer via launching new RivaTunerStatisticsServer instance with "-u" command line switch.
- Even considering that performance impact of RivaTunerStatisticsServer is rather low (below 1%), there is still room for optimization left, so the performance impact can be and will be reduced in the future versions.
- An ability of using RivaTunerStatisticsServer's statistics in any other application via named shared memory. The sample code is available in SDK, included in the distributive.
- RivaTunerStatisticsServer can be used as a completely standalone framerate monitoring tool and universal OSD service provider. The server is already bundled with third party software products and even certain display adapter models.
Low-level hardware monitoring module for all supported ATI and NVIDIA graphics processors:
- Core and memory clock history graphs are very helpful for understanding dynamic 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment on NV3x+ boards and driver-level overclocking protections on some ATI GPU based boards.
- Core and ambient temperature monitoring for all NV3x+ based boards with thermal sensors, supported by the ForceWare drivers.
- Core voltage identifier monitoring for NV30/NV35/NV38 and NV40 based boards.
- Core and ambient temperature monitoring for reference design RV360, R360, RV410 and R4x0 based boards with LM63 sensor chip.
- Core and ambient temperature monitoring for ASUS ATI display adapters with F75373S sensor.
- Framerate monitoring. Note: RivaTunerStatisticsServer is required to use this feature.
- Full user extendibility due to hardware monitoring plugins technique. You can easily extend RivaTuner hardware monitoring module's possibilities by adding your own graphs (e.g. add support for temperature sensors, unsupported by RivaTuner). RivaTuner's SDK contains wide range of samples, demonstrating different monitoring plugins implementation.
Powerful low-level hardware overclocking tool for all pre-GeForce FX NVIDIA and all supported ATI graphics processors:
- Full driver independence due to direct access to the graphics processor's registers.
- Optional "Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode" feature. RivaTuner can save core and memory clock frequencies before entering suspended mode and restore it when system resumes.
- Unlike the Detonator drivers, RivaTuner's low-level overclocking module doesn't switch a display mode when setting new clock frequencies on NVIDIA based display adapters and allows to avoid annoying display mode switch when applying overclocking settings at Windows startup.
- Unlike the Detonator driver, RivaTuner's low-level overclocking module doesn't tune memory timings when setting clock frequencies on NVIDIA based display adapters and allows to get higher performance.
- Built-in overclocking profile manager allows you to save clock frequencies to overclocking profile. The profiles you have created can be used later for quick setting desired clock frequencies. You can also associate created overclocking profiles with any applications and keep you hardware overclocked only when it is actually needed.
Powerful low-level AGP controls:
- Full driver and hardware independence due to direct access to the AGP configuration registers.
- An ability to apply custom AGP configuration at Windows startup.
Low-level fan control module for LM63 sensor capable R360 and R420 based boards with reference design cooling system:
- An ability to select either default dynamic temperature based fan speed or desired fixed fan speed. This feature may greatly improve cooling at the cost of noise due to constant 100% fan speed.
Powerful low-level color correction module for all Get/SetDeviceGammaRamp capable display adapters. Detonator styled color controls and color scheme management are now available on non-NVIDIA graphics processors too.

Custom color curve editing mode allows you to create any gamma ramps you wish.
Optional direct access to RAMDAC palette mode for all supported ATI and NVIDIA graphics processors allows to adjust gamma even with gamma correction locked drivers like Catalyst 4.2+.

Flexible built-in patch script system. Now you can easily create your own patches and execute them via RivaTuner. You can perform masked search and replace functions, restore checksum for system files, create backup copies and use version-dependent scripts. The following patch scripts are included in RivaTuner:
- NvXTInitFix patch script for the Detonators 5.xx - 12.90 for Windows 2000/XP allows you to fix the problems with GeForce2 Pro/GeForce2 Ultra or GeForce3 overclocking under Windows 2000/XP. Read FAQ for details.
- LODBiasFix patch script for the Detonator 23.10 - 52.16 fixes the bug introduced in the Detonator 23.xx and allows the driver to set negative Direct3D mipmap LOD bias correctly.
- S3TCFixPack patch scripts are full analogs of our S3TCFixPack utility. These patch scripts can be used in order to fix DXT1 quality problem on the Detonator 6.46 and older.
- RTPatchesFix patch script for the Detonators 21.xx - 3x.xx unlocks the Direct3D driver's D3DDEVCAPS_QUINTICRTPATCHES and D3DDEVCAPS_RTPATCHES capabilities, which have been disabled in the Detonator XP.
- AnisoBoosterOGL patch scripts for the Detonator 28.90 - 4x.xx drivers allows you to boost the OpenGL anisotropic filtering performance optimization algorithm, which has been introduced in the Detonator 28.90. By default the OpenGL driver uses sophisticated polygon rejection algorithm and disables anisotropic filtering for certain textures, filtered by non-primary TMUs when the driver detects that it has no major image quality impact. Unfortunately, this algorithm is ignored in the applications, which can override default degree of anisotropy. The algorithm is also totally ignored on Quadros.
- AnisoBoosterOGL patch removes all these limitations and allows to extend the range of applications and boards, which can gain boost from the performance optimization mode. The patch script also allows the OpenGL driver to use the polygon rejection algorithm for the primary texture mapping unit too and boost anisotropic filtering by up to 10% with no major image quality impact.
- AnisoBoosterD3D patch script for the Detonator 28.32 - 4x.xx drivers allows to unlock the Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization settings on GeForce3 boards.
- ImageSharpeningBugfix patch script for the Detonator 44.03 - ForceWare 56.64 allows to fix automatic image sharpening boost related bug in NVIDIA control panel under Windows 2000/XP.
- NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts for the Detonator 30.82 and higher blocks the driver's anti NVStrap protection and allows to use it with the latest Detonator drivers.
- SoftQuadro4 patch script for the Detonators 27.00 - 42.51 allows you to block the protection against PCI DeviceID modification on NV17/NV18/NV25/NV28 and unlock the most of professional features on these graphics processors.
- NV25AALines for the Detonator 27.00 and higher allows you to unlock hardware accelerated antialiased lines on NV25 revision A2.
  SoftR9x00 patch script for the Catalyst 2.0 and higher allows you to unlock 8 pixel pipelines on RADEON 9500/9800SE based boards and turn any 128-bit RADEON 9500 into RADEON 9500PRO, any 256-bit RADEON 9500 into RADEON 9700PRO and any 256-bit RADEON 9800SE into 9800PRO. SoftR9x00 also allows you to perform reverse modification and to convert RADEON9500PRO/9700(PRO) to RADEON 9500. The script can be also used to block driver-level overclocking protection on RADEON 9500PRO and RADEON 9700 boards.
- ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch script for the Catalyst 2.0 and higher driver allows you to remove ATI driver's protection, blocking hardware overclocking on some low-end boards.
- SoftFireGL patch script for FireGL Z1/X1 1021 and higher drivers allows you to install these drivers on any R3x0 based board and boosts RADEON 9500(PRO)/RADEON 9700(PRO)/9600(PRO)/9800(PRO/SE) performance to FireGL Z1/X1/T1/X2 level.
Bundled NVStrap driver for all GeForce based boards for Windows2000/XP/9x/ME. This tiny boot bus extender driver embeds in the OS kernel and provides the following unique tweaking possibilities:

AGP sideband addressing overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined SBA support without editing / flashing VGA BIOS.
AGP fastwrites overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined FW support without editing / flashing VGA BIOS.
PCI DeviceID overriding capability for native AGP / PCI-E display adapters. NVStrap driver can override PCI DeviceID at software level and convert your GeForce board to a Quadro and vice versa. The driver is loaded before OS kernel so neither Windows nor Detonator driver will be able to detect the real PCI DeviceID of your display adapter. This trick allows you to unlock all the professional Quadro features on certain GeForce based boards and unlock game optimized ICD on Quadro based cards without soldering and patching the Detonator drivers.
Ability to alter an amount of active pixel pipelines and vertex processors on NV4x GPUs. This feature helps to turn any GeForce 6800 GT / Ultra board into GeForce 6800 or GeForce 6800 LE via disabling required amount of pixel pipelines and vertex processors at software level. Furthermore, some GeForce 6200 / 6800 / GeForce 6800LE owners will be able to unlock software masked pixel pipelines and vertex processors and greatly boost performance.
Ability to unlock professional OpenGL capabilities on certain GeForce 6x00 GPU based display adapters series.

Built-in 60Hz refresh fix for Windows2000/XP for NVIDIA based boards:
- Both compressed 1.x (introduced the Detonator 27.42), compressed 2.x (introduced in the Detonator 40.xx) and uncompressed display modes formats support. RivaTuner can fix the original Detonator drivers as well, as so called NVRefreshRateFix compatible Detonator drivers.
- Effective user interface, per-resolution refresh rate selection as well as the possibility to set the maximum supported refresh rates for all modes with just a few clicks.
- Custom resolutions and refresh rates support. Unlike the many refresh rate fix utilities, RivaTuner correctly handles custom resolutions and refresh rates when applying the fix.
- Independent registry backups for different operation systems / hardware for emergency refresh rate fix uninstall.
- Easy customizable database of supported display adapters.
Low-level programmable refresh overrider module for Windows 2000/XP:
- Maximum flexibility due to programmability and refresh override rules ideology.
- Full hardware independence, RivaTuner's refresh override module can be used with any display adapter for fixing 60Hz refresh rate problem.
Powerful monitor driver creation wizard for Windows 2000/XP/XP x64:
- Now you can create a driver for your monitor using EDID information (for DDC capable monitors only) or manually specifying the monitor's parameters. This feature is extremely useful if you have no driver from your monitor manufacturer.
- You can override the minimum refresh rate for each display mode supported by your graphics subsystem directly in the monitor's driver you are creating. Once created a driver with the minimum refresh rate overrides, you can simply install it to fix infamous 60Hz problem under Windows 2000/XP at the monitor driver level.
Detailed documentation, FAQ and context sensitive help system:
- The most of the information, included in RivaTuner's context help is exclusive and never was available in any other tweaking program.
- More than 100 frequently asked questions and answers.
- RivaTuner's context help contains a lot of tips, which can help you to customize the driver's settings.

Known issues:

Due to internal control panel bug the Detonator 21.xx cannot correctly call NvHWCtl/NvXTInit/NvColorInit functions on certain GeForce2 MX based systems under Windows 9x. It causes improper control panel operation and prevents it from overclocking and applying a color scheme at Windows startup. This glitch will be also echoed in RivaTuner and the rest driver-level NVIDIA tools and will cause overclocking and color correction malfunction. The only way to avoid it is to use other drivers or RivaTuner's low-level overclocking/color correction modules with these drivers.
You will not be able to overclock the secondary NVIDIA-based display adapter on multiple monitor systems until you will enable the 'Apply overclocking at Windows startup' for the primary NVIDIA-based adapter.
The 'IDirect3D7 HAL capabilities' and 'IDirect3D7 TnL HAL capabilities' graphics subsystem diagnostic report categories are currently available on the primary display adapters only.
NVStrap driver supports the primary NVIDIA display adapters only.
NVStrap driver is not compatible with S3/Suspend to RAM and S4/hibernate modes.
Low-level overclocking module works in R/O mode on NV3x based boards. It's by design feature, low-level overclocking is useless for these boards because of driver-level dynamic clock frequency, fan speed and core voltage adjustment.
ForceWare's advanced color curve and ICC based color correction profiles are currently not supported by RivaTuner's driver-level color correction manager.
RivaTuner's overlay color correction tab and ForceWare's control panel applet currently provide different overlay color controls, which can override each other.
Due to hardware bug in R360's I2C controller, ASUS 9800XT boards tend to misread data from its hardware sensor when VPU is highly loaded (mostly when running 3D applications). The problem is not RivaTuner specific and it is also echoed in generic ASUS SmartDoctor hardware monitoring software suite. As a workaround for this problem, RivaTuner provides heuristic algorithm allowing monitoring module to detect and filter incorrectly read data on ASUS 9800XT boards. The same misreading filtering algorithm is used in ASUS SmartDoctor software.
RivaTuner doesn't provide any patch scripts for 64-bit drivers.
RivaTuner's low-level refersh overrider module currently doesn't support native 64-bit 3D applications (e.g. FarCry with 64-bit patch).
RivaTunerStatisticsServer currently doesn't support native 64-bit 3D applications (e.g. FarCry with 64-bit patch).

Revision history:

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.6:

Minor bugfixes:

Hardware monitoring ring data buffer's size is no longer improperly initialized when hardware monitoring window is open after closing from maximized state.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 77.xx driver family support up to the latest official 77.72 drivers.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 72.14, 77.13, 77.50, 77.62 and 77.72 drivers.
Unlocked previously available experimental NV47 (aka G70) GPUs support. Now all RivaTuner's features including tweaking, diagnostics, hardware monitoring, overclocking and even pipeline control via the NVStrap driver are also officially available on NVIDIA GeForce 7800 series. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX.
Added experimental 64-bit OS support. Now the most of RivaTuner's features are also available under Window XP x64 edition. Please refer to Known Issues section to get info about known 64-bit version's limitations. Big thanks to Andrew Worobiew / iXBT / Digit-Life for providing nForce4 Ultra and to Peter Yeung / HIS for providing ATI PCIE display adapter for 64-bit test platform. Take a note, that unfortunately I was unable to find any sponsors able to provide NVIDIA PCIE display adapters for 64-bit test platform, that is why all NVIDIA GPUs related 64-bit functionality has been added blindly. So be careful when using RivaTuner under 64-bit platform with NVIDIA display adapters and feel free to report and anomalies you'll notice.
Added 64-bit OS specific macroses support for RivaTuner's driver files database. Now you can use %wowdir% macro to specify path to %windir%\SysWOW64 directory on 64-bit OS and %windir%\System32 directory under 32-bit OS. #32/#64 macroses allow specifying 32-bit/64-bit specific driver files.
Added Catalyst 5.5 and 5.6 drivers detection.
Updated Catalyst 5.5 and 5.6 certified SoftR9x00 patch script (32-bit versions only).
Updated IO driver:
- Added 64-bit driver binary.
- 32-bit driver has been slightly rewritten to allow using cross-platform source code for both 32 and 64-bit versions.
- Some 32-bit specific IOCTLs (e.g. kernel mode execution helper IOCTL used for access to I2C bus on ATI hardware) have been removed and replaced with unified cross-platform IOCTLs.
Updated NVStrap driver v1.9:
- Added 64-bit driver binary.
- 32-bit driver has been slightly rewritten to allow using cross-platform source code for both 32 and 64-bit versions.
- Added NV44A, NV48 and NV47 GPUs support.
Improved monitor driver wizard can generate 64-bit compatible monitor drivers now. Considering that some monitor manufacturers still don't provide x64 compatible .inf files for their monitors, this feature can be extremely useful.
Updated RivaTunerStatisticsServer v1.2 bundled utility. Considering that this utility is already widely used as standalone framerate monitoring and universal OSD solution and even bundled with some third-party software products and display adapters manufactured by some hardware vendors, the most of enhancements are aimed to simplify the server's usage as a standalone tool. The list of enhancements includes:
- Polished up GUI. Some controls have been realigned / renamed.
- Added context sensitive help system for each option available in the server.
- Some rarely used options like "Enable Direct3D8/Direct3D9 thunk layer integration" have been removed from GUI. Power users still can adjust these options manually via editing the RTSSHooks.cfg file.
- Added "Run at Windows startup" option, allowing the sever to be automatically started with Windows.
- Added "Show own statistics in OSD when it is not in use by other application", controlling the server's own OSD rendering behavior. Take a note that now this option is disabled by default.
- Added flicker free OSD rendering mode for DirectDraw applications and applications using DirectDraw derived Direct3D interfaces (Direct3D7 and older). Take a note than flicker free mode is now enabled by default, and it is a bit slower than the previously available OSD rendering mode. Power users may revert the previous mode via editing the RTSSHooks.cfg file.
- Added support for Direct3D9 applications, performing page flipping via IDirect3D9SwapChain interface instead of IDirect3DDevice9 interface's page flipping method.
- Added support for OpenGL applications, performing page flipping via wglSwapLayerBuffers.
- Added 3 more text slots for the server's OSD. Now up to 4 applications can simultaneously connect to the server's OSD and use it to display independent text info. Take a note that RTSSSharedMemorySample sample code included in the SDK has been also updated to reflect these changes. Now you can start up to 3 instances of sample application simultaneously with the server to demonstrate multiple OSD text slots usage.
Updated NVInfo v1.5 bundled DOS utility:
- Added NV41, NV43, NV44, NV47 and NV48 GPUs support.
ATIProbe v1.1 DOS utility is now integrated in RivaTuner's distributive. This tiny tool can be used for convenient RivaTuner/NVInfo-styled command line based access to ATI VPU's registers, PLLs and I2C bus devices under MS-DOS. Power users may use it for quick hardware diagnostics from bootable floppy, as well as for programming hardware without loading windows GUI. The example of real ATIProbe usage is setting maximum display adapter's fan speed during hardware stability testing, performed by some hardware manufacturers.
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module. Considering that many users prefer RivaTuner's original and convenient monitoring graph history, history logging and history analysis implementation and wish to use these features for monitoring non-graphics subsystem related parameters like CPU temperatures, new version drastically improves RivaTuner's hardware monitoring module extendibility and gives you an ability of adding graphs for any custom data sources via plugins. The list of plugin related enhancements includes:
- Now RivaTuner exports some functions, providing a plugin R/O access to display adapter's identification information, ATI/NVIDIA GPU's registers and ATI/NVIDIA display adapter's I2C buses. These functions allow you to implement monitoring for any system critical parameter of your display adapter (e.g. add support for custom sensors, not supported by RivaTuner's core).
- Multiple data source provider technology allows having multiple plugins, providing data for the same source (e.g. driver-level core temperature monitoring and low-level core temperature monitoring on NV3x+ display adapters). RivaTuner allows you to select data provider in the source's properties as soon as multiple modules providing similar data are detected.
- RivaTuner's SDK contains wide range of open source sample monitoring plugins, demonstrating the usage of new technologies:
  - CPU sample plugin demonstrates implementation of "CPU clock" monitoring data source. This sample shows you that the plugins can supply monitoring module with data of any type, even if it is absolutely not related to graphics subsystem. The sample can be also used to monitor Cool'n'Quiet technology usage on AMD Athlon64 CPUs.
  - F75373S sample plugin demonstrates implementation of temperature, fan duty cycle and voltage data sources for ATI/NVIDIA display adapters with Fintek F75373S sensor (e.g. ASUS V9999 and ASUS 9800XT series). This sample shows you how to implement support for nonstandard sensors, which are not supported by generic driver's temperature monitoring implementation. The sample also demonstrates the usage of model-specific voltage monitoring calibration via user-extendable voltage calibration database (the sample contains full database for all ASUS V9999 and ASUS 9600XT/9800XT models).
  - W83L785R sample plugin demonstrates implementation of temperature data sources for display adapters with Winbond W83L785R sensor (e.g. Gigabyte 6800 series). Similar to the previously mentioned sample, it shows you how to implement support for nonstandard sensors, which are not supported by generic driver's temperature monitoring implementation.
  - MAX6689 and LM89 sample plugins demonstrate implementation of temperature data sources for display adapters with MAXIM MAX6648 and National Semiconductor LM89/LM89-I/LM99/LM99-I sensors. These sensors are widely used on the most of GeForce 6x00 display adapters (e.g. MSI NX800 and Leadtek A400 series) and also supported by NVIDIA ForceWare driver's native temperature monitoring implementation, so the samples demonstrate you multiple data source provider usage technology, allowing you to switch "Core temperature" / "Ambient temperature" data source's provider between default driver-level monitoring implementation and low-level plugins accessing the sensor directly. This allows you to compare compensated driver-level temperatures with raw sensor's temperatures, as well as provides you more accurate temperature readings (0.125°C accuracy instead of 1°C accuracy for driver-level implementation).
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Added ATOM BIOS format support for R430 based display adapters.
- Added HSI bridge type detection for NVIDIA display adapters. Now RivaTuner displays info about used HSI bridge type (BR02 AGP-to-PCIE or BR02 PCIE-to-AGP) in "NVIDIA specific display adapter info" report category on display adapters with nonnative AGP or PCIE chip (e.g. AGP GeForce 6600 series).
- Added pipeline configuration and memory bust type detection for NVIDIA NV48 graphics processors.
Updated SDK:
- Added SDK forlder description file.
- Added source code comments for all previously available SDK samples.
- Added commented source code of BIOSChecksumGenerator RTS plugin.
Easter eggs updates. Now RivaTuner's undocumented command line interface is extended with commands providing R/W access to any device residing on any available I2C bus of the currently selected display adapter. Similar to commands providing access to the GPU's general purpose registers, I2C related commands provide read, write, AND, OR and XOR-styled access to I2C devices. This feature can be used for different purposes, e.g. for programing fan speed via PWM I2C controller on ASUS display adapters with Fintek F75373S.
Updated license agreement. New item has been added and distribution terms have been changed, Sparkle Technology UK is no longer allowed to bundle RivaTuner on the utility CDs or distribute it in any other form. I also recommend any other third party software developers to avoid having any deals with the company, refusing to pay any royalties assumed by the contract.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.5 (published on 07.05.2005):

Minor bugfixes:

None.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 76.xx driver family support.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 72.03, 76.10, 76.44, 76.45 and 76.50 drivers.
NV40BIOSSwUnitsMaskeliminator patch script has been replaced with NV4xBIOSSwUnitsMaskeliminator. Now the script may optionally remove software units mask from both NV40 and NV43 VGA BIOS images.
Added Catalyst 5.3 and 5.4 drivers detection.
Updated Catalyst 5.3 and 5.4 certified SoftR9x00 patch script. Take a note that ATIOverclockingAntiprotection and ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime patch scripts are discontinued and no longer updated, as new ATI drivers are no longer overclocking protected.
Improved NVStrap driver v1.8 provides Quadro capabilities unlocking for some new hardware protected NV40 based display adapters.
Updated RivaTunerStatisticsServer v1.1 bundled utility:
- Added support for 3D applications, loading both Direct3D and OpenGL runtime libraries simultaneously (e.g. 3D Studio MAX 6 / 7, Warcraft 3)
- Added server customization dialog, allowing you to change the server's hooks injection behavior either globally or at per-application level. This feature can be used to disable the server's hooks injection for a certain 3D applications in case of any incompatibilities between them. Some additional parameters can be also specified either globally or on per-application level via this dialog.
- Added framerate statistics collection ability for windowed Direct3D8 / Direct3D9 applications. Take a note that this feature requires Direct3D runtime-level hooks injection opposing to more unified and safe OS thunk-level hooks injection, so now the server provides you both ways, which you can optionally choose via the server's customization dialog.
- Added experimental framerate statistics collection ability for fullscreen DirectDraw applications and Direct3D applications using DirectDraw derived Direct3D interfaces (Direct3D7 and older interfaces). Take a note that this feature is disabled by default.
- Added on-screen display (further OSD) for fullscreen DirectDraw and pre-Direct3D8 applications and fullscreen / windowed Direct3D8 / Direct3D9 / OpenGL applications. Kudos and credits goes to Beepa for his original OSD concepts, firstly used in FRAPS product. The server's on-screen display provides you the following functionality:
  - By default the server uses OSD to display its' own framerate statistics, so now it can be used as a standalone application for framerate monitoring, if you want to see an instantaneous framerate only and don't need extended framerate graphs built by RivaTuner's hardware monitoring module.
  - The server's OSD is a shared resource, and it can be used by any third party tool for displaying any text information. Using this technology, RivaTuner can optionally connect to the server's on-screen display and show current value, retrieved from any selected hardware monitoring module data source (e.g. core temperature). Take a note that now the SDK includes a sample, demonstrating OSD usage by third-party utility.
  - The server's customization dialog allows altering OSD size, position and color either globally or at per-application level. You can also separately disable OSD for any 3D API at per-application level.
- Added original race condition preventing algorithm to the hooking system. Now the server analyzes hooked code and always tries to inject itself in the end of hooked chain, instead of injecting itself over other hook. Also, the server now detects when other applications' attempts to inject in the head of chain, and unloads itself from the memory when there is race condition threat.
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Added performance-level specific fan speeds detection for NV3x+ GPU based display adapters.
- Added voltage table v1.1 format support.
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Revised threshold crossing rule for hardware monitoring data source thresholds. Now source crossing event is registered when the value changes from ">=" to "<" and from "<=" to ">" instead of ">" to "<" and "<" to ">".
- Added "Treat missing... as" option to the threshold's properties. This option can be used to force missing data for the specified data source to be treated as a desired value, and it is helpful for the sources like "Framerate", which receive no data when there is no 3D application running. As an example of using this option, you may define a threshold at 0 for the "Framerate" data source, then set "Treat invalid fraterate as -1" to detect the moment of starting any 3D application as the threshold registration event.
- Added "Show ... in on-screen display" option to the monitoring data source's properties. Now the sources having this flag set automatically send their current values to RivaTunerStatisticsServer's on-screen display.
- Optimized graph caches recreation on monitoring window maximizing / closing events.
Added ATI R481, NVIDIA NV44 (AGP) and NV48 chips support. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with AGP RADEON X850.
Added /RD and /RELOADDRIVER command line switches for reloading currently selected display device's driver via the command line.
Removed obsolete Windows 2000-specific post driver reloading notification message.
Updated SDK. Added RTSSSharemMemory VC++ sample, demonstrating application's access to RivaTunerStatisticsServer's framerate statistics and OSD. As an example of OSD usage, the sample uses it to display the current system time.
Added support for AMD chipset based dual Opteron motherboards, having no northbridge chip located at native PCI bus 0, device 0, function 0. RivaTuner no longer treats such systems as invalid and no longer enters in infinite loop trying to access missing northbridge chip at its' usual location. Take a note that RivaTuner hides all northbridge chip related functionality (i.e. northbridge diagnostic in the diagnostic report module and AGP settings tab) on such systems.
Easter eggs updates.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.4 (published on 04.03.2005):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed crash on dual-head display adapters with display connected to the secondary RAMDAC under Windows 2000.
Duty cycle is no longer rounded improperly when trying to apply a fan speed matching with the current one.
Daylight saving time correction is no longer applied when viewing .hml files.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 75.xx driver family support.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 67.66, 71.22, 71.24, 71.25, 71.40, 71.50, 71.80, 71.81, 71.84, 71.90 and 75.90 drivers.
Added Catalyst 5.1 and 5.2 detection.
Updated Catalyst 5.1 and 5.2 certified SoftR9x00, ATIOverclockingAntiprotection and ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime patch scripts.
Added NV4x-compatible driver-level overlay color correction.
Added "OpenGL version string override" option to the "Compatibility" tab of "OpenGL tweaks" dialog for the Detonator 27.xx and newer drivers. This option is useful for troubleshooting and can be used to solve problems with some incorrectly written OpenGL application, expecting harcoded OpenGL version string. For example, this option can be used to launch "The Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Butcher Bay", which expects OpenGL 1.3 and doesn't work properly on OpenGL 2.0 drivers like ForceWare 75.90.
Now the list of application profiles for the ForceWare 56.xx and newer drivers in the main tab and the list of profiles accessible via the "Scan registry for existing profiles" button are sorted in ascending order.
Now RivaTuner displays / adjusts internal model ID instead of hardwired PCI DeviceID in the NVStrap driver configuration tab when custom graphics adapter identification mode is selected on display adapters with BR02 PCI-E to AGP or AGP to PCI-E bridge.
Added %RT% and %RTFolder% macro names support to RivaTuner's launcher tab. These macro names can be specified to launch RivaTuner itself or to specify path to RivaTuner's folder.
Updated ATI and NVIDIA graphics processors' PCI DeviceID database.
Added an ability of starting RivaTuner's launcher items via the command line by the name instead of GUID. The syntax is: RivaTuner.exe /L:"<name>", where <name> is a name of the item you want to launch. Take a note that this syntax is ambiguous, as it is allowed to create multiple items with the same name, so use it with caution.
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module:
- Added PCI-E bus type detection.
- Added maximum / current PCI-E link width detection for PCI-E display adapters.
- Internal "NVIDIA CK804" codename is replaced with "NVIDIA nForce4 series" in RivaTuner's northbridges database.
Considering that some competing developers started bad practice of cloning RivaTuner's hardware monitoring module concepts, features and even visual appearance, this version introduces bunches of hardware monitoring related user interface enhancement and new features to leave clonemakers back in the dust. The list of enhancements includes:
- Added experimental fan voltage level monitoring for reference design NV30, NV35, NV38 and NV40-based display adapters. This graph is helpful for understanding driver-level fan speed adjustment system. Take a note than this graph is trustworthy only when the fan is physically connected to the PCB's fan voltage control circuit. So don't rely on this graph if you have a boards with non-reference cooling system with no software voltage-based fan speed adjustment capability (e.g. ASUS or MSI 6800 series).
- Added monitoring thresholds support. Now you can define unlimited count of thresholds for each monitoring data source and setup each threshold to launch any external application on upward / downward threshold crossing event. The primary aim of this feature was to give users an ability of performing emergency system shutdown when a temperature exceeds the threshold. However, considering that you may use a threshold's command line to access to RivaTuner itself, the threshold can be configured to execute any of RivaTuner's launcher items, so you may implement temperature based overclocking etc via newly introduced thresholds technology.
- Considering that the graphs with multiple defined thresholds usually require more detailed Y-axis than the graphs with the rest monitored parameters (e.g. clock frequencies), now each graph can use either the previously available automatic height scaling mode to fit in the entire window or fixed size height mode. Fixed graph height mode can be activated either visually by dragging its' upper / lower sizing border or manually by entering desired height in the graph's properties window.
- Added button to the bottom-right corner of fixed height graph for quick switching it to automatic height mode.
- Added button to the top-right corner of the graph for quick closing a graph window. Take a note that this button is available only when two or more graphs are displayed simultaneously.
- Added framerate monitoring graph. Take a note that framerate monitoring can be implemented via API hooking only, and I treat this technology as potentially troublesome and virus-styled, affecting whole operating system and all running applications. That is why I continue "no API hooks in RivaTuner" politics, so framerate statistics collecting is performed via external RivaTunerStatisticsServer application, which must be loaded simultaneously with RivaTuner in order to monitor framerate via RivaTuner's hardware monitoring module. Take a note that RivaTuner's installer creates a shortcut for RivaTunerStatisticsServer in the Start menu. RivaTunerStatisticsServer can be also started via launcher by specifying %RTSS% macro as the path to the application. RivaTunerStatisticsServer v1.0 provides the following features:
  - Framerate statistics collecting for fullscreen Direct3D8 / Direct3D9 applications (for Windows XP only). RivaTunerStatisticsServer uses original OS GDI thunk hooking approach, which is not used in any of currently existing framerate monitoring software and greatly simplifies DirectX framerate monitoring implementation.
  - Framerate statistics collecting for both windowed and fullscreen OpenGL applications. Known limitations: currently total FPS is monitored when multiple windowed OpenGL applications are running simultaneously.
  - Ability to unload currently loaded RivaTunerStatisticsServer via launching new RivaTunerStatisticsServer instance with "-u" command line switch.
  - Even considering that performance impact of RivaTunerStatisticsServer is rather low (above 1%), there is still room for optimization left, so the performance impact can be and will be reduced in the future versions.
  - An ability of using RivaTunerStatisticsServer's statistics in any other application via named shared memory. The sample code is available upon e-mail request, sample application will be included in SDK in the next version.
- Added range selection operations support. Now you can hold <Shift> when pressing left mouse button on the first position on the graph, then move mouse cursor to the second position and release left mouse button to select this range. As soon as the range is selected, you may see its' statistics (minimum, average and maximum values) and perform some selection-specific operations (discussed above). This feature was added special for simplifying framerate statistics analysis.
- Added asynchronous operations support. Now all tracking markers related operations (e.g. manual tracking marker setting, "Mark minimum ..." / "Mark maximum ..." / "Remove all markers" commands) and all selection related operations can be applied to all graphs simultaneously as well as to the focused graph only. <Ctrl> modifier is reserved for asynchronous operations now, for example left mouse button click synchronously sets tracking markers on all graphs, but <Ctrl> + left mouse button click sets tracking marker on the focused graph only.
- Added "Select all" / "Deselect" and "Select range" commands to the graph's context menu. The last command is only active when two tracking markers are set in the graph and allows you to select a range between these markers.
- Added monitoring statistics filtering functions, available via "Filter ... over maximum limit" / "Filter ... under minimum limit" commands from the graph's context menu. These functions force RivaTuner to process statistics and to clean up the values, which lie outside the range specified with vertical scaling sliders. These functions were added for framerate statistics analysis simplification and they allow you to remove abnormally high or abnormally low values from it (e.g. abnormally high framerate caused by splash screen rendering between the tests in 3DMark, or 0 framerate during level loading in Quake III).
- Now all the commands depending on hardware monitoring statistics (e.g. "Mark minimum ..." / "Mark maximum ..." / "Scale to fit" etc) are applied to selected range only, or to whole statistics when there is no range selected.
- Changed tracking marker removal approach. Now existing marker can be removed by double-click instead of <Ctrl> + click, which is reserved for different purposes.
- Optimized graph rendering code (up to 10 times faster under certain conditions).
- Monitoring graph's statistics is no longer reset when graphs' list is changed or reordered.
- Monitoring window can be maximized now by double clicking its' caption.
- It is no longer necessary to close RivaTuner in order to save the states of monitoring window control buttons (e.g. "Enable background monitoring").
- Added monitoring log file size limiting option.
- Removed obsolette "Fan duty cycle" option from the data sources list in hardware monitoring setup window for RV360 based display adapters.
- Added negative temperatures monitoring support for LM63-capable ATI display adapters.
- Added clipping for above 100% duty cycle values displayed on the monitoring graphs for LM63-capable ATI display adapters.
- Added fan duty cycle monitoring for F75373S-capable ATI display adapters.
Updated SDK / RTHMSharedMemorySample application to display statistics for sources supplying no data (e.g. framerate source when no Direct3D / OpenGL applications are running) correctly.
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Changed undocumented NVIDIA registers naming scheme. Revised the list of dumped NVIDIA GPU registers, added some new registers, removed some obsolete ones.
- Revised the list of dumped ATI VPU registers.
Improved fan control manager for LM63-based ATI display adapters:
- Added option for restoring fan speed after resuming from suspended mode.
- Added fan control for R430 and R480 based display adapters.
- Minimum duty cycle guardband limit (25%) can be customized via the registry now.
Easter eggs updates:
- New drivers support for some scripts.
- Updated I2C dumping utility.
  - Added additional unlocking routines for some NVIDIA display adapters with locked I2C bus.
  - Added additional delays in NVIDIA I2C access routines to minimize the risk of collisions.
- Added command line based access to NVIDIA CRTC registers (Read, Write, AND, OR and XOR-styled commands).
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.3 New Year edition (published on 28.12.2004):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed performance table entry size calculation for BIT-based NVIDIA VGA BIOS images. Now the second performance level's parameters are no longer displayed incorrectly on some GeForce 6800 boards having more than 1 performance level in VGA BIOS (e.g. Gainward 6800GT).
Fixed title detection for ATI ATOM VGA BIOS images.
NVStrap driver's "Graphics processor identification" / "Quadro" mode and "Allow enabling hardware masked units" option no longer conflict when they are activated simultaneously.
"Cannot reset R/O attribute of destination file" message is no longer displayed when patch script engine creates new destination file instead of overwriting source file.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 67.xx - 7x.xx driver families support.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 66.93, 67.02, 67.03, 70.41, 70.90 and 71.20 drivers.
Updated NVStrapAntiprotection and ForceWareAntiprotection patch scripts for ForceWare 66.93, 67.02, 70.41, 70.90 and 71.20 drivers. Take a note that these scripts are fully replaced with NVStrap 1.7 functionality on GeForceFX and newer graphics processors. The scripts are required for GeForce 4 and older display adapters only and subject to be discontinued in the next version.
To avoid confusing beginners, which often tend to ignore built-in context help, low-level overclocking tab is now hidden on GeForce FX and newer display adapters.
Removed obsolete "Depth buffering" tab in Direct3D tweaks dialog for the ForceWare 65.xx and newer drivers.
DirectX7/DirectX8 texture formats options in "Textures" tab / Direct3D tweaks dialog are renamed to DirectX7 and DirectX8+ surface formats.
Revised list of available surface formats for new drivers in "Textures" tab / Direct3D tweaks dialog. Added options for controlling new surface formats (e.g. FOURCC ATI2 (3Dc)), removed some obsolete texture formats (e.g. FOURCC NVT0...NVT5).
Added full NVIDIA NV41 and NV44 graphics processors support. Now all RivaTuner's features including full low-level diagnostic and low-level pipeline configuration override via the NVStrap driver are available on these graphics processors. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with GeForce 6200 with TurboCache 16M/32M.
Added new PCI-E NV4x PCI DeviceIDs to the database of supported NVIDIA GPUs.
Added experimental NV46 and NV47 graphics processors support.
Updated NVStrap driver v1.7 gives you more new exclusive features:
- New pixel / vertex units masking technique support. Now the driver is able to enable hardware masked pixel / vertex units on new generation GeForce 6800 (LE) boards (e.g. new Dell 6800 GTO), which use redesigned hardware units masking technique aimed to block softmodding ability of the previous NVStrap version.
- Full NV44 support. Now all the features of the NVStrap driver including pixel / vertex units control are available on GeForce 6200 with TurboCache. Take a note that unlike the rest NV4x graphics processors using quad-based pipeline masking approach, NV44 use dyad-based masking, so the driver allows you to alter active pixel pipelines number with 2-pipeline granularity.
- Added "Use ROM straps for PCI DeviceID programming option" for GeForce FX and newer display adapters. This option enables alternate PCI DeviceID programming technique for new graphics processors and fully eliminates the need of installing NVStrapAntiprotection patch script. It is strongly recommended to use this option when selecting non-default graphics adapter identification mode in the driver's properties.
- Added "Unlock professional capabilities" option for GeForce 6x00 display adapters. You may use this option in conjunction with Quadro PCI DeviceID forced via "Graphics adapter identification" option to turn any GeForce 6x00 into its full professional analogue. Thanks to NVIDIA for making old mistake again and using clone GPUs on both gaming and professional display adapters.
- Extended GeForce to Quadro PCI DeviceID mapping lookup table for NV40 and NV43 graphics processors (for AGP models only). Now all NV40 / NV43 based display adapters are converted to Quadro FX 4000 / Quadro FX 540 when automatic Quadro PCI DeviceID programming mode is used.
Improved graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Added Overdrive levels decoding to "ATI VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category for ATI ATOM BIOS images. Now RivaTuner may display amount of Overdrive levels stored in VGA BIOS, core / memory clocks and temperature ranges for each Overdrive level.
- Changed memory bus type detection ideology for some NVIDIA GPU families. RivaTuner no longer detects memory bus type only for GPU families, having display adapter models with different memory bus type in sale (i.e. NV5, NV1x, NV31, NV34 and NV36). Now memory controller configuration based bus type detection is performed for all GPU families to allow detecting underground assembled display adapters with out-of-specs memory bus type.
- Added detection of BIOS default clocks set via INIT_IO_RESTRICT_PLL BIP token for NV4x graphics processors.
- Added "IDirect3D8 HAL adapter formats" and "IDirect3D9 HAL adapter formats" diagnostic report categories, allowing dumping the list of D3DFMT_... surface formats, supported by Direct3D8 / Direct3D9 drivers and allowed usages for each supported format. The list of probed formats is user extendable and can be easily extended by end user via editing RivaTuner.cfg file. By default the list includes general D3DFMT_... texture and depth buffer formats and NVIDIA specific FOURCC formats.
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Added nonstandard "1.1V + 0.2V / 0.3V loop" VID interpretator for ASUS V9999GT display adapters. Take a note that this interpretator cannot be selected automatically due to bug in ASUS V9999GT VGA BIOS, so "Core VID" hardware monitoring data source must be set up manually in order to get correct VID to voltage mapping. Please refer to FAQ for details.
- " Autoselect" button in VID interpretation setup dialog is now grayed when RivaTuner detects VGA BIOS with corrupted voltage table. Voltage table is treated as corrupted as soon as duplicating target voltage tags or duplicating VIDs are detected in its' entries.
Improved patch script engine:
- Added patch script variables and patch script preprocessing plugins support. This allows patch script developers to create external plugin modules, which can change contents of patch script source and destination chains. Due to these changes, plugin description format has been slightly changed, and the scripts created for the previous version are not compatible with new version.
- Added an ability of automatic patch script execution via the command line (/a or /auto command line switch). In automatic execution mode patch script is installed silently and no messages are displayed in case of successful installation. This feature is very handy for automatic installation of runtime patch scripts (e.g. ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime) at Windows startup.
Added NV40BIOSHwUnitsMaskEliminator patch script, allowing you to remove hardware units mask initialization code from VGA BIOS initialization script. You may use this patch script to finalize pipeline configuration set by the NVStrap driver. The script uses preprocessing plugin feature, introduced in this version, which allows the script to eliminate masking either for all pixel / vertex units or only for units, enabled via the NVStrap driver. Please refer to FAQ for details.
Added filename resolving for RivaTuner's files launched via the command line. Now relative file paths (e.g. ".\PatchScripts\ATI\ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime\ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime w2k.rts") can be specified in the command line when launching the file.
Added ATI Catalyst driver version detection. Now RivaTuner displays driver family name, the list of installed driver files, file descriptions and versions in the main tab on supported ATI display adapters (for Windows 2000 / XP only).
Database of supported ATI / NVIDIA drivers is now user extendable and stored in [DriverFamily_...] and [DriverFiles_...] sections of RivaTuner.cfg file.
Added X800SE support. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with X800SE.
Added ATI R430 and R480 graphics processors support. Now all RivaTuner's low-level features including overclocking, thermal monitoring and fan control are available on display adapters based upon these graphics processors. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with R430 and R480 based display adapters.
Updated Catalyst 4.11, 4.12 beta and 4.12 certified SoftR9x00, ATIOverclockingAntiprotection and ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime patch scripts.
New NSIS 2.02 based installer. Distributive size is decreased due to better compression ratio of new installation engine.
Easter eggs updates:
- Added New Year present for ATI users, willing to convert RADEON X800 series display adapters to FireGL X3.
- Added hidden NVIDIA VGA BIOS initialization scripts decompiler. This feature was used by us for a long time for adding a lot of NVIDIA VGA BIOS dependent things to RivaTuner. Now this handy thing is integrated directly in RivaTuner and can be used by power users to dump initialization scripts' pseudocode, script macroses table, script conditions table etc.
- Added RV350 I2C support to hidden I2C scanner. Thanks to Peter Yeung @ HIS for providing HIS RADEON 9550 sample.
Added about 10 new overclocking, hardware monitoring and softmodding questions to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.2 (published on 04.10.2004):

Minor bugfixes:

Added lost extended registers unlocking code in RAM configuration detection routine for NVIDIA GeForceFX and newer boards.
Hour is now displayed correctly on time markers in hardware monitoring log file viewer.
Fixed driver-level color correction for non-default rotation angles under the Detonator 42.10 and newer drivers.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 66.31, 66.29, 66.32, 66.51, 66.70, 66.72 and 66.81 drivers support.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Due to more complex database build automation process used to generate database build scripts in this version, the databases contain many new system registry entries, missed in database build script in the previous versions.
Updated NVStrapAntiprotection and ForceWareAntiprotection patch scripts for ForceWare 66.31, 66.29, 66.32, 66.51, 66.70, 66.72 and 66.81 drivers.
Revised antialiasing modes list for the ForceWare drivers.
Changed ForceWareFSAAModes format. Now system requirements are specified using GPU family ID rather than PCI DeviceID.
Updated Catalyst 4.9, 4.9 hotfix and 8.07 beta certified SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts.
Added RV410 support. Now all R420 specific features including clock frequency control, temperature and fan speed monitoring / control are also available on RADEON X700 series. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with ATI RADEON X700XT.
Added VID monitoring for NV40 GPU based display adapters. Now GeForce 6800/GT/Ultra owners may also see either raw VID data or the corresponding voltages in hardware monitoring window.
Improved VID interpretator for "Core VID" hardware monitoring data sources:
- Now besides NV30/NV35/NV38 specific "ISL6569 with hardwired VID0 / VID1" VID interpretation mode, RivaTuner's database also contains "1.1V + 0.1V / 0.3V loop", "1.1V + 0.3V / 0.2V loop" and "1.1V + 0.1V / 0.2V loop" interpretation modes allowing to translate raw VID data to the corresponding voltage on all NV40 based boards.
- Added "Autoselect" button to the "VID interpretation" dialog. This button forces RivaTuner to compare voltage table stored in VGA BIOS with all VID interpretators available in the database and automatically select matched one.
- Added interpretation preview window to the "VID interpretation" dialog. Now RivaTuner displays all available VID values and the corresponding voltages for selected interpretator.
Greatly improved built-in patch script engine:
- Added BIOSChecksumGenerator RTS post-installation plug-in module, allowing you to restore BIOS checksum after patching a file with RivaTuner's patch script engine.
- Added BIOSChecksumGenerator stub patch script, allowing you to restore VGA BIOS checksum in image file without making any additional changes in it.
- Improved patch script format. Now the DstFile and BakFile fields can contain %filename% and %ext% macro strings. This feature is useful when source file name contains wildcards and is unknown a priori.
Added NV40BIOSUnitsMaskEliminator patch script, allowing you to remove software pixel / vertex units mask from VGA BIOS image file.
New patch script formats support. Now besides previously available native patch scripts, applying changes to a file, RivaTuner's patch script engine also supports so called runtime scripts, which can be applied directly to a driver loaded in memory. Runtime patch scripts are useful for patching runtime decoded drivers, protected against native patch scripts. Furthermore besides native-only and runtime-only patch scripts, patch script engine also supports so called universal patch scripts, which can be installed in both modes.
Added ATIOverclockingAntiprotectionRuntime patch script, based upon newly introduced runtime patching technology. This script is an example of universal patch script, which can be applied to both driver miniport binary file in the distributive and directly to the miniport driver, loaded in memory.
Improved NVIDIA VGA BIOS formats support:
- Now BIT structure based VGA BIOS images with no BMP structure are fully supported by RivaTuner. This allows displaying "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category on GeForce 6600 display adapters family, which have no BMP structure in BIOS.
- Added BIT tokens list interpretator. Now locations of tokens defining offsets to performance and voltage tables are calculated by translating and scanning whole BIT tokens list and no longer referenced using fixed offset from the beginning of BIT header.
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Now NVIDIA VGA BIOS version is read from the BIT rather than from the BMP when both structures are available in VGA BIOS.
- Added dozen of new NVIDA / Intel / SiS / AMD northbridges to RivaTuner's hardware database.
- " GPU units mask" line in "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category has been renamed to "SW units mask". Software units mask representation has been also changed to make it more plain for beginners. Now RivaTuner displays "none" instead of "16x1,6vp" when there are no software masked units detected in VGA BIOS, and shows which pixel / vertex units exactly are disabled if software units mask exists in VGA BIOS.
- Added "HW units mask" line to "NVIDIA specific display adapter information" diagnostic report category. This line displays "none" if the GPU doesn't have hardware masked pixel / vertex units, otherwise it shows which pixel / vertex units exactly are masked with hardware straps.
New NVStrap v1.6 driver brings you more nice exclusive features:
- Now the NVStrap driver configuration tab contains "Allow enabling masked units" option, allowing the driver to force the graphics processor to activate all pixel / vertex units, even if they are hardware strapped as damaged. Please be extremely careful and use this option at your own risk. Enabling hardware masked units, which have not passed hardware quality testing, may cause unpredictable results and even permanently damage your graphics hardware.
- Improved "Custom graphics processor configuration" dialog layout. Now you may also see enabled/disabled state of each pixel/vertex unit in separate column. New "HW masked" column shows you which pixel / vertex units are hardware strapped as defected and protected from enabling by default by hardware mask to prevent system instability.
- Added NVStrap driver version tracking wizard. This module checks version of the currently installed NVStrap driver each time you open NVStrap configuration tab and offers you to replace outdated version with new one if you have not reinstalled the driver manually after upgrading RivaTuner version.
New NVInfo v1.4 bundled DOS utility. Now NVInfo provides RivaTuner-styled command line interface for R/W access to NVIDIA graphics processor's registers. Take a note, that NVInfo correctly supports queued R/W commands like RivaTuner's command line interface.
Due to users' requests, unofficial support for integrated NVIDIA graphics processors is returned back.
Due to numerous requests from third party developers, some components of RivaTuner's SDK are no longer available via personal e-mail request only and will be included in distributive since this version. Now RivaTuner's publicly available SDK includes RTHMSharedMemory VC++ sample, allowing third party tools to access RivaTuner's hardware monitoring statistics in realtime.
Improved compatibility with some slow flashrom chips used on NVIDIA display adapters.
New Easter eggs. Added built-in device driver dump utility, allowing you to dump loaded driver memory and save it to the file for subsequent analysis. This utility is useful for analyzing runtime decrypted drivers as well as for creating runtime patch scripts and tracking differences caused by other tool patching driver in runtime.
Improved installer. Now RivaTunerEx.sys driver is automatically unloaded from memory during installation to ensure proper driver operation.
Added about 10 new overclocking and NV40 softmodding related questions and answers to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15.1 (published on 05.09.2004):

Minor bugfixes:

RivaTuner's driver-level color schemes are no longer lost after creating at least one nonstandard color scheme via the ForceWare's control panel applet.

What's new:

Added ForceWare 65.xx - 66.xx driver families support.
Added databases for the ForceWare 61.76, 61.77, 65.05, 65.91 and 66.00 drivers for Windows 2000/XP.
Updated ForceWareAntiprotection and NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts for the ForceWare 61.76, 61.77, 65.05, 65.91 and 66.00 drivers for Windows 2000/XP.
Added PCI-E NV40 series display adapters support.
Added experimental R423 support. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with PCI-E RADEON X800XT.
Added experimental NV41 / NV43 support. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with NV43 sample.
A lot of NV40 / R420 specific enhancements, new diagnostic and tuning features. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for providing ATI RADEON X800PRO and NVIDIA GeForce 6800 samples.
Added active pixel pipelines / vertex processors count detection for NV4x based display adapters.
Updated bundled NVInfo v1.3 DOS utility. Now NVInfo supports NV40 series and can display diagnostic info including active pixel pipelines / vertex processors count. This feature allows you to verify NV40 based display adapter right from the bootable floppy before purchasing it.
Updated bundled NVStrap v1.5 driver. Now the driver supports NV40 / NV41 / NV43 GPU series and provides NV40 / NV41 / NV43 owners previously available AGP SBA / AGP FW and PCI DeviceID strapping settings as well as absolutely new unique feature specific for this GPU family - custom graphics processor configuration panel. This panel allows you to alter an amount of active pixel pipelines and vertex processors of NV4x GPUs, so any GeForce 6800 GT / Ultra board can be turned to GeForce 6800 or GeForce 6800 LE via disabling required amount of pixel pipelines and vertex processors at software level. Furthermore, some GeForce 6800 owners will be able to unlock software masked pixel pipelines and vertex processors and greatly boost performance. Take a note that both pixel pipelines and vertex processors on GeForce 6800 (LE) boards can be locked either at hardware or at software level. RivaTuner will be able to unlock them in the second case only. Please refer to RivaTuner's FAQ to get more information.
Updated "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category for NV40 GPU based display adapters:
- Added performance level table decoding. Performance level specific core / memory clocks and core voltage are now displayed on NV4x based boards too. Take a note that wrongly voltmodded VGA BIOSes are also already available in the net, so you may use the information displayed in RivaTuner to validate any software voltmodded BIOS. All NV3x+ software voltage mod details discussed in RivaTuner's FAQ before, also fully apply to NV40 GPUs, so please refer to RivaTuner's FAQ to get more information on it.
- Added GPU units mask info for NV4x GPU based boards. This mask tells you if VGA BIOS contains any softmasked pixel pipelines and vertex processors and can be used for fast detecting softmoddable boards.
- Removed obsolete VCO frequency limits info for NV40 GPU based boards.
Updated "NVIDIA specific display adapter information" diagnostic report category. Now besides hardwired ID RivaTuner displays ROM softstrapped PCI DeviceID on NV3X+ based boards.
Now RivaTuner decodes driver-level startup clocks using PCI DeviceID requested via the ForceWare driver rather then the real PCI DeviceID to support startup clocks detection on NVIDIA PCI-E display adapters.
Now during displaying "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" diagnostic report category RivaTuner reads VGA BIOS contents directly from flash ROM. This feature was implemented in order to access NV40's performance level tables, located outside ROM copy accessible via standard ISA address space.
Added DVC control for NV4x based boards.
Added RADEON 9550 series support.
Updated SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts for the Catalyst 4.7, 4.8 beta, 4.8 and 4.9 beta for Windows 2000/XP.
Added fan duty cycle monitoring for LM63 capable R360 and R420 based boards with reference cooling system. Take a note that it is impossible to monitor the real fan speed on these boards because of lack of feedback between fan's tachometer output and sensor chip, so monitored fan duty cycle is a target fan speed programmed by the sensor, but not the real one. Actual speed may be lower due to fan malfunction and other factors.
Added fan speed control for LM63 capable R360 and R420 based boards with reference cooling system. Now you may use either default temperature controlled dynamic fan speed mode, or improve your R360/R420 cooling at the cost of noise due to fixed 100% fan speed mode.
Added detailed memory timings decryption for R420 based display adapters.
Added DDR3 memory type detection for R420 based display adapters.
Added command line interface for saving VGA BIOS image for all supported NVIDIA display adapters and ATI R300+ based display adapters. Use /BI command line switch to extract and save VGA BIOS image in a file. In addition to that, RivaTuner also provides previously undocumented /BD command line switch, allowing you to save dump of VGA BIOS stored in memory. Take a note that this feature works even with unsupported display adapters (e.g. Matrox), but the dump created with this command line switch is not flashable and can be used for scientific needs (e.g. reverse engineering) only.
Updated RivaTunerEx.sys driver incorporates new IOCTL, allowing RivaTuner to execute some portions of code in kernel mode. Since this version RivaTuner executes all low-level I2C access code in kernel mode to minimize risk of collision with other applications accessing ATI I2C bus at low level. However, the previous user mode I2C access method can be also activated with ATII2CKernelModeAccess registry entry.
Improved graphics processor core detection scheme for both NVIDIA and ATI display adapters. Now RivaTuner.cfg file contains user customizable PCI DeviceID indexed table of supported graphics processors. This will not make RivaTuner forward compatible with future graphics processors, but will greatly simplify process of adding support of new display adapters based on supported GPUs.
Improved patch script interpretator. New "Mode" token allows patch developers to enable advanced patch script interpretation mode, which can be used for replacing at least one of specified byte chains in the target file instead of all specified byte chains when using regular patch script interpretation mode. This feature was implemented to allow installing ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch script on both Catalyst 4.8 beta and 4.8, which have the same internal versions and file sizes but quite different internal structure.
Updated monitor manufacturers list.
Improved database format. Now string registry entries may also use interpretators of ENUM type.
Now all RivaTuner's command line interfaces can provide an access to non-primary display adapters.
Now RivaTuner's tray icon is automatically restored after taskbar recreation.
Easter eggs updates. Added hidden command line interface for AND, OR and XOR based GPU registers modification commands.
Added about 10 new NV40 softmodding, NVIDIA & ATI overclocking related questions to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15 hotfix (published on 02.07.2004):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed bug in driver-level overclocking module, which blocked an ability to enable driver-level overclocking on ForceWare 53.xx and older drivers.
Fixed bug in diagnostic report module, which caused RivaTuner to decode some R3x0 memory timings incorrectly under certain conditions. Take a note, that unlike it is expected by community, this fix will not synchronize RivaTuner's timings readings with RaBiT's ones. The problem that has been fixed mostly affected TR2W, TWR and TW2R timings detection, but the rest timings are different due to problems in RaBiT timing detection scheme. RaBiTs RAS to CAS read delay and Row precharge time are 2 clocks lower than they should be, Row active time is shifted by 1 bit and really affects both TRAS and TRRD.
So to synchronize detected timings in both tools wait for fixed version of RaBiT. Detailed timings datasheet has been passed to RaBiT creators, so new version of this tool will provide correct timing detection and allow you to edit full range of timings detected by RivaTuner.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 15 (published on 28.06.2004):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed crosslinked tags in 'IDirect3D HAL' / 'IDirect3D TnL HAL' diagnostic report categories.
Month number is now displayed correctly in hardware monitoring log file viewer.
Fixed database precaching bug for lines containing more than 256 symbols.
Fixed database precaching bug for lines containing '[' and ']' symbols.
Fixed problems with hardware monitoring statistics graphs clipping.
Fixed safety hole in the driver-level overclocking tab for the boards with separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment. You no longer can change the clocks and apply them without testing after switching between standard 2D and performance 3D modes.
Unused 'Restore clocks after suspended mode' option is no longer available on the boards with separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment.
Fixed clock detection for NV30/NV35/NV38 graphics processors in bundled NVInfo.com DOS utility.
Fixed ram configuration detection for NV3x graphics processors.
Removed empty core / ambient temperature graphs for GeForce 5900XT with no thermal sensor ICs.
Fixed driver-level clock detection code, which could potentially cause clock frequency misreading in driver-level overclocking module on some systems.
Fixed bug in the patch script engine, which caused version dependent common patch script sections to have higher priority than certified patch script sections.
Fixed bug in database editor control causing wrong work area clipping under certain conditions.
Shortcuts to the launcher's items with associated overclocking profiles are now applied correctly.
Apply button is no longer grayed when pressing Defaults button on the Intellisample OpenGL tab.

What's new:

New hardware support including GeForce 6800 and RADEON X800 series.
Full ForceWare 56.xx - 6x.xx support:
Removed obsolete 'Disable Accelerated Graphics Port' option in the system tweaks dialog for the ForceWare 56.xx and higher drivers.
Removed obsolete 'Show NVIDIA logo when running Direct3D applications' option in the Direct3D tweaks dialog for the ForceWare 56.xx and higher drivers.
Removed obsolete 'Enable 24-bit Z-buffer' option in the Direct3D tweaks dialog for the ForceWare 6x.xx drivers.
Added ForceWare 6x.xx specific image quality settings.
Added GeForce 6800 series specific anisotropic filtering / antialiasing modes.
Due to flexible application specific settings technology, introduced by NVIDIA in the ForceWare 56.xx drivers, third party tools may easily provide you application specific settings. Besides previously available presets allowing you to set custom settings for any application, current release of RivaTuner provides you powerful application specific settings mechanism based upon this technology. RivaTuner's databases / presets also support this technology and allow you to make application specific settings directly via the built-in registry editor and create application specific presets.
Note: due to limitation of the currently available NVIDIA Direct3D drivers, only a few Direct3D settings can be application specific opposing to fully application profilable OpenGL driver. We hope that NVIDIA will remove this limitation it in the future releases of the ForceWare drivers, that is why RivaTuner already contains an ability to make all Direct3D settings application specific. This feature is locked by default, however you may unlock it in the future with LockAppSpecificD3DSettings registry entry if needed. This will ensure that RivaTuner will be able to support new drivers without version update if NVIDIA will remove the limitation in future ForceWare drivers.
Added Direct3D Shaders tab for NV17/NV18 graphics processors.
Added databases for the ForceWare 56.55, 56.56, 56.57, 56.64, 56.72, 60.60, 60.72, 61.12, 61.32, 61.34, 61.40, 61.45 and 61.71 drivers.
Updated ForceWareAntiprotection and NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts the ForceWare 56.55, 56.56, 56.57, 56.64, 56.72, 60.60, 60.72, 61.12, 61.32, 61.34, 61.40, 61.45 and 61.71 drivers.
Added ImageSharpeningBugfix patch script for the Detonator 44.03 - ForceWare 56.57 drivers for Windows 2000/XP.
Added Catalyst 4.1 - 4.7b certification for SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts. Please take a note that SoftR9x00 script core has not been changed, only the certification info showing that the following drivers are approved by us have been added. So you don't need to re-patch driver with SoftR9x00 if you already use Catalyst 4.1 - 4.7b patched with the previous version of RivaTuner. However, ATIOverclockingAntiprotection script contains actual code changes to support Catalyst 4.7 beta version.
Improved low-level color correction module:
- Now besides previously available GDI-level gamma ramp control, RivaTuner provides optional color control via direct access to RAMDAC's palette registers for all supported NVIDIA and ATI graphics processors. This feature was added when ATI driver team tried to block all third party gamma calibration tools in the Catalyst 4.2 via intentional Set/GetDeviceGammaRamp GDI API corruption. Now RivaTuner's low-level gamma correction module no longer depends on ATI programmers' whims and works with any driver set, even gamma correction locked. Furthermore, unlike GDI-level gamma correction, new mode don't have any gamma ramp validation, so you may specify any color scheme you wish, e.g. absolutely monochrome green-black scheme.
- Now besides classic brightness / control / gamma color adjustment modes RivaTuner also provides you NVIDIA control panel styled custom color curve mode, allowing you to draw custom spline for each color channel. This allows you to create your own color schemes, which cannot be brought to brightness / control / gamma (e.g. color temperature) or create sophisticated color schemes (e.g. inverse colors).
- Added 'Lock color scheme' option for launcher items with associated low-level color schemes and RAT mode applications. This option forces RivaTuner to check gamma during RAT application lifetime and override it when it differs from the target color scheme. This ensures that RivaTuner's associated color scheme will be the primary for this application, and allows to use RivaTuner's low-level color correction in any application, even when it provides its' own gamma control.
Seriously changed driver-level overclocking module. Unfortunately, the most of overclocking community don't seem to understand the specifics of separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment on GeForceFX based boards, which results in plain wrong overclocking guides on some websites and false bug reports posted by some inexperienced users. Due to these reasons, RivaTuner's driver-level overclocking module hides the most of advanced controls from beginners now. My apologies to power users, you still can enable the previously available features via the registry. New features introduced in this version are locked by default due to the same beginner-protection reasons:
- Added memory clock frequency reset protection wizard for the boards with unified memory clock frequency control. The boards with separate 2D / 3D core clock frequency adjustment but unified 2D / 3D memory clock frequency adjustment require specific startup clocks configuration and tend to loose startup settings for memory clock frequency if you specify different startup memory clocks for 2D and 3D modes. Memory clock frequency reset protection wizard, introduced in this version, checks your startup settings, warns you about potential memory clock reset in case of detecting improper settings and allows you to correct the problem automatically. Power users may disable this feature with DisableMemClkResetProtectionWarning registry entry.
- Removed low-level clock monitoring windows from the driver-level Overclocking tab to prevent beginners from mixing these values with 2D/3D clocks and claiming that overclocking don't actually take place. Power users can still monitor actual state of PLLs with RivaTuner's low-level hardware monitor.
  Previously available visual clock testing allowing you to go beyond the control panel's overclocking limits is now replaced with control panel styled instantaneous stress test to prevent beginners from mixing throttling (i.e. driver's internal hardware protection system) and absolutely normal step-by-step switch to 2D mode having place after performing the visual clock test. You no longer can set clock frequencies even 1MHz higher than it is allowed by the control panel. However, power users still can enable the previous visual clock testing with DisableInternalClockTest registry entry or totally disable clock testing with DisableClockTest registry entry.
- Added ability to adjust clocks for performance level 1 (low power 3D mode). This feature is locked by default, power users may unlock it with AllowLowPower3DControl registry entry.
- Added 'Force constant performance level' option allowing you to force your graphics card to work at one constant performance level and disable 2D / low power 3D / 3D modes switching. Take a note that it will also disable throttling, so use this option with extreme caution only if you perfectly understand what are you doing. This option is also locked by default, power users may unlock it with EnablePerfLevelForcing registry entry.
- Added 'Use alternate startup daemon' option. When this option is set, driver-level clock frequencies at Windows startup are applied by RivaTuner's startup daemon instead of control panel's startup daemon. This ensures that RivaTuner will be able to apply startup overclocking settings even if NVIDIA will change startup daemon's registry entries. This option must be also set when using the features, not available in standard control panel's daemon (e.g. when setting custom clocks for low power 3D mode at Windows startup).
- Removed obsolete display mode flashing when applying clock frequencies on GeForce FX boards.
- Optimized rebootless default clock frequency detection when enabling driver-level overclocking on the boards with separate 2D / 3D clock frequency adjustment.
Improved built-in registry editor (PowerUser tab):
- Now you can hold <Shift> key when clicking 'Select all entries' button to select existing registry entries only.
- Added 'Find next selected entry' button. You can use this button to highlight the next selected entry in the database.
- Added 'Find next updated entry' button. You can use this button to highlight the next updated entry in the database.
- Removed obsolete 'Open patch script' button. RivaTuner's patch scripts are integrated in OS shell, so it recommended to open them directly via Windows Explorer.
- Improved generic RivaTuner file format. All the RivaTuner's files based upon this format (i.e. database build scripts, databases, presets and patch scripts) can now use autoincremental indices, which greatly simplify large files editing and updating.
Improved RivaTuner database build (*.rtb) script file format:

Macro variables and autoincremental indices usage makes database build script update much more OS independent and allows us to update them much easier than before.
Added database build script verification entries for external RTBValidator utility used for database script generation. The scripts are still created using manual driver code analysis, however now they are verified with special external RTBValidator utility. Automated script validation allows us to check manually created databases and greatly reduces the risk of missing or adding obsolete entries to the registry databases. So all the registry databases for Detonator / ForceWare are now corrected with RTBValidator and contain a lot of cleanups and some new entries missed before during manual database creation.

Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Now you can customize each monitoring data source. To do use either 'Setup' command from the context menu on the corresponding graph or double-click the corresponding source in the list in 'Hardware monitoring setup' window. The list of common data source specific settings includes custom graph limits, custom grid spacing and custom offset values. Custom offsets were exclusively added to allow RADEON 9800XT owners to sync RivaTuner's core temperatures with the Overdrive's ones. Some data sources (e.g. core VID) also provide customization settings specific to this data source type.
- Added ability to display a combination of selected data sources in tray icon's tooltip when RivaTuner is minimized to tray.
- Added ability to display current value for one select data source directly in tray icon when RivaTuner is minimized to tray.
- Added NV40 PLLs support. Now RivaTuner can monitor clock frequencies on GeForce 6800 series boards. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with GeForce 6800 Ultra.
- Added core / ambient temperature monitoring for all thermal diode capable NV3x+ boards including GeForceFX 5700Ultra and GeForce 6800 series.
- Added core / ambient temperature monitoring for reference design RADEON 9600XT boards and ASUS RADEON 9600XT boards. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for providing RADEON 9600XT sample.
- Added core / ambient temperature monitoring for RADEON X800 series. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with RADEON X800PRO and RADEON X800XT. Note: unfortunately I2C access functions exported by the Catalyst driver suite don't provide direct access to DVI I2C ports where both RV360 and R420 sensor chips reside. For these boards RivaTuner uses low-level access to ATI I2C controller to communicate with sensor chips, so there is a risk of causing I2C access collision when using RivaTuner simultaneously with some other tool accessing ATI I2C bus at low level.

Considering that RivaTuner is no longer the only tool accessing ATI I2C bus, we offer other developers open source I2C access synchronization standard, ensuring that two tools supporting this standard will never collide during simultaneous access to ATI I2C bus. Currently the standard is accepted and will be supported in the next versions of ATITool and Everest utilities, we also strictly recommend other developers implementing I2C tools to contact us to support it too. Similar collisions on motherboard diagnostic tools scene and almost guaranteed problems during simultaneous access to SMBus when using two motherboard monitoring tools at the same time (e.g. MBM and SpeedFan) is just a result of bad design and a lack of communication between developers. It is possible to avoid it on graphics cards diagnostic tools scene, so let's do it together.

Added core VID (voltage ID) monitoring for NV30/NV35/NV38 boards. Due to monitoring data source customization settings, introduced in this version, RivaTuner may display both raw VID data and interpreted target voltage corresponding to this VID. Current version of RivaTuner allows you to select 3-bit VID to 2-bit VID, 3-bit VID to 1-bit VID and 3-bit VID to ISL6569 voltage predefined interpretators. Furthermore, RivaTuner's voltage interpretators list is fully customizable and user extendable, so you may easily add your own interpretator if your board uses different voltage control scheme.

Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Added CRTC registers dumping ability for all supported NVIDIA GPUs.
- Updated list of registers for 'NVIDIA graphics processor registers dump' diagnostic report category. Added some CRTC and NV4x-specific PLL registers.
- Updated list of registers for 'ATI graphics processor registers dump' diagnostic report category. Removed some obsolete registers, added some new important registers. Also registers names have been changed to synchronize with internal ATI register names.
- Updated 'ATI specific display adapter information' diagnostic report category. Added detailed memory timings decryption for R3x0 based display adapters.
- Now RivaTuner displays 'Hardwired, enabled' state of AGP SBA instead of 'Supported, enabled' on the boards operating in AGP 3.0 mode to indicate that SBA state is hardwired and cannot be controlled by software. Please refer to FAQ for details.
- Added NVIDIA VGA BIOS info report category. This category was exclusively added due to numerous requests from GeForceFX boards owners to verify internals of modded NVIDIA VGA BIOSes. Unfortunately, some pre-modded BIOSes available for downloads, BIOS modding FAQs posted in numerous forums and even some BIOS modding tools created after publishing these FAQs contain logical and technical errors, so new diagnostic report category is aimed to help you do detect them. NVIDIA VGA BIOS Info report category includes:
  - BIOS BMP structure version.
  - BCD BIOS version stored in BMP structure.
  - BIOS BIT structure version for NV4x+ based boards.
  - BIOS signon message.
  - BIOS default clocks set via INIT_IO_RESTRICT_PLL BIP token for pre-NV4x boards.
  - Voltage table interpretation for BMP structure v5.25 and higher or BIT structure based BIOS. RivaTuner also displays VID pins bitmask and checks each voltage table entry, and warns you if at least one VID goes outside valid VID bitmaps. This feature allows you to detect incorrectly voltmodded BIOSes. Please refer to RivaTuner's FAQ for details.
  - Performance table v1.1 and higher interpretation for NV3x boards. Performance table interpretation allows you to see core clock, RAM configuration strapped memory clock, core voltage and fan speed (for NV30 boards only) for each of available performance levels. Take a note, that unlike it is explained in all online BIOS modding guides, there is no direct compliance between voltage table entry index and the corresponding performance level, so some of so called throttling BIOS mods actually corrupt voltage table and remove required voltage from it instead of boosting voltage in LowPower3D mode. RivaTuner's performance table interpretator allows to check if such situation takes place and verifies if required 2D / LowPower3D / 3D voltages really exist in the voltage table. Please refer to RivaTuner's FAQ for details.
Extended custom maximum overclocking range for both low-level and driver-level overclocking modules. Now MaxClockLimit registry entry allows extending the maximum clock limit by up to 300% of default clock.
Improved RivaTuner's patch script format (*.rts). Now you may specify '@' in the WrapTo field in certified sections to wrap it to the corresponding version dependent or global common section.
Now RivaTuner's startup daemon automatically uninstalls itself from the registry when it is no longer referenced by any of RivaTuner's low-level modules.
RivaTuner's hardware monitoring shared memory format is upgraded to version 1.1. Shared memory usage is no longer disabled by default because it now it is used by RivaTuner itself for displaying hardware monitoring statistics in tray tooltip / tray icon.
Updated NVInfo v1.1 DOS utility. Now you may dump state of any GPU register via the command line.
VIA KT600 added to the list of supported northbridges.
More speedups in database loading code due to caching in database macro translator routine.
Easter eggs updates :)
- Added new drivers support for Easter eggs existing in the previous version of RivaTuner.

Added hidden low-level I2C scanner for all supported NVIDIA and ATI graphics processors.
Added hidden command line interface, providing power users direct read/write access to the graphics processors' registers/PLLs (for all supported ATI and NVIDIA GPUs). This feature can be used for controlling features, which are not directly exposed by RivaTuner (e.g. memory timings).

The biggest FAQ update even happened in RivaTuner's history. About 30 new questions and answers related to hardware monitoring, GeForce FX BIOS mods, GeForceFX overclocking etc. Must read for people behind GeForce FX BIOS mods and GeForce FX overclocking FAQs.
Windows 9x/ME is no longer officially supported since this version. Take a note, that it doesn't mean that RivaTuner will not work under these OSes, but it does mean that it is no longer tested with them.
Miscellaneous UI changes and improvements including visual appearance improvements for Windows XP:
- Themed dialog backgrounds.
- 32-bit antialiased cursors.
- Antialiased icons for context toolbars.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 14.3 New Year edition (published on 28.12.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed bug in hardware monitoring log file viewer, which prevented RivaTuner from updating monitoring history graphs correctly under certain conditions.

What's new:

Added New Year stuff to About tab :)
Added ForceWare 53.30 (Windows 2000/XP only) support.
Added database for ForceWare 53.30 for Windows 2000/XP.
Updated NVStrapAntiprotection patch script for ForceWare 53.30.
Added ForceWareAntiprotection patch script for Windows 2000/XP, aimed to remove patch script protection system, introduced in ForceWare 53.30 miniport driver.
Improved low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic report module:
- Added 'OpenGL driver information' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner's diagnostic reports may contain information about the OpenGL driver vendor, OpenGL renderer and OpenGL version.
- Added 'OpenGL driver extensions' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner's diagnostic reports may include the list of extensions supported by the OpenGL driver.
- Added new diagnostic reports comparison mode. Now besides 'Highlight differences in current / sample report' buttons you can also use 'Highlight missed lines in current / sample report' buttons to activate new report comparison mode. When using 'Highlight missed lines in current / sample report' modes, RivaTuner compares two reports and highlights a line in the source report if it doesn't exist in the target report. This mode is useful when tracking differences in the reports containing undetermined sets of lines (e.g. when comparing two lists of OpenGL driver extensions).
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Custom tracking markers positions are no longer lost when resizing monitoring graph window.
- Improved custom tracking markers control interface. Now the markers can be removed with ctrl + left-click instead of right-click. Right mouse button is now used to activate context menu allowing you to perform some handy functions.
- Added automatic graph vertical scaling function, allowing RivaTuner to set the best vertical scaling range to fit the graph in. This function can be activated with 'Scale to fit' command in the context menu. Default vertical scaling range can be also restored from the context menu with 'Scale to full range' command.
- Added extremum values tracking functions, allowing you to set tracking markers at minimum / maximum points on the graphs. These functions can be activated from the context menu with 'Mark minimum ...' / 'Mark maximum ...' commands.
- Added experimental ASUS 9800XT-specific core/ambient temperature monitoring. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with this board.

Warning! Due to unknown reason ASUS 9800XT boards tend to misread data from its hardware sensor when VPU is highly loaded (mostly when running 3D applications). The problem is not RivaTuner specific and it is also echoed in generic ASUS SmartDoctor hardware monitoring software suite. The problem is being investigated now and presumable it is not related to ASUS 9800XT-specific sensor implementation and misreading is caused by problems in ATI driver's I2C interface. As a temporary workaround for this problem, the current release of RivaTuner provides heuristic algorithm allowing monitoring module to detect and filter incorrectly read data on ASUS 9800XT boards. However, it is not 100% workaround and it may not work on some ASUS 9800XT boards.

Bundled tiny (1.5K) NVInfo.com DOS utility, allowing you to detect GPU core, revision, hardwired PCI device ID, memory type, memory bus type, memory amount and GPU / memory clocking for all GeForce GPUs. Are you going to buy low-end GeForce board? This utility will help you to diagnose it with bootable floppy before purchasing.
LauncherSubMenu registry entry is no longer undocumented. Now you can control it with 'Enable submenu' button in Launcher tab.
Updated Catalyst 3.10 certified SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts for both Windows 2000/XP and Windows 9x/ME.
Heavily optimized database loader. Due to database read precaching system, introduced in this version, RivaTuner opens large databases up to 5 times faster now.
Added Intel i845 Brookdale-G to the list of supported northbridges.
Added a lot of new questions/answers to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 14.2 (published on 11.12.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Digital vibrance level is now correctly stored in ForceWare color correction profiles on DVC1.0 capable display adapters (NV11/NV20).
Digital vibrance slider is no longer locked on NV18 based display adapters.
Create button in low-level monitor driver wizard module is no longer grayed when PnP ID edit field is blank.
Fixed bug in OpenGL / Intellisample tab, which prevented RivaTuner from restoring Intellisample controlled trilinear filtering quality after unchecking the 'Override Intellisample trilinear filtering quality control' option.
Fixed bug in Direct3D / Antialiasing tab, which prevented RivaTuner from setting application controlled antialiasing mode under Windows 9x with ForceWare drivers.
Fixed bug in hardware monitoring module, which could prevent RivaTuner from saving/restoring correct vertical range scaling sliders' positions under certain conditions.
Fixed bug in NVStrap driver, which caused GeForce4+ styled GeForce->Quadro PCI DeviceID programming scheme usage on GeForce3 based boards when using automatic Quadro PCI DeviceID programming mode.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

ForceWare 53.xx support including the latest WHQL ForceWare 53.03 / 53.04.
Updated databases for Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 52.70, 53.03 (for Windows 2000/XP) and 53.04 (for Windows 9x/ME).
Added ForceWare 52.70 and 53.03 miniports support to the DetonatorFXDecoder plugin.
Added 2 x 1, 1 x 2, 2 x 2 and 4x 9-tap antialiasing modes for ForceWare drivers family.
Updated NVStrapAntiprotection patch script for ForceWare 52.70 and 53.03 drivers for Windows 2000/XP.
Updated NVStrap driver v1.6. Now the driver supports NV36 GPU family.
Added experimental memory bus type detection for NV31/NV36 GPU based boards due to 64-bit GeForceFX 5600XT announce.
Updated Catalyst 3.9/3.9-CoD-hotfix certified SoftR9x00 and ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts.
Added RADEON 9200SE support.
Revised VGA BIOS based min / max core / memory clock frequencies detection code for certain ATI based boards.
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Added core / ambient temperature monitoring for reference design RADEON 9800XT boards with LM63 hardware sensor (thanks to Andrew Worobiew for providing RADEON 9800XT sample). Note: other hardware sensor types are currently not supported. You will not be able to monitor temperatures on non-reference design R360-based boards with no LM63 sensor (e.g. ASUS 9800XT). ASUS 9800XT-specific temperature, fan speed and voltage monitoring will be implemented in the next version of RivaTuner.
- Changed hardware monitoring log file format. Now RivaTuner stores hardware monitoring statistics into *.HML (Hardware Monitoring Log) files instead of *.LOG files.
- Added *.HML file viewer. You can activate the viewer by pressing the 'Open log file' button in the hardware monitoring window. RivaTuner also registers itself as *.HML file handler so such files can be also opened directly from Windows explorer.
- Due to third party software developers requests, other software can now get direct access to RivaTuner's hardware monitoring statistics in realtime via named shared memory. Implementation details and code sample are available upon e-mail request.
- Added custom tracking markers support. Now you may set up to 8 custom tracking markers on the graphs to track values in the corresponding positions. This feature was implemented special for web reviewers using hardware monitoring graph screenshots in their reviews. Note: markers can be set by left-clicking any point on the graph. You can also right-click any existing marker to remove it and right-double-click to remove all existing markers.
Improved launcher:
- Now RivaTuner tracks attempts to start shortcuts to the items containing invalid preset/color scheme/overclocking profile/application associations and allows you to edit and fix broken associations before launching such items.
- Launcher menu items can be now placed to the root of tray menu instead of Launcher submenu. This mode is currently available for power users only can be activated via LauncherSubMenu registry entry.
Optimized database builder. Drastically reduced database build time.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 14.1 (published on 02.11.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed memory bus type detection code for NV34 GPUs, commented by accident in the previous version source code.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full NVIDIA ForceWare support including the latest WHQL 52.16 drivers for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP.
Forward compatibility with undocumented ForceWare FSAA modes. The newly announced NVIDIA drivers contain dozen of undocumented supersampling / multisampling / hybrid antialiasing modes, which have not been fully identified yet. Since this version the list of antialiasing modes available in RivaTuner's Direct3D / OpenGL tweaking panels is user programmable and can be easily updated via editing RivaTuner.cfg file. This ensures easy antialiasing modes list update without need to download updated RivaTuner's executable file after identifying all undocumented modes. Power users may start experimenting with undocumented FSAA modes right now :)
Blocked driver-level 60Hz fix for NVIDIA ForceWare drivers. This module is not required for new generation drivers, because NVIDIA finally provided unified Direct3D / OpenGL refresh override tool in ForceWare control panel.
Updated databases for both Detonator and ForceWare driver families. Added databases for ForceWare 52.13, 52.14 (for Windows 2000/XP only) and 52.16 for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP.
Updated NV25AALines, LODBiasFix and NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts for Windows 2000/XP for the latest Detonator and ForceWare drivers. Due to flexible plugin system, introduced in RivaTuner's patch script engine, NVIDIA miniport related patch scripts can be installed now on the protected drivers version 45.20 and higher for Windows 2000/XP. Please refer to notes on improved patch script engine to get more information.
Note: LODBiasFix patch script development is stopped and the script doesn't support ForceWare 52.16 and higher drivers. The driver's negative LOD bias adjustment bug that has been corrected by this script is finally fixed in ForceWare 52.16. Thanks to Scott Kephart @ NVIDIA for paying attention to this issue and fixing the problem. LODBiasFix script is no longer required and negative Direct3D mipmap LOD bias can be finally set without patching the driver.
As promised, DetonatorFXDecoder development is stopped and new versions of nv4_disp.dll will not be supported by this plugin. LODBiasFix script is obsolete since ForceWare 52.16 so there are no Direct3D patch scripts requiring driver decoding left in RivaTuner.
Added NV36/NV38 GPUs support.
Added NV36 PLLs support. Now RivaTuner's low-level clock detection algorithms can correctly read NV36 clock frequencies.
Added R360/RV360 GPUs support. Now RivaTuner's low-level hardware overclocking and diagnostic features are available for RADEON 9600XT/9800XT owners too.
Revised ATI clock frequency detection/generation algorithms. The code was updated to accommodate memory/core PLL post dividers usage on certain boards (e.g. ASUS RADEON 9800XT). Now RivaTuner detects correct clock frequencies on such boards too.
Improved launcher:
- Navigation through RivaTuner's modules is significantly simplified now. You can add so called module activation items to RivaTuner's launcher, which will provide you quick access to any RivaTuner's module via tray menu or even via hotkeys / shortcuts placed on Windows desktop. Dreaming about activating overlay gamma adjustment tab with Ctrl + Shift + O? Dreaming about having shortcut to antialiasing settings directly on your desktop? You dreams come true with new module activation launcher items feature.
- Improved launcher item GUID generation algorithm. Now RivaTuner uses date/time based GUIDs generation system, which ensures that RivaTuner's shortcuts will never collide.
Updated Catalyst 3.8 certified SoftR9x00 scripts for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP. The scripts also support unofficial recently leaked Catalyst driver v6396 for Windows 2000/XP.
ATIOverclockingAntiprotection patch scripts for all currently available Catalyst drivers for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP are integrated in RivaTuner now.
Seriously improved patch script engine allows inexperienced users to avoid the most frequently met problems. Patch script installation procedure is much safer and easier now due to the following innovations:
- Added patch script mode specific system requirements checking. Now RivaTuner's patch script interpretator may also display warnings when you use patch script mode, which is not intended for your system. This feature was added to prevent ATI users from selecting wrong PCI DeviceIDs in antiprotection scripts for the FireGL driver components.
- Added patch script pre-installation/post-installation plugins support. The plugins provide unlimited possibilities for patch script developers and allow to implement features, which cannot be covered by standard RivaTuner's patch script engine (e.g. pre-installation file decryption, post-installation file format specific checksum regeneration etc). Such features can be easily integrated in RivaTuner's patch engine now. Patch script plugin ideology was introduced due to numerous user requests on simplifying encoded NVIDIA drivers patching process. Now the DetonatorFXDecoder external utility is implemented as patch script pre-installation plugin. You no longer need to decode encoded drivers manually before installing the scripts on them, the drivers are transparently decoded by the DetonatorFXDecoder plugin when you install a script on the protected driver.
- Added WFP tracking system. Now RivaTuner detects attempts to patch system files secured by Windows File Protection and warns you against possible file recovery.
- Improved uncertified patch script tracking system. Now besides adding uncertified patch script installation warning to the log, RivaTuner also displays warning message allowing you to interrupt uncertified patch script installation process.
- Patch script descriptions support bold font / font color tags now. The most important info in the patch script descriptions is highlighted now to attract user's attention.
Improved low-level hardware monitoring module:
- Hardware monitoring statistics can be saved to the log file now.
- Optimized driver-level temperature monitoring wrapper for NV3x graphics processors. Now RivaTuner's hardware monitoring module eats twice less CPU time comparing to the previous version when simultaneously monitoring core and ambient temperatures.
Improved appearance under Windows XP due to 32-bit antialiased icons usage.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 14 (published on 30.09.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed bug in driver-level overclocking manager under Windows 9x/ME, which caused re-enabling "Enable driver-level hardware overclocking" option after disabling it and rebooting the system.
Fixed DVC2.0 settings on NV18 based boards.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator FX support including the latest Detonator 52.10:
- Detonator 5x.xx compatible driver-level overclocking manager.
- Detonator 5x.xx compatible driver-level desktop gamma manager. Newly introduced color correction profile archives are cross-compatible with RivaTuner's color schemes now. RivaTuner can import standard desktop color settings (advanced color curve and ICC based profiles are currently not supported) from the control panel's color correction profiles and save desktop color schemes in color correction profile archive v1.0 format. Please refer to Know Issues section for more details.
- Detonator 5x.xx compatible unified Direct3D/OpenGL antialiasing and anisotropic filtering settings.
Added databases for the Detonator 44.03, 44.61, 44.63, 44.65, 44.67, 44.71, 45.20. 45.23, 45.24, 45.33, 51.75 and 52.10
Bundled DetonatorFXDecoder utility for Windows 2000/XP. This utility allows you to remove runtime Direct3D driver code encryption in the Detonator 45.20 - 52.10.
Added DetonatorFXD3DAntiprotection patch script for the Detonator 45.xx and higher for Windows 2000/XP. This script must be used in conjunction with DetonatorFXDecoder and it is aimed to block the driver's patch protection system.

Note: DetonatorFXDecoder and DetonatorFXD3DAntiprotection were developed exclusively due to numerous requests from NVIDIA users to allow them to install LODBiasFix patch on the Detonator 45.xx and higher. DetonatorFXDecoder and DetonatorFXD3DAntiprotection support will be stopped after fixing negative LOD bias adjustment bug in NVIDIA Direct3D driver.

Updated AnisoBoosterD3D, AnisoBoosterOGL, LODBiasFix, NV25AALines and NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts for the latest NVIDIA Detonator drivers.
Note: due to NVIDIA runtime decryption system and patch script protection system, introduced in the Detonator 44.67, you will not be able to install miniport related patch scripts on the protected drivers (44.67 - 44.71 and 45.20+). However, you can patch 45.20 and newer protected Direct3D drivers using DetonatorFXDecoder utility and DetonatorFXD3DAntiprotection patch script.
Full GeForceFX 5900 (Ultra) support including tons of improvements and new features for whole GeForce FX GPU family.
Removed "Disable dithering when decompressing DXT1 textures" option for GeForce FX GPU family.
Removed per-stage Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization settings for GeForce FX GPU family. Per-stage Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization settings are also no longer available on the Detonator 5x.xx and higher.
Removed "Enable multisample masking" option for the Detonator 42.51 and higher.
Removed "Force 16-bit Z-buffer" option for the Detonator 4x.xx and higher.
Removed "Enable early Z-occlusion culling" option for the Detonator 45.xx and higher.
Removed "Enable GL_SGIS_MULTITEXTURE in 16-bit modes" option for the Detonator 5x.xx and higher.
NV3x specific separate 2D/3D overclocking is fully supported by RivaTuner's driver-level overclocking manager now. Furthermore, RivaTuner gives you the possibility to disable separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment (strictly recommended for NV34 based boards, not recommended for NV30/NV35 based boards).
Added Direct3D Shaders tab for NV20+ graphics processors for the Detonator 41.03 and higher. This tab allows you to override maximum supported pixel and vertex shader versions and can be used for troubleshooting (e.g. for disabling 2.0 shaders for GeForce FX GPU family).
OpenGL Intellisample mode settings have been moved from OpenGL Rendering quality tab to separate OpenGL Intellisample tab. In addition to standard "Quality / Performance / High performance" Intellisample modes, this tab provides new cool image quality tuning settings:
- Intellisample trilinear filtering quality slider for NV30+ graphics processors for the Detonator 41.80 and higher. Now you can fine-tune trilinear filtering quality (32 gradations available) instead of using 3 predefined trilinear filtering quality modes toggled by selected Intellisample mode.
- Intellisample texture compression controls allow you to override the OpenGL driver's texture compression forcing behavior in "High performance" Intellisample mode. Now you may disable texture compression forcing at all or force texture compression regardless of selected Intellisample mode.
Added NV40 emulation mode under OpenGL / Compatibility settings for the Detonator 5x.xx and higher.
Updated NVStrap driver v1.5. Now the NVStrap.sys driver is unified and recommended to use under Windows 9x/ME too. NVStrap.com MS-DOS driver is no longer supported and no longer included in RivaTuner's distributive. New NVStrap driver contains the following improvements:
- NV3x GPU family support.
- NVStrap configuration panel provides new nice feature for power users - now besides GeForce / Quadro PCI DeviceID programming modes you may select custom Device ID programming mode and manually specify desired value. This feature was implemented to allow mobile chip owners to experiment with NVStrap driver's PCI DeviceID programming feature.
Revised NVIDIA graphics core detection for GeForce graphics processors. RivaTuner no longer uses PCI DeviceID for graphics core detection and uses the GPU's identification register instead.
Added memory bus type detection for NV34 graphics processors.
Note: memory bus type detection for NV2x, NV30, NV31 and NV35 graphics processors is still implemented via PCI DeviceID indexed lookup tables.
RivaTuner.sys unified IO driver has been replaced with new generic I/O driver RivaTunerEx.sys. New driver was developed due to numerous reports from MBM users who wanted to use RivaTuner simultaneously with this software suite but couldn't do it due to MBM's crashing caused by conflicts due to simultaneous access to IO access map.
Added NV31 PLLs support (R/O mode). Now RivaTuner's low-level diagnostic module can correctly detect clock frequencies on GeForce FX5600 based boards.
Added GTA: Vice City troubleshooting presets for Windows 2000/XP for all NVIDIA graphics cards. The preset is aimed to fix mipmap corruptions occurred when playing the game with frame limiter disabled.
Added overclocking profile manager for all low-level overclocking capable display adapters. Now you can save the clock frequencies you've set and tested as overclocking profile. The profiles can be used for quick setting new clock frequencies via low-level overclocking manager or via the Launcher tab. You can also use the Launcher to associate low-level overclocking profile with any application to overclock your hardware during the application runtime only.
RivaTuner's low-level overclocking manager's core has been slightly changed due to overclocking profile manager introduction. Now low-level overclocking manager use KHz instead of MHz for internal clock frequencies representation.
Added low-level hardware monitoring module. This resident module can periodically scan your hardware and collect hardware state statistics for subsequent analysis. Now you can examine core / memory clock frequency history graphs (for all supported ATI and NVIDIA GPUs) and core / ambient temperature history graphs (for NV30/NV35 GPUs only). Clock monitoring feature is very helpful for understanding dynamic clock frequency adjustment on NV3x+ boards and driver-level overclocking protections on some ATI GPU based boards.
Note: NV3x core / ambient temperature monitoring is temporary implemented via driver-level wrapper. Direct access to NV3x temperature sensors will be implemented in future versions of RivaTuner.
Added ATI RV350 graphics processors support. Now RivaTuner's low-level hardware overclocking and diagnostic features are available for RADEON 9600(PRO) owners too.
Added DDRII memory type detection for RADEON 9800PRO boards.
Updated SoftR9x00 scripts for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP. Now the scripts support all the currently available Catalyst drivers including Catalyst 3.7 and recently leaked unofficial drivers v6387 and v9122.
Updated SoftFireGL scripts for Windows 2000/XP with the latest unified FireGL driver support. SoftFireGL scripts now provide RADEON 9800(PRO)->FireGL X2 modding functionality (for both 103x and unified drivers) and RADEON 9600(PRO) -> FireGL T2 modding functionality (for unified driver only). Furthermore, the script provides possibility to mod RADEON 9800SE boards to FireGL X2 with 4 pixel pipelines.
Note: In despite of rumors walking on the net because of thoughtless public statements made by RivaTuner's ex-beta tester the scripts fully support both R300 and RV350/R350 GPU families. However, due to massive SoftFireGL related flame in different forums, inadequate community reaction and personal insults in my address caused by launch delay, SoftFireGL will not be longer supported and updated.
Added i845 Brookdale to the list of supported northbridges in RivaTuner's hardware database.
Optimized database builder:
- Reduced database build time due to better I/O caching.
- Database build scripts are IHV specific now. Database builder no longer build NVIDIA specific databases when NVIDIA hardware is not detected.
Improved RTS patch script format:

Added system requirements checking during script installation. Now RivaTuner's patch script interpretator can display warnings when installing the script on unsupported hardware.
Added variable source byte chains support. Now source byte chains can vary depending on selected patch script mode.
Added default source and destination variable byte chains support. Size of multiple-mode patch scripts can be drastically reduced now due to specifying one default source/destination byte chain instead of multiple identical byte chains for each patch script mode.
Added stub certification sections support. Now common and certified patch script sections can be wrapped to other sections too.
Added subroutines support.

Internal display modes lists are now sorted after enumeration to improve compatibility with certain display drivers, that enumerate display modes in non-ascending order.
Improved uninstaller. Now RivaTuner I/O driver's registry entries are correctly removed during RivaTuner uninstallation.
Improved monitor driver wizard:
- Now RivaTuner automatically attempts to read monitor model description from EDID (or from the driver when EDID is not available) and allows you to customize it during monitor driver creation. If available, monitor model description is also added to the 'Monitor EDID details' diagnostic report category.
- Minimum refresh overrides list is no longer empty on the systems that don't support 8-bit display modes.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 12.4 (published on 28.04.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed Direct3D mipmapping tab, broken due to dynamic tab order introduced in the previous version.
Fixed maximum VCO clock for NV18 based boards.
Fixed RV280 and NV34 graphics processors detection code.
Fixed monitor enumeration code.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Added Detonator 43.45 and 43.51 support.
Added databases for the Detonator 43.45 and 43.51 for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP.
Updated AnisoBoosterOGL, AnisoBoosterD3D, NV25AALines, NVStrapAntiprotection and LODBiasFix patch scripts for the Detonator 43.45 and 43.51 for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP.
Added an ability to control early Z-occlusion culling for the Detonator 40.xx.
Added LMA settings for NV18 based boards.
Added Intellisample settings for the Detonator 40.xx and higher.
Added 8xS and 16x OpenGL FSAA for the Detonator 41.80 and higher. Revised naming D3D FSAA naming scheme for the Detonator 41.80.
Added new report categories to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module. Now RivaTuner can dump and track changes into IDirect3D9 HAL capabilities.
Added memory bus type detection for NV18 based boards due to 64-bit NV18 announce.
Windows 2000/XP styled NVStrap driver configuration tab is now available under Windows9x/ME. Now nvstrap.sys driver can be installed under these operation systems too and can be used as an alternative to DOS NVStrap driver (still recommended as the most correct solution).
Added silent error correction mode. Now power users may disable 'Invalid registry entries have been detected. RivaTuner will use default or truncated values for these entries' warning message via SilentErrorCorrection mode registry entry. In this case the problem will be corrected silently without notifying you about it.
Low-level AGP settings are now available on non-NVIDIA/ATI based display adapters too.
Improved low-level overclocking module for ATI graphics processors:
NVIDIA-styled clock frequency generation accuracy options are now available on ATI based display adapters too. These options allow you to customize PLL reference divider calculation algorithm and change clock frequency granularity. Now you can select low (safest) clock frequency generation accuracy mode and adjust clocks via programming PLL feedback dividers only or select high clock frequency generation accuracy mode, which will allow RivaTuner's overclocking module to calculate an appropriate reference divider that can generate requested clocks with 1MHz accuracy. Additionally, power users may use custom clock frequency generation accuracy mode and specify reference divider manually.
Added 'Show effective memory clock frequencies' option, which allows you to select desired memory clock visualization mode for display adapters equipped with DDR memory.
Updated 1032-compatible SoftFireGL script for ATI FireGL drivers. Antiprotection scripts for the control panel and some other components of 1032+ FireGL drivers are now also included in RivaTuner.
Updated SoftR9x00 scripts for Dell Catalyst v6334 for Windows 2000/XP.
Added NVIDIA nForce2 to the list of supported northbridges.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 12.3 (published on 17.03.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed Direct3D antialiasing modes validation check for the Detonator 41.80 and higher.
Fixed bug in the patch script interpretator, which prevented correct packed files extraction when the path to source file contained spaces.
Fixed AGP SBA detection code in AGP3.0 mode. Now RivaTuner ignores SBA_ENABLE bits in AGP 3.0 mode and displays that AGP SBA is enabled regardless of SBA_ENABLE state. AGP SBA controls are blocked now if the graphics subsystem operates in AGP 3.0 mode.
Fixed NV30 clock detection code.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Added Detonator 43.xx support.
Added databases for the Detonator 42.90 (for Windows 2000/XP only) and 43.00 (for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP).
Updated scripts AnisoBoosterOGL, AnisoBoosterD3D, NVStrapAntiprotection and LODBiasFix for the Detonator 42.90 (for Windows 2000/XP only) and 43.00 (for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP).
Updated driver-level gamma manager for the Detonator 41.80 and higher. RivaTuner's 'Apply this color scheme at Windows startup' option is now synchronized with the control panel's one. RivaTuner also adds gamma ramp to the color schemes to prevent warning message when adjusting gamma outside the driver's control panel.
Added an ability to control early Z-occlusion culling for the Detonator 41.80 and higher.
Revised NVStrap v1.4 driver for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP. New driver contains advanced PCI DeviceID programming code for some NV17, NV18 and NV28-based boards (e.g. GeForce4 Ti4800 SE) that have no appropriate Quadro PCI DeviceIDs. Now the NVStrap driver chooses the closest Quadro PCI DeviceID when such boards are detected.
Added low-level AGP controls (tested on all NVIDIA based boards and ATI R300 based boards). This module was added special to replace ATI SMARTGART, the component of 'the most stable drivers on the market' that never seems to work as supposed on our KT400 based system. This module will finally allow KT400 users to switch to AGP 4x mode if AGP 8x mode causes any instability.
Added ATI RV280 and R350 graphics processors support.
Extended diagnostic possibilities for ATI R300 and R350 graphics processors. Now RivaTuner is the only tool that can correctly detect and display the number of currently active pixel pipelines for these GPUs. Please don't bother us with reports about inconsistencies between memory bus type and number of pixel pipelines detected by RivaTuner and other diagnostic tools. Currently all diagnostic tools available in the net seems to display hardwired PCI DeviceID based information. It's a bit incorrect approach which won't work with software modded boards or 256-bit RADEON 9500 which doesn't conform to regular RADEON 9500 specifications. We strictly recommend not to rely on information detected by other diagnostic tools until the developers will rewrite memory bus type detection and pixel pipeline number detection code.
Improved user interface. Now all the property sheets available in RivaTuner can be customized by user. You can rearrange default tab order and drag the most recently used tabs to the left or even hide the tabs you don't need.
Updated SoftR9x00 scripts for both Windows 9x/ME and Windows 2000/XP. Now the scripts are tested and certified for use with Catalyst 2.0 - 3.2 (both beta and release versions) and allow you to force RADEON 9800PRO PCI DeviceID as well as RADEON 9500 and RADEON 9700PRO PCI DeviceIDs.
Updated SoftFireGL scripts. Now the scripts are tested and certified for use with 1021 - 1030 FireGL drivers.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 12.2 (published on 30.01.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed 6xS/8xS Direct3D antialiasing modes handling code.

What's new:

Added Detonator 42.70 support.
Added databases for the Detonator 42.30, 42.51 and 42.70 (Windows 2000/XP only). Updated databases for the Detonator 40.72 and higher for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP.
Added Detonator 42.70 compatible patch scripts.

Note: SoftQuadro4 support is currently stopped and these scripts are not 42.70+ compatible.

Added workaround for the Detonator's NV_Modes decompression bug, which caused 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard malfunction of single head display adapters. Now RivaTuner removes horizontal/vertical spanned modes from the list of available display modes after applying 60Hz fix to a single head display adapter.
Added alternate 6xS/8xS and 2x2 Direct3D antialiasing modes for the Detonator 41.80 and higher.
Added NV30 clock generators support (R/O mode only). Now RivaTuner can correctly detect and display PLL clock frequencies for NV30 based boards (Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with GeForce FX).
SoftR9700 has been replaced with new SoftR9x00 script. SoftR9x00 supports both Windows 9x/ME (certified for Catalyst 9069, 9076) and Windows 2000/XP (certified for Catalyst 6200, 6218, 6255 and 6275) and allows to perform RADEON 9500 to RADEON 9500PRO/9700PRO as well as reverse RADEON 9500PRO/9700PRO to RADEON 9500 software modification. Reverse modification was exclusively added special for the testers for simulating RADEON 9500 performance on RADEON 9500PRO/9700(PRO) boards.
Added SoftFireGL patch script, which allows to install the professional FireGL Z1/X1 drivers for Windows 2000/XP (tested and certified for versions 1021, 1024 and 1026) on any R300 based board. Warning! SoftFireGL patch script was exclusively developed to prove test results, stated in the author's article. You must read and accept RivaTuner's license agreement before using this script.
Microsoft File Expansion utility v5.00.2134.1 is included in RivaTuner's distributive. This allows to use patch script interpretator's packed file patching feature under Windows 9x too.
Improved uninstaller. Now RivaTuner can be uninstalled via Add/Remove programs too.
Added SoftR9x00 related questions to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 12.1 (published on 13.01.2003):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed bug in uncompressed modes format handling code in the custom mode wizard, which prevented RivaTuner from adding custom display modes under the Detonator 27.41 and older.
Fixed bug in the Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization dialog, which caused anisotropic filtering optimization settings reset under the Detonator 28.xx - 29.xx.
Fixed sample report loading routine, corrupted due to changes made in the previous version.
Removed unsupported 4x 9-tap antialiasing mode for NV17 based boards.
Fixed bug in the launcher, which prevented RivaTuner from passing correct command line parameters to an application if the path to it contained spaces.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator 41.xx - 42.xx support including the latest Detonator 42.01
Added databases for the Detonators 40.72 (for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP), 41.03 (for Windows 2000/XP only), 41.09, 41.80 and 42.01 (for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP).
Updated Detonator 41.xx - 42.xx compatible patch scripts including popular AnisoBooster and NVStrapAntiprotection.
Updated presets for the Detonator 41.xx - 42.xx
Added NVIDIA compressed modes format v2.x support. Now RivaTuner's built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard and custom mode wizard are fully compatible with the Detonator 41.xx - 42.xx.
Added DVC 3.0 support. Now RivaTuner's driver-level color schemes contain image sharpness level for NV30 based boards. RivaTuner's driver-level color scheme manager is now fully compatible with the Detonator 41.xx+.
Revised NVStrap v1.3 driver for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP. Now the driver supports PCI DeviceID programming on the latest NVIDIA NV18 and NV28 GPUs.
Added hybrid MSAA/SSAA antialiasing modes 6xS and 8xS for NV20+ based boards for the Detonator 40.xx+.
Improved launcher:
- Launcher's hotkey handling routine is not reenterable now. This allows you to avoid blocking the Detonator's gamma manager functionality when using hotkeys with associated driver-level color schemes.
- Now RAT (restore after termination) mode can be used for associated low-level color schemes too.
Added NSIS 2.0 beta 0 based installer.
Improved tweaking safety. Now RivaTuner displays warning message when you install unsupported version of the Detonator driver.
Improved uninstaller. Now RivaTuner also unregisters its' shell extensions when using the /U command line switch.
Improved patch script format and patch script interpretator. Now patch scripts can be applied to the packed files (e.g. *.DL_ or *.SY_) as well as to the original unpacked files.
Integrated SoftQuadro4 scripts pack. Detonator 41.xx - 42.xx compatible SoftQuadro4 and NV25AALines patch scripts are now included in RivaTuner. Warning! You must read and accept RivaTuner's license agreement before using these scripts.
Added monitor driver creation wizard:
- Now you can create a driver for your monitor using EDID information (for DDC capable monitors only) or manually specifying the monitor's parameters. This feature is extremely useful if you have no driver from your monitor manufacturer.
- You can override the minimum refresh rate for each display mode supported by your graphics subsystem directly in the monitor's driver you are creating. Once created a driver with the minimum refresh rate overrides, you can simply install it to fix infamous 60Hz problem under Windows 2000/XP at the monitor driver level.
Added monitor manufacturer decryption to the 'EDID details' diagnostic report category. Added monitor manufacturers list to RivaTuner's hardware database.
Added ATI RADEON 9500 / 9500PRO / 9700 / Fire GL X1 / FireGL Z1 low-level support. Now RivaTuner can diagnose and overclock these graphics processors. Thanks to Andrew Worobiew for providing RADEON 9500 sample.
Added low-level memory bus type detection for ATI R200 / RV250 / R300 based boards. Added memory bus type information to the 'ATI specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category.
Blocked low-level diagnostic / overclocking for RV250 / R300 secondary heads.
Added SoftR9700 patch script for Catalyst 6.200 - 6.255, which allow you to enable software locked 8 pixel pipelines on RADEON 9500 based boards and turn any 128-bit RADEON 9500 into RADEON 9500PRO and any 256-bit RADEON 9500 into RADEON 9700PRO. Warning! You must read and accept RivaTuner's license agreement before using this script.
Improved database format. Now the similar keys and values in the database can be described with a loop variable.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 12 (published on 28.09.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed encryption lookup table for the D3D_56255736 registry entry, which prevented RivaTuner from storing certain texel alignment values correctly.
Fixed 'Detect now'-based defaults detection method in the low-level overclocking module, which caused RivaTuner to fail to detect defaults without reboot on certain multi-monitor configurations (when both low-level O/C capable and not capable display adapters are installed in the system).
Fixed bug in device enumeration code, which could cause incorrect monitor type detection on certain multi-monitor systems.
Fixed bug in low-level refresh overrider's mode switching code, which prevented RivaTuner from switching refresh override mode until restarting the application.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator 40.xx support including the latest Detonator 40.71.
Added databases for the Detonators 30.82 (for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP), 31.00, 31.40, 40.41 (for Windows 2000/XP only), 40.52 and 40.71 (for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP).
Updated 40.xx compatible patch scripts including popular AnisoBoosterOGL.
Revised NVStrap v1.2 driver for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP. New driver contains advanced PCI DeviceID programming code for GeForce4 MX440 boards. GeForce4 MX440's PCI Device ID (0x171) has no appropriate Quadro PCI DeviceID so now the NVStrap driver chooses the closest Quadro PCI DeviceID (0x178) when GeForce4 MX440 is detected.
Added NVStrapAntiprotection patch scripts for the Detonator 30.82+ for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP. These scripts allow to rip the protection against strapping based DeviceID modification from the Detonator drivers and use the NVStrap driver in conjunction with the latest available Detonator drivers.
Added NVIDIA compressed modes format v2.0 support. Now RivaTuner's built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard is fully compatible with the Detonator 40.xx. Currently RivaTuner is the only NVIDIA oriented tool, that provides nView compatible refresh rate fix for the Detonator 40.xx and doesn't corrupt nView spanned display modes when fixing 60Hz problem.
Added NV18, NV28 and NV30 support to the 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard.
Revised NVIDIA compressed modes format v1.x support. Added 848x480 and 1360x768 modes to the list of standard display modes for the Detonator 3x.xx.
Improved 60Hz refresh rate fix uninstaller. Now RivaTuner uses OS/GPU/Detonator dependent backups and rollbacks instead of OS/GPU dependent backups.
Added custom display modes / refresh rates wizard for Windows 2000 / XP (uncompressed modes formats, compressed modes format v1.x and compressed modes format v2.0 are fully supported). Now you can create your own custom resolutions (presets for NTSC 720 x 480, PAL 720 x 576, PAL 768 x 576 and 920 x 760 are included) as well as add custom refresh rates for already existing resolutions.
Added Detonator 40.xx compatible driver-level color correction (including Digital Vibrance Control 2.0 support). Now RivaTuner provides NVRotate(tm) compatible color correction and color scheme management.
Fully Detonator 40.xx compatible driver-level overclocking manager.
Increased the maximum clock frequency from 800MHz to 1000MHz in the driver-level overclocking manager for DDR boards for the Detonator 27.42 and higher.
Added ExtEscape-based per-DAC device mask detection for the driver-level color correction interface under Windows 2000/XP.
Extended Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization settings:
- Extended range of supported drivers. Now the Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization settings are available when the Detonator 28.32 or higher is detected.
- Extended range of supported GPUs. Added AnisoBoosterD3D patch scripts, which allow you to unlock the driver's limitations and use the Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization options on pre-GeForce4 graphics processors too (tested on GeForce3 GPUs).
- Added automatic Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization capability. Now you can either check the 'Always optimize selected stages' option and force the Driect3D driver to optimize selected texturing stages always, or leave it unchecked and allow the driver to choose the best conditions for optimizing selected texturing stages automatically.
Extended 'OpenGL hardware acceleration mode' settings. Now besides Max acceleration / NVx compatibility / NV1x compatibility modes you may also select NV20 / NV25 / NV30 emulation modes.
Removed 'Hardware accelerated lines support' OpenGL option for the Detonator 40.xx.
Added Direct3D LMA tab for NV17 based boards.
Added Direct3D texture sharpening option for GeForce256 and higher for the Detonator 40.xx.
Removed Direct3D nearest point filtering forcing capability for the Detonator 40.52 and higher.
Added low-level dynamic display driver reloading possibility for any display driver, which enumerates standard 4-bit VGA modes (tested on NVIDIA GeForce family and ATI RADEON 8500). This nice feature is very useful for on-the-fly display driver patching, as well, as for reinitializing the Direct3D/DirectDraw driver's context without rebooting the system.
Added ATI RV250 and ATI R300 GPUs support. Now RivaTuner can diagnose and overclock ATI RADEON 9000 Pro/9700/9700 Pro boards (thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with ATI RADEON 9000 Pro and ATI RADEON 9700 Pro).
Added AGP3.0 support. Now RivaTuner can dump diagnostic info for AGP3.0 capable motherboards and display adapters. AGP revision info is also added to both 'Northbridge info' and 'Display adapter info' diagnostic report categories. (thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with ATI RADEON 9700 PRO and VIA KT400 based motherboard).
Removed strapping-based bus type from the 'NVIDIA specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category.
Added hardwired PCI DeviceID to the 'NVIDIA specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner's diagnostic report contains the real hardwired PCI DeviceID as well as the PCI DeviceID programmed via the strapping register.
Added 'Monitor EDID dump' and 'Monitor EDID details' categories to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module. Now RivaTuner may dump raw EDID data as well as decode some EDID 1.x parameters (EDID version, manufacturer and model IDs, date of manufacture, serial number, input signal type, maximum dot clock and the ranges of supported horizontal / vertical scan frequencies) if the monitor's EDID is found in Windows registry.
Added memory bus type detection for NV17 based boards due to 64-bit DDR GeForce4 MX420 announce.
Added VIA KT400 to the list of supported northbridges.
Added Matrox, S3 and 3dfx (rest in peace ;)) to the vendors list.
Changed default UI preferences for Windows XP. Now RivaTuner uses 'Skinned controls' mode instead of 'Skinned background' mode by default.
Revised RivaTuner.sys driver loading method in order to make RivaTuner compatible with Windows XP fast user switching feature. Now the driver is loaded in shared mode instead of exclusive. Also RivaTuner uses install-start-load-unload driver usage behavior instead of install-start-load-unload-stop-uninstall (the previous mode can be also activated with the IODriverUninstallBehaviour registry entry).
Added GTA ]I[ troubleshooting preset for Windows XP, which allows to avoid font related issues without updating the d3d8.dll.
Added *.RTR files shell integration. Now you can open any *.RTR file as a current report in RivaTuner's low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module by clicking this file within the Explorer or open it as the sample report by clicking it and holding <Ctrl> key.
New patch script format. Now *.RTS files can contain version dependent common script.
Added NVStrap related questions to FAQ.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 11.1 (published on 23.07.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed 'out of free disk space' related database builder crash.
Fixed RMB styled context help handler for toolbar buttons under Windows 9x.

What's new:

Full Detonator 30.30 support.
Added databases for the Detonator 29.80 and 30.30 for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP.
Added Direct3D anisotropic filtering optimization options for NV25 based boards for the Detonator 30.30 and higher. Now you may limit the maximum degree of anisotropy on per-texturing stage level and boost anisotropic filtering performance in the many applications without major impact on image quality.
Added AnisoBoosterOGL patch script for the Detonator 28.90 and higher. This patch script allows to boost the OpenGL anisotropic filtering performance optimization algorithm, which has been introduced in the Detonator 28.90. By default the OpenGL driver uses sophisticated polygon rejection algorithm and disables anisotropic filtering for certain textures, filtered by non-primary TMUs, when the driver detects that it has no major image quality impact.
Unfortunately, this algorithm is ignored in the applications, which can override default degree of anisotropy. The algorithm is also totally ignored on Quadros.
AnisoBoosterOGL patch removes all these limitations and allows to extend the range of applications and boards, which can gain boost from the performance optimization mode. The patch script also allows the OpenGL driver to use the polygon rejection algorithm for the primary texture mapping unit too and boost anisotropic filtering by up to 10% with no major image quality impact.
Improved protection against inexperienced users. Now RivaTuner tracks changes in Windows startup registry key and displays warning message when a user tries to move/rename RivaTuner's folder after configuring RivaTuner's startup settings.
Revised low-level overclocking code for NV2x GPUs, slightly revised DLL reset code. Video refresh is now disabled before resetting the DLL in order to avoid visual artifacts when using Normal/High/Maximum clock frequency generation accuracy modes. Also, now RivaTuner doesn't reset DLL when using 'Low (safest)' clock frequency generation accuracy mode.
Improved low-level refresh overrider's compatibility with Unreal Engine based games due to CDS_FULLSCREEN flag usage.
Added refresh overrider mode control. Now the users can switch between performance/blend/compatibility refresh override modes, which provide different levels of compatibility and cause different performance hits.
Improved uninstaller. NVStrap driver can be also uninstalled now with /U command line switch.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 11 (published on 26.06.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed the bug in preset/report/database file browsers, which blocked the browser's functionality after opening any file in the root folder.
Minor UI and context help fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator 29.xx support including the latest Detonator 29.80.
Added drivel level color correction for GeForce4 Ti/MX graphics processors.
Improved low-level overclocking interface for NVIDIA graphics processors. Now RivaTuner unlocks the PLLs before setting a clock frequency. Usually both NVPLL and MPLL are unlocked in VGA BIOS, but due to unknown reason the PLLs tends to be locked on certain systems with the newest NVIDIA drivers.
Added NVStrap driver for all GeForce based boards for Windows2000/XP (thanks to the man who wished to remain anonymous for confirming that NVIDIA PCI DeviceIDs are programmable, this info greatly catalyzed the NVStrap driver development). This tiny boot bus extender driver embeds in the OS kernel and provides the following unique tweaking possibilities:
- AGP sideband addressing overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined SBA support without editing/flashing VGA BIOS.
- AGP fastwrites overriding capability. NVStrap gives you possibility of overriding VGA BIOS defined FW support without editing/flashing VGA BIOS.
- PCI DeviceID overriding capability. NVStrap driver can override PCI DeviceID on software level and convert your GeForce board to a Quadro and vice versa. The driver is loaded before OS kernel so neither Windows nor Detonator driver will be able to detect the real PCI DeviceID of your display adapter. This trick allows you to unlock all the professional Quadro features on GeForce based boards and unlock game optimized ICD on Quadro based cards without soldering and patching the Detonator drivers.

Note: NVStrap driver supports all GeForce based boards and it can override PCI DeviceID on the latest NV17 and NV25 based boards, but it's not enough to override PCI DeviceID only in order to unlock the professional Quadro features on these boards. The newest NVIDIA graphics processors has hardwired protection against DeviceID modification, which can be blocked with SoftQuadro4 scripts only (not included in the current release of RivaTuner).

NVStrap driver for DOS is also included in RivaTuner. You can use its' S+, S-, F+, F-, G+ and G- command line switches in order to configure Windows 9x based systems (run NVStrap.com to get detailed info on the command line switches).
SoftQuadro scripts are no longer included in RivaTuner. SoftQuadro related questions are also ripped from FAQ. Now SoftQuadro functionality is fully replaced with the NVStrap driver.
Added low-level color correction module for Get/SetDeviceGammaRamp capable display adapters (tested on all NVIDIA boards, ATI RADEON 8500 and 3dfx Vooodoo3 2000 boards). Now Detonator styled color correction and color scheme manager are available on non-NVIDIA graphics processors.
Improved launcher module. Now you can associate both low-level and driver-level (NVIDIA graphics processors only) color schemes with the launcher's items.
Added low-level flexible refresh overrider module for fixing 60Hz refresh rate under Windows2000/XP on non-NVIDIA based boards (tested on ATI RADEON 8500 and all NVIDIA boards). RivaTuner's refresh overrider is programmable and it provides the most flexible TSR-styled way of overriding 60Hz refresh rate, which is currently available on the tweaking scene.
Improved built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard for NVIDIA boards. Now you can customize refresh rates for each display mode besides setting refresh rates for all modes to the maximum. Unlike the many refresh rate fix tools, RivaTuner correctly handles nonstandard refresh rates and display modes when applying the fix.
Improved built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix safety. Now RivaTuner creates independent registry backups for different operation systems for emergency refresh rate fix uninstall.
Added GeForce4 Ti4200 to the list of display adapters supported by the built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix.
Added 'Disable dithering when decompressing DXT1 textures' OpenGL option for GeForce4 Ti/MX graphics processors. This option allows to boost performance at the cost of image quality.
Added 'Anisotropic filtering quality preferences' OpenGL option for the Detonator 28.90 and higher, which allows to select either performance optimized or quality optimized anisotropic filtering algorithm on GeForce256 and higher.
Added 'Allow mipmap dithering' Direct3D option for TNT/TNT2 graphics processors. This option allows Direct3D applications to use trilinear filtering regardless of multitexturing/singletexturing mode.
Changed OpenGL hardware acceleration mode option handling strategy. Now RivaTuner automatically disables all the OpenGL options, which don't conform to selected OpenGL hardware acceleration mode.
Added 'Swap right and left buffers' OpenGL option for professional Quadro boards. Revised heuristic fake DDR detection algorithm for GeForce2 MX and GeForce4 MX graphics processors. Now RivaTuner uses default memory clock frequency rather than the current one to detect MPLL doubling.
Added Abit Siluro T400 to the list of display adapters with fake DDR problem.
Added AMD 761, AMD 762, ALi MAGiK 1, VIA KT333, VIA 694T and VIA 694Z to the list of northbridges.
Undocumented 'Emulate hotkeys handler every ... ms' option is now available to end users. This option allows to emulate native Windows hotkey handler and use hotkeys in fullscreen applications under Windows 9x.
Removed rarely used 'Context toolbar animation speed' control from the Settings tab. However, this setting is still available via the ToolbarAnimationSpeed registry entry.
Added databases for the Detonators 28.80, 28.90, 29.11, 29.20, 29.4x, 29.60 and 29.80.
Updated performance/quality/game presets for both Windows 2000/XP and Windows 9x. Added professional preset for Combustion for Windows 2000/XP.
Improved context help access. Now besides the button you can also select 'What's this?' from the context menu.
Improved patch script handler. Now RivaTuner can patch R/O files.
Context help updated.
Minor UI improvements and changes.
FAQ updated.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 10.2 (published on 08.04.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed crystal clock frequency detection for nForce based boards.
Revised PLL dividers calculation algorithm. The maximum VCO frequency control, which has been introduced in the previous version, could cause RivaTuner to generate invalid PLL dividers and hang in low clock frequency generation accuracy mode. This problem appeared on the clock frequencies below 128MHz (mainly on TNT/TNT2 and GeForce256 based boards). Now RivaTuner doesn't control the maximum internal PLL frequency when the PLL post divider is frozen.
Fixed the maximum VCO frequency for NV17 based boards.

What's new:

Added VCO frequency related info to the 'NVIDIA specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner can dump the maximum internal PLL frequency, dump and check internal frequencies for core and memory PLLs.
Added undocumented ShowRoundedClks registry entry, which allows the power users to control RivaTuner's clock frequency rounding behavior.
Added undocumented SetDeviceGammaRampColorControl registry entry, which allows to work around corrupted color correction startup routine in the Detonator drivers (e.g. on GeForce2 MX with Detonator 21.xx or on GeFroce4 with Detonator 27.xx) and set gamma ramp bypassing the drivers.
Added hotkey manager. Now you can associate the hotkeys with the launcher's items and use the launcher's features (e.g. change a color scheme) without leaving a game and switching to RivaTuner.
Added DirectX 8.1 specific info to the 'IDirect3D8 HAL capabilities' diagnostic report category.
Context help updated.
FAQ updated.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 10.1 (published on 01.04.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed the bug in the driver-level overclocking manager, which prevented RivaTuner from saving startup overclocking settings with the Detonator 27.xx and higher under Windows 9x.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator 28.xx support.
Detonator 27.42+ compatible 60Hz refresh rate fix. Now RivaTuner can work with both compressed (supported by the Detonator 27.42 and higher) and uncompressed (supported by all versions of the Detonator drivers) display mode formats.
Improved 60Hz refresh rate fix safety (for non-localized versions of Windows2000/XP only). Now RivaTuner displays warning message when the monitor's driver is not installed.
Added low-level RADEON 8500 support (thanks to Andrew Worobiew for providing RADEON 8500 sample):
- Added low-level overclocking module for RADEON 8500 based boards.
- Added 'ATI specific display adapter info' category to the graphics system diagnostic report for RADEON 8500 based boards. Now RivaTuner can detect and dump ATI core type, amount and type of video memory, reference, core and memory clock frequencies.
- Added 'ATI VGA BIOS info' category for RADEON 8500 based boards. Now RivaTuner can detect and dump ATI VGA BIOS title, date/time, core and memory clock frequencies and so on.
- Added 'ATI graphics processor registers' category to the graphics system diagnostic report for RADEON 8500 based boards. Now RivaTuner can dump ATI R200 graphics processor's registers.
Built-in registry editor improvements:
- The registry databases can now contain erase protected registry entries. Usually such entries are added to the registry by the INF file installer and they must always exist in the registry. RivaTuner will not remove such entries from the registry when you press the "Reset all the driver's settings to their default values" button. RivaTuner will also warn you that the entry is erase protected when you'll try to remove it from the built-in registry editor.
- The registry databases can now contain bitmask interpretators. Now you can either enter a bitmask directly or switch to the value interpretator mode and use RivaTuner's comfortable bitmask editor.
Revised preset file format.
Removed obsolete 'Show NVIDIA adapters only' option.
Updated 'NVIDIA specific display adapter info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner can dump the GPU's revision and reference clock frequency.
Revised low-level overclocking manager for NVIDIA graphics processors. Improved compatibility with NV2x graphics processors.
Undocumented clock frequency generation accuracy options for NVIDIA graphics processors are now available to end users. Now you can select Low, Normal, High or Maximum clock frequency generation accuracy mode. The first mode provides the best stability but results in high clock frequency granularity, especially on certain DDR boards. The rest modes provide more accurate clock frequency generation (less than 0.5% inaccuracy in Maximum mode), but may result in instability on certain systems.
Revised internal DIB engine (now it doesn't depend on the vfw32.dll). This allowed to lower memory consumption a bit and avoid OpenGL performance drop on some systems, caused by conflict between the vfw32.dll and the OpenGL driver.
Revised motherboard chipset compatibility option validation code for Intel, VIA and AMD motherboards. Added SiS and ALi compatibility options.
Added 27.30+ compatible LODBiasFix patch scripts for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP.
Added FSAA controls for GeForce4 MX based boards.
Added databases for the Detonator 27.30, 27.42, 27.50, 27.51, 27.70 and 28.32. Updated databases for the Detonator 21.81 and higher.
Removed (OGL_)14593452 trap entry from the registry databases, which has been aimed to cop database sneaks.
Revised professional presets for CATIA (CAD only), I-DEAS Master Series (CAD only), ProEngineer (CAD only), SoftImage XSI (both CAD and DCC), Solidedge (CAD only), Solidworks (CAD only).
Added low-level "Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode" option. Now level overclocking module can also save core and memory clock frequencies before suspended mode and restore it when the system resumes.
Revised Windows XP styled control skinning mode implementation. Now RivaTuner stores the manifest for comctl32.dll in the file system instead of the executable's resources. This allowed to lower memory consumption when Windows XP styled control skinning is not used.
Context help updated.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.
Note: Unfortunately NVStrap driver is excluded from the distributive because some distribution related issues are still not addressed. It will be published as soon as possible.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 10 (published on 06.02.2002):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed strap based AGP/PCI bus type detection for TNT based boards.
Fixed display mode switching routine. The previous code failed to switch display modes on dual head display adapters (e.g. GeForce2 MX and RADEON 8500) under Windows 9x.
Fixed the RTPatchesFix patch script for Windows 2000/XP.
Fixed the bug, which caused a crash after attempt to dump IDirect3D8 HAL capabilities on the OS with no DirectX 8 installed.
Fixed SoftQuadro detection algorithm for pre-10.xx Detonators under Windows2000/XP.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Detonator 27.xx support.
Both overclocking and gamma managers have been almost fully rewritten (especially Windows 9x code) in order to make them Detonator 27.xx-compatible.
Detonator 27.xx-compatible texture format settings (the problem with the 3DMark2001/'Pixel shaders' is fully addressed now, you may find detailed info on this problem in RivaTuner's FAQ).
Added 'Enable 32-bit bump normal map textures' and 'Enable FOURCC NVCS textures' texture format options for the Detonator 27.xx/GeForce3 and higher.
Added OpenGL texture sharpening option for the Detonator 27.xx and higher. This option allows the OpenGL driver to lower mipmap LOD bias when FSAA is enabled and helps to avoid image blurring (especially with the Quincunx / 4x 9-tap modes).
Added OpenGL mipmap LOD bias slider for the Detonator 27.xx and higher.
Added Detonator 27.xx compatible LODBiasFix patch scripts for both Windows 9x and 2000/XP.
Disabled the 'Enable early Z-occlusion culling' option for the Detonator 27.xx and higher. New drivers ignore this setting and always use early Z-occlusion culling on GeForce3 and higher.
Added NvIoControl-based driver communication module for Windows9x. This allowed to implement SoftQuadro detection for Windows9x.
Added new powerful features to the built-in registry editor, which can greatly simplify the work with encrypted registry entries on the Detonator 23.xx and higher:
- Name/Alias toggle allows you to switch between the real name of a registry entry and its' alias. Now you don't must be an extra experienced user in order to read the encrypted registry entry names. You can just press the button to switch to the Alias mode and built-in registry editor will show decrypted names instead of encrypted.
- Value/Analyze toggle allows you to switch between direct value editor and value interpretator. The value interpretator mode is a feature, which brings the built-in registry editor's possibilities on the new level. It allows you to select one of the predefined values (e.g. true/false) instead of entering the encrypted values directly. You can also enter the value directly then press the button to switch to the interpretator and see how the driver treats the value you've entered. Currently only the enum type interpretator is implemented, bitmask and range interpretators will be implemented in the future versions.
Added databases for the Detonators 23.11, 27.00, 27.10 and 27.20 for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000/XP.
Added 27.xx-specific options (OpenGL LOD bias and texture sharpening mode) to the presets.
Renamed the '2x + 1 x 2 supersampling' Direct3D FSAA mode to '4xS'. It's fun that this mode was available in RivaTuner on GeForce3 boards before GeForce4 announce, but it is very pity that NVIDIA promote this hybrid FSAA mode as the novelty of the GeForce4 boards.
SoftQuadro scripts are no longer supported and will not work with the Detonator 27.xx. The reason is that NVIDIA has implemented SoftQuadro protection again and I do tired of endless protection/antiprotection chase and it eats a lot of my time. Probably I'll bring you SoftQuadro 2.0 scripts once again, but now I'm concentrated on adding ATI RADEON 8500 support to RivaTuner and it is the primary task in my plan for today.
Removed 16-bit Z-buffer forcing option from the 'High performance' presets. This setting can boost performance by saving videomemory bandwidth on low end systems, but it can give negative effect on high end systems.
Added support for 27MHz reference frequency to the low-level hardware overclocking module. This allows RivaTuner's low-level overclocking module to work with GeForce4 boards (thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with GeForce4 Ti 4400).
Added fake DDR problem workaround for GeForce4 MX boards (thanks to Hilbert Hagedoorn for testing RivaTuner with GeForce4 MX 420). It is pity, but this problem (double displayed memory clock frequency), which is widely spread on GeForce2 MX with 4Mx16 memory modules, also appears on GeForce4 MX boards. To address this issue RivaTuner just halves displayed memory clock frequency on GeForce4 MX boards when SDR memory is detected and the MPLL coefficients are programmed to 300MHz or above.
Added GeForce4 support to the built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix for Windows2000/XP.
Revised AGP diagnostic code. Now RivaTuner doesn't use lookup tables and finds AGP capabilities header directly via the PCI configuration space's capabilities lists. The [VGAAGPStatusPCR] and [NorthbridgeAGPStatusPCR] sections are obsolete now and removed from the hardware database.
Extended 'Northbridge info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner can detect old northbridges and show that AGP is not supported instead of showing that it is disabled.
Extended 'Display adapter info' diagnostic report category. Now RivaTuner uses vendor-independent AGP/PCI bus type detection and dumps bus type to the 'Display adapter info' diagnostic report category (strap based AGP/PCI bus type detection is also available for NVIDIA adapters). RivaTuner can also dump up to 6 IO/MMIO base addresses.
Added 'Skinned controls' mode for Windows XP, which allows RivaTuner to use themed XP-styled controls.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 9 (published on 29.12.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed display adapter location detection code. Due to the glitch in the previous location detection algorithm RivaTuner could fail to detect display adapter's location on certain systems.
Fixed corrupted 'High quality ' preset for Windows9x.
Fixed some resource and memory leaks.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Revised AGP/PCI bus type detection for TNT based boards.
Revised 64/128-bit memory bus type detection for NV10 graphics processors. Now RivaTuner can detect underground assembled NV10 based boards with 64-bit memory bus.
Added RTPatchesFix patch script. This patch unlocks the driver's D3DDEVCAPS_QUINTICRTPATCHES and D3DDEVCAPS_RTPATCHES capabilities, which have been disabled in the Detonator 21.xx and higher.
Added integration with Explorer shell. Now RivaTuner's patch script (*.RTS) and preset (*.RTP) files can be opened with the Explorer. RivaTuner must be started at least once before doing this in order to register *.RTS and *.RTP shell extensions.
Added integration with Windows desktop. The button is now available in the Launcher tab's context menu. This button allows you to create a shortcut for any launcher item and use RivaTuner's launcher by clicking a desktop icon.
Added 'Enable multisample masking' Direct3D option for GeForce3 and Detonator 21.xx or higher.
Added '2x + 1 x 2 SSAA' antialiasing mode for GeForce3 and Detonator 21.xx or higher.
Added SiS 645 and SiS 735 northbridges support to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module.
Added new report categories to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module. Now RivaTuner can dump the capabilities of IDirect3D7 (both HAL and TnL HAL) and IDirect3D8 HAL. RivaTuner's report comparison tool allows you to track changes in the Direct3D driver's capabilities.
Added experimental low-level 7,159MHz granular memory clock adjustment mode for DDR boards (GeForce2 Ultra, GeForce3 and so on). This mode is currently hidden from inexperienced users, but the power users may play with the FreezeMPLLM and FreezeMPLLP registry entries.
Windows95 is no longer supported since this version.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 8.2 (published on 10.12.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed bug in the driver-level overclocking manager, which caused 'Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode' option malfunction on Windows9x based systems.
Fixed bug with the 'Invalid registry entries have been detected' message after changing AGP transfer rate.
The previous version contained corrupted compiled code, which caused RivaTuner to crash after changing any system setting, which required reboot.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Added nForce northbridges support to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module.
Added more VIA northbridges to the hardware database.
Disabled 'NVIDIA specific display adapter information' diagnostic report category for Aladdin and nForce integrated display adapters.
Disabled low-level memory clock adjustment for Aladdin and nForce integrated display adapters.
FAQ updated.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 8.1 (published on 6.12.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed SoftQuadro antiprotection scripts for the Detonator 14.40 - 21.xx. The previous antiprotection scripts had not completely blocked SoftQuadro protection and could cause instability in some CAD applications like ProEngineer, Maya and so on. This issue is fully addressed now.
Fixed "Enable 4x transfer rate" option into VIA compatibility settings. Now this option is active on VIA 694X based motherboards only.
Fixed the bug in the database build scenario interpretator, which could cause incorrect database generation on certain Windows9x based systems.
Returned game and professional presets, which have been lost during preset format conversion in the previous version.

What's new:

Full Detonator 23.xx support.
LODBiasFix patch script for the Detonator 23.xx. This script fixes the bug introduced in the Detonator 23.xx and allows the driver to set negative Direct3D mipmap LOD bias correctly.
Added 'Force 16-bit Z-buffer' OpenGL option for GeForce2 MX and GeForce3 based boards.
Added 'GeForce2 compatibility mode' option for GeForce3 based boards. This option prevents the driver from using GeForce3 specific features (e.g. pixel shaders and depth buffer compression) and forces it to detect GeForce3 GPU as GeForce2 MX. This option can be used for testing purposes as well as for forcing the use of SSAA instead of MSAA on GeForce3 boards.
Improved 'Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode' option functionality under Windows2000/XP. The previous version of RivaTuner passed restored clock frequencies to the driver after resuming from suspended mode, but in fact the clock frequencies were set after the first display mode switch. It was caused by Windows2000/XP structural feature, which doesn't allow an application to switch a display mode when a user is not logged in. Now RivaTuner restores clock frequencies immediately after logging in.
Changed workaround for fake DDR memory problem on some GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards. This problem is caused by the hardware feature of the clock frequency generator, which can be hardwired to halve PLL clock frequency. Usually this feature is used on the boards equipped with DDR memory, but it is also used by some hardware vendors on GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards with 4Mx16 SDR memory modules. The previous version of RivaTuner just halved the memory clock frequency on all GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards with 4Mx16 SDR memory modules. It allowed to work around this problem, but caused incorrect memory clock frequency detection on some normal GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards with 4Mx16 SDR memory modules (e.g. Inno3D GeForce2 MX400 64MB). Now RivaTuner contains the database of GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards with 4Mx16 SDR, which allows RivaTuner to detect problematic GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards. RivaTuner can also use heuristic algorithm when it cannot find your display adapter in the database.
Extended driver-level overclocking range for fake DDR GeForce2 MX200/MX400 under Windows 2000/XP.
Added databases for the Detonator 22.50 (Windows 9x only), 23.10 and 23.11.
Updated performance/quality presets.
Added ALi 1541 northbridge support to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module.
Added ATI RADEON R100/R200 support to the low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module.
Improved detection code for VIA Apollo Pro series northbridges.
Some interface changes aimed to improve appearance with the ClearType antialiasing under Windows XP.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 8 (published on 14.11.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed the bug introduced in RC5.1, which prevented RivaTuner from detecting default clock frequencies after an attempt to enable hardware overclocking via Reboot mode under Windows2000/XP.
Fixed CoolBits registry entry reset issue. The previous versions of RivaTuner set this registry entry to 2 after enabling overclocking and caused Direct3D VSync settings to disappear from NVIDIA control panel. Now RivaTuner changes the state of the second CoolBits bit only.
Fixed the bug in the launcher item editor, which allowed in some cases a user to associate a preset, color scheme or display mode with separator items.
Fixed SoftQuadro scripts for Quadro DCC. The previous versions of these scripts forced wrong capability codes and blocked 3D textures hardware support and some other capabilities.
Fixed VSync prerender limit settings for the Detonator 3.xx.

What's new:

Added Lightspeed Memory Architecture related options for GeForce3 based boards.
Disabled texel alignment controls for GeForce3 boards on the Detonator IV and higher.
Improved I/O driver (RivaTuner.sys) unlocks only the PCI and VGA I/O ports now. New driver fully addresses the keyboard lock issue in fullscreen DOS applications under Windows XP.
New low-level overclocking monitor. New low-level core uses memory mapped I/O instead of VGA I/O ports. This allows to monitor the clock frequencies on non-primary NVIDIA display adapters. The previous low-level overclocking monitor could also cause the system to hang during an attempt to read clock frequencies after resuming from suspended mode. This issue is fully addressed now.
Added reboot notification messages for some Direct3D options. Now RivaTuner shows reboot notification messages when a user changes Direct3D options, which require reboot (e.g. Direct3D texture format settings).
Added built-in 60Hz refresh rate fix for Windows 2000/XP. This fix enumerates all the display modes supported by your graphics hardware and allows it to use only the maximum supported refresh rate for each display mode.
Added low-level driver independent overclocking module for NVIDIA based display adapters. Now RivaTuner can directly program NVIDIA core and memory PLLs and set the clock frequencies bypassing the driver. I've added this module special for GeForce2 MX owners to work around the major overclocking problems, introduced in the Detonator XP.
Added low-level graphics subsystem diagnostic module. Now RivaTuner can save northbridge and display adapter related diagnostic information to the report file. Graphics subsystem diagnostic module can also track changes in northbridge's and display adapter's PCI configuration spaces and even in graphics processor's registers.
Added database builder scripts. Databases for the Detonator drivers are not included in the distributive now and generated via the database builder when you start RivaTuner in the first time. It allowed to crunch database related data in the distributive with 1:10 ratio.
Extended preset format. Now presets can contain driver dependent and hardware dependent registry entries. It allowed to merge all the quality and performance presets for different drivers and hardware and crunch preset related data in the distributive with 1:10 ratio.
Added databases for the Detonator 3.34 (w9x only), 3.56 (w9x only), 3.68 (w9x only), 3.72 (w9x only), 3.75 (w9x only), 3.76 (w9x only), 3.77 (w9x only), 4.20 (w9x only), 5.08, 5,1x, 6.1x, 6.26, 6.27, 6.3x, 21.83, 22.50 and 22.80.
Improved FastWrites settings. Now RivaTuner can also override NV_PEXTDEV_BOOT_0 strapping register, which allows the driver to use AGP FastWrites even if it is disabled in display adapter's BIOS.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 7.1 (published on 30.09.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed the bug introduced in RC7, which prevented RivaTuner from restoring the state of the 'Show NVIDIA adapters only' option.
Fixed the bug in ExtEscape-styled overclocking code for Windows2000/XP, which prevented RivaTuner from restoring the previous clock frequencies after testing new settings.
Fixed the bug, which prevented RivaTuner from saving the state of the 'Enable 16/32-bit RGB/RGBA textures' and 'Enable 16/32-bit bump-map textures' options on GeForce3 boards.
Removed nvmini2.vxd file from the list of the driver's files for Detonator 21.81.
Fixed DisableIODriver registry entry handler.
Minor help fixes.

What's new:

Added the code, which prevents RivaTuner from detecting two GeForce2 MX devices on TwinView boards.
Improved main tab layout. A lot of users were confused with the new main tab layout, introduced in the previous version, an could not locate the driver customization popup. New interface enhancement helps the newbies to find it. Now the button flashes until you press it the first time.
Added driver independent low-level overclocking monitor. Now RivaTuner can read and display the clock frequencies directly via PLL. It helps you to monitor the real clock frequencies and verify the driver's settings. This feature works with the primary display adapter only.
Unified I/O driver (uniio.sys) has been replaced with new I/O driver (rivatuner.sys). This driver is based upon the unified IO driver, but it consumes less memory and it correctly restores I/O access map after unloading. This helps to partially address the keyboard lock issue in fullscreen DOS applications under Windows XP. Read the list of known issues for details.
Added databases for Detonator 21.85.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 7 (published on 20.09.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed the bug in Windows2000 device enumeration code, which prevented RivaTuner from detecting the secondary NVIDIA display adapter on multiple monitor systems with more than one NVIDIA based display adapters.
Fixed the bug in Windows2000 device enumeration code, which caused incorrect overclocking/color scheme manager operation on certain multiple monitor systems.
Corrected gamma ramp calculation routine, which caused NVIDIA control panel to reset the color scheme to defaults after adjusting it via RivaTuner. This glitch only appeared on the Detonator 14.40 and higher under Windows2000/XP.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Windows XP and Detonator 21.xx (alias Detonator XP) support.
Added Detonator XP styled texture format settings, which allow you to customize the texture formats supported by the Direct3D driver separately for DirectX7 and DirectX8 applications.
Added Detonator XP styled motherboard chipset compatibility settings.
Added databases and presets for Detonators 8.04, 14.70 and 21.81.
New main tab layout. Now the System, Direct3D, OpenGL and Color tweaking dialogs can be activated via the driver customization toolbar. You can press the button to show the driver customization toolbar. When RivaTuner is minimized to tray you can show this toolbar by holding Ctrl and clicking RivaTuner's tray icon or by holding left mouse button pressed on the tray icon during at least 0.5s.
Added "Restore defaults" button to the driver customization toolbar. Now you can reset all the driver's settings to their default values by single click. This function is useful when removing RivaTuner from your system.
Added detailed context sensitive help system for Launcher, System, Direct3D, OpenGL and Color options. The most of the information, included in RivaTuner's context help is exclusive and never was available in any other tweaking program.
Added Quadro DCC support in SoftQuadro scripts.
Added SoftQuadro antiprotection scripts, which prevent the OpenGL driver from entering the infinite loop on non-Quadro boards with Detonator 14.40 and higher.
Added SoftQuadro driver detection for Windows2000/XP. Now RivaTuner automatically detects the drivers patched via SoftQuadro and enables professional OpenGL options. SoftQuadro driver detection for Windows 9x is not implemented yet, but you can enable professional OpenGL options via ForceQuadro registry entry is you use the drivers patched with SoftQuadro. Read FAQ for details.
New launcher possibilities. Now you can associate a display mode (both Windows 9x and Windows 2000) and refresh rate (Windows 2000 only) with any launcher item. This allows you to perform quick display mode switching. This feature can also virtually fix Direct3D mouse cursor bug, which has been introduced in the Detonator 6.47 and fixed in the Detonator 21.81. Due to unknown reason mouse cursor appears on the screen after display mode switch in fullscreen Direct3D applications on Windows 9x.You can associate a display mode with any application, which exhibits such problem and so prevent it from switching display mode.
Added new option to professional OpenGL settings, which allows you to select stereo display mode on Quadro boards if Detonator 12.xx or higher is installed.
Improved AGP transfer rate option safety. Now it is also disabled by default and protected by LockDangerSettings registry entry.
Added current brightness/contrast/gamma indicators in desktop color scheme window.
FAQ updated.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 6 (published on 2.08.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed Direct3D FSAA settings for GeForce/GeForce2 for Detonator 1x.xx.
Added missed %AdapterString% macro handler to the preset manager. Due to absence of this macro handler, the previous version couldn't correctly restore overclocking settings from the preset on Detonator 12.90 and higher for Windows 2000.
Various fixes and changes in the databases for Detonator 1x.xx for Windows 2000.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Added context sensitive help system.
Added "Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode" option. Now RivaTuner can save core and memory clock frequencies before suspended mode and restore it when the system resumes. This virtually fixes drivers' bug and helps to avoid 100/83 underclocking problem.
Added "Enable Accelerated Graphics Port" option for Detonator 1x.xx for Windows 2000.
Improved AGP Sideband addressing and FastWrites settings safety. Now AGP Sideband addressing settings are also disabled by default and protected by LockDangerSettings registry entry. Read FAQ to find how to enable AGP Sideband addressing in RivaTuner. AGP Sideband and FastWrites settings are also disabled if motherboard doesn't support it or it is disabled in BIOS.
Improved AGP transfer rate settings safety. Now RivaTuner doesn't allow to select AGP transfer rate, which is not supported by motherboard or display adapter.
Now RivaTuner can either use exported functions from the NVIDIA control panel and tweaking library or use direct access to hardware via ExtEscape calls. By default it uses ExtEscape calls for Detonator 12.40 and higher and exported functions for the rest of the drivers to adjust the color scheme and query/set clock frequencies in realtime. It allows it to avoid nvcpl.dll usage. ExtEscape is much faster than exported function calls, but it has not been completely tested yet. You may force exported functions usage if color correction or overclocking doesn't work properly on your system. Use ExtEscapeColorControl and ExtEscapeClockControl registry entries to force ExtEscape or exported functions usage.
Added advanced overclocking mode for power users. Now clock frequencies can be applied and saved without test via DisableClockTest registry entry.
Changed default Direct3D mipmap LOD bias adjustment interval from [-2; +2] to [-3;+3]. As before, Direct3D mipmap LOD bias adjustment interval can be changed from [-2;+2] to [-15;+15] via LODBiasRange registry entry.
Added databases for Detonator 14.10 (Window 9x only) and 14.20 (Windows 2000 only).
Added presets for Detonator 14.xx.
Updated all performance/quality presets. Changed Direct3D prerender limit from 1 to 3 in all presets. Updated "Restore defaults" and "Safe mode" presets for Detonator 1x.xx for Windows 2000.
Added advanced Direct3D anisotropic filtering settings for GeForce3 for Detonator 12.00 and higher.
Added gamma ramp graphs in desktop color scheme window.
Minor UI changes and improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 5.1 (published on 8.07.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

None.

What's new:

Added SoftQuadro patch scripts. These scripts can modify NVIDIA Detonator drivers for Windows 9x, Windows NT4 or Windows 2000 in order to unlock professional Quadro features on any GeForce based board.
Added Detonator 12.90 compatible overclocking and color scheme manager for Windows 2000.
Improved compatibility with Detonator's color scheme manager for Detonator 12.40 and higher for Windows 2000. Now Detonator's color schemes can be used via RivaTuner for these drivers.
Added databases for Detonator 12.90 for Windows 9x and Windows 2000.
Added SoftQuadro related questions to FAQ.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 5 (published on 25.06.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed overlay context update routine. Due to incorrect parameter conversion into ExtEscape call RivaTuner could occasionally cause general protection fault during adjusting overlay settings under Windows 2000.
Replaced D3D_ForceBlitWaitFlagEnable registry entry with D3D_WaitAfterBlitEnable into all Detonator 5.xx databases for Windows 2000.
Minor UI fixes

What's new:

Added Digital Vibrance Control for GeForce2 MX/Quadro2 MXR/GeForce3.
Added Quadro/Quadro2 MXR/Quadro2 Pro specific options.
Added presets for professional workstation applications (Lightwave, Maya, 3D Studio Max etc.) for Quadro/Quadro2 MXR/Quadro2 Pro boards.
Added Direct3D LOD bias settings for GeForce/GeForce2/GeForce3 for Detonator 7.78 - 10.00.
Added Direct3D/DirectDraw blitting options for Detonator 5.xx and higher.
Added databases and Detonator 7.78, 12.20, 12.40, 12.41 and 12.60, updated database for Detonator 12.00.
Updated performance/quality presets for Detonator 6.xx - 12.xx (added blitting related registry entries, Quadro related registry entries and so on) .
Improved compatibility with Detonator 12.4x for Windows 2000. All Detonator drivers for Windows 2000 can use either NvCplDaemon or NvXTInit and NvColorInit procedures to apply overclocking or color scheme at Windows startup. NvCplDaemon function in Detonator 12.40 - 12.59 doesn't properly call NvXTInit and NvColorInit. New version of RivaTuner uses NvXTInit / NvColorInit for Detonator 12.40 - 12.59 and NvCplDaemon for the rest drivers.
Added built-in patch script system. Now you can easily create your own patches or use my patches, included in RivaTuner. This version contains NvXTInitFix patch script which can fix the problems with GeForce2 Pro/GeForce2 Ultra/GeForce3 overclocking under Windows2000.
Extended overclocking range. New ASUS v7100 Pro boards are equipped with extremely fast 4.5ns memory and can easily overcome 50% overclocking range. Now you can increase core and memory clock frequencies by up to 100%.
Minor UI improvements.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 4.1 (published on 23.04.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed default values for WScale16 and WScale24 entries in all Detonator databases.
Fixed "Enable 4x transfer rate" option into VIA compatibility settings. This option was always inactive on VIA KX133/VIA KT133 boards due to incorrect validation code.

What's new:

Added advanced anisotropic filtering settings for GeForce/GeForce2/GeForce3 for Detonator 12.00 and higher.
Added databases and presets for Detonator 12.00 for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000.
Added UI customization options. Now you can customize user interface via "UI settings" page. You can also click right mouse button near the tabs to hide unused property pages.
Added automatic database refresh feature. Now RivaTuner automatically refreshes current database when you are switching to RivaTuner from other application. Current database also can still be refreshed manually with F5 key.
Improved compatibility with Windows 95. Now RivaTuner can start on Windows 95 even when Microsoft Internet Explored 4.0 Desktop Update is not installed.
New delayed DLL loading mechanism can reduce memory consumption.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 4 (published on 05.04.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed default value and validation method for PCI texture heap size for Detonator 3.xx and higher.
Disabled "OpenGL hardware acceleration mode" option for TNT boards.
Fixed bug, introduced in the Release Candidate 3. The previous version of RivaTuner could not detect Detonator 2.08 due to incorrect driver version validation.
Fixed databases for Detonator 7.5x and higher for Windows 2000.

What's new:

Changed motherboard chipset detection routines. Now RivaTuner doesn't use PCI BIOS and detects motherboard chipset via direct IO.
Added motherboard chipset detection for Windows 2000 via BBD Soft unified IO driver
Added AGP diagnostics for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000. Now RivaTuner can detect and show current AGP transfer rate, AGP SBA and AGP FW modes.
Added "Open matched detonator database" button in built-in registry editor. Now RivaTuner can detect driver version and automatically open matched Detonator database.
Added automatic preset creation wizard. RivaTuner can detect current driver version, find the most matched Detonator database and automatically create preset from it.
Lowered memory consumption. Almost all graphics have been moved from executable file to external resource storage file.
Improved compatibility with overclocking and color scheme startup settings in Detonator control panel interface. Now RivaTuner can correctly detect both NvCplDaemon and NvXTInit / NvColorInit startup modes.
Added databases for Detonator 5.22, 5.30, 5.32, 7.5x, 11.00 (Windows 9x only) and 11.01.
Databases for Detonator 10.40, 10.50, 10.70 and 10.80 have been replaced with single Detonator 10.xx database because all these drivers use the same registry entries.
Removed obsolete Super7Compat registry entry from all databases for Windows 2000.
FAQ added.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 3.1 (published on 11.03.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed incorrect OpenGL FSAA settings for Detonator 10.xx.
Fixed LOD bias settings for GeForce/GeForce2/GeForce3 for Detonator 10.70 and higher.

What's new:

Added GeForce3 specific FSAA settings for Detonator 10.xx (big thanks to Andrew Worobiew for testing RivaTuner with GeForce3).
Updated databases for all versions of Detonators. Removed automatic mipmapping entries from all 6.xx and higher databases. Fixed OpenGL FSAA entries in databases for Detonator 7.17, 10.50 and 10.70 for Windows 9x and Detonator 10.40 for Windows 2000.
Removed obsolete entries from "Restore defaults" and "Safe mode" presets for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000.
Added databases for Detonator 10.80 for both Windows 9x and Windows 2000.
Added presets for Detonator 10.xx.
Disabled automatic mipmapping settings for TNT/TNT2 on Detonator 6.xx and higher.
Improved AGP settings safety. RivaTuner will disable AGP FastWrites settings if display adapter does not support this protocol.
You can hold Ctrl button when closing RivaTuner to unload it from memory immediately even if "Send to tray on close" mode is selected.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 3 (published on 05.03.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed ALI chipset detection routine. In the previous version "Command buffer location" option was always disabled on Detonator 3.xx or higher due to incorrect ALI chipset detection.
Improved compatibility with Detonator control panel interface. Due to bug into Detonator control panel interface it could not correctly show some Direct3D settings (e.g. "Enable table fog emulation" option) changed by any other tweaking program. Direct3D settings in RivaTuner are fully compatible with Detonator control panel interface now.
Fixed "Defaults" button handler in OpenGL/FSAA property page. Default FSAA settings are correctly restored now.
Fixed "Cancel" button handler in Color/Desktop property page. RivaTuner does not reset desktop color scheme to defaults after pressing "Cancel" button now.
Fixed "Cancel" button handler in Color/Desktop property page. RivaTuner correctly restores previous overlay color settings after pressing "Cancel" button now.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Full Windows 2000 support.
Added databases for Detonator 6.31, 6.47, 6.49, 6.50, 7.52 and 10.40 for Windows 2000.
Added sample presets for Detonator 6.xx-7.xx for Windows 2000.
Added databases for Detonator 7.52, 10.50 and 10.70 for Windows 9x.
Updated presets and databases for Detonator 2.xx, 6.31, 6.47, 6.49, 6.50, 6.53, 6.67, 6.72 and 7.17 for Windows 9x.
Added VIA/AMD Irongate/Intel chipset detection routines for Windows 9x. RivaTuner will correctly detect motherboard chipset and disable unused options now.
Added overlay zooming and compatibility settings for Detonator 3.xx and higher drivers.
Added 8-bit palletized texture settings for Detonator 10.xx.
New RTD format. RTD databases can now contain fixed size (4 bytes) binary values and root for each key.
Added advanced anisotropic filtering settings for Detonator 10.xx.
Changed "Defaults" button handling strategy for all dialogs. Default settings are not applied immediately now, so user can undo it by "Cancel" button.
Voodoo databases ripped from this version. 3dfx is dead and it seems like nobody needs it anymore.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate 2 (published on 11.02.2001):

Minor bugfixes:

The previous versions of RivaTuner utility could hang when starting with Windows due to incompatibility between Detonator III and Yamaha YMF724 / Yamaha Sondius S-YSG100 software. New autostart mode has been added in this version to solve this problem.
Minor UI fixes.

What's new:

Due to changed internal format RTD databases consume much less memory now. Also to decrease memory usage RivaTuner unloads unnecessary resources when it is minimized to tray.
Added new Compatibility / AGP settings to System tweaks dialog.
Added application / preset / color scheme launcher.
New presets.
New databases for Detonator 6.53, 6.67 and 6.72.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 Release Candidate (published on 29.12.2000):

Minor bugfixes:

Core and memory clock sliders are now correctly updated after restoring default clock frequencies.

What's new:

Added Direct3D / OpenGL / Color tweaking dialogs for Detonator 3.xx and higher. RivaTuner completely supports GeForce and GeForce2 boards now.
Preset editor and some sample presets added.
New databases for Detonator 6.31, 6.47, 6.49, 6.50 and 7.17.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 beta 2 (published on 26.11.2000):

Minor bugfixes:

Fixed issue with tray icon click.
Fixed LOD bias settings into Direct3D tweaking dialog.
Fixed W-buffer settings for 32-bit modes into Direct3D tweaking dialog.
Fixed default value for PCI texture heap size.

What's new:

Built-in overclocking utility added for Detonator 3.xx and higher.
New more flexible and more comfortable built-in registry editor.
New RTD format. RTD databases can now contain string values, defaults and help for each entry.
Full databases for the best TNT2 and GeForce drivers, Voodoo databases.
Minor UI changes.

Version 2.0 beta (published on 17.07.2000):

The first public release

FAQ:

Q: How does RivaTuner work? Is it just a usual registry tweaker?
A: Yes, it was a registry tweaking utility in the beginning. Now RivaTuner can work in two modes and tweak your graphics subsystem either at the display driver level or at low level.
At display driver level RivaTuner changes the settings via the registry and directly calls the driver's functions in order to perform some operations (e.g. query and set the clock frequencies, update an overlay context, change a color scheme and so on). In this mode RivaTuner can also read some info (e.g. AGP settings) directly from your graphics hardware but it doesn't use a low-level access to your hardware to change anything.
In low-level mode RivaTuner works directly with your graphics hardware. When you make any changes in this mode RivaTuner mostly doesn't use either Windows API or display drivers and directly programs your graphics hardware.

Q: Can I close RivaTuner after changing the driver's settings? Will the tweaks have an effect in this case?
A: Yes, of course. All the driver's settings are stored in the registry so you can safely close RivaTuner or even remove it from your hard drive, but the tweaks will still work. It's not necessary to load RivaTuner at Windows startup in order to apply the changes you have made. However, some options do require RivaTuner to reside in memory, for example 'Restore clock frequencies after suspended mode' option and low-level refresh overrider module. The power users may also wish to keep RivaTuner resident in order to use its hardware monitoring module, built-in registry editor's and low-level diagnostic module's tracking features.

Q: And what about the low-level overclocking? Will it work if RivaTuner is not loaded at Windows startup?
A: Yes, it will. The only condition is not to remove RivaTuner's folder from your hard drive. RivaTuner adds itself with the /S command line switch to the autorun registry key when you enable any low-level settings (e.g. AGP settings, overclocking or color correction) at Windows startup. When this command line switch is specified, RivaTuner loads itself at Windows startup, executes startup daemon (the procedure that configures startup settings depending on the options you've chosen) and unloads itself from memory immediately.

Q: How can I completely remove RivaTuner from my system?
A: Just run the uninstaller from start menu or from 'Add or remove programs' control panel applet. It will remove RivaTuner from your hard drive and clean any RivaTuner specific settings from your registry.

Q: What about driver-specific tweaks I've made with RivaTuner? Will they stay after uninstalling RivaTuner?
A: Yes, they will. RivaTuner doesn't make any changes in the driver's settings during uninstallation. If you want to reset the driver's settings to defaults, use RivaTuner's "Reset all the driver's settings to their default values" function before uninstalling it. Also, you can save pre-RivaTuner's state of the driver's settings to a preset, then simply restore settings with this preset before uninstalling RivaTuner.

To create a snapshot containing pre-RivaTuner's driver settings, perform the following:

1. Open the "Launcher" tab and click the "Add new menu item" button, then select "Regular menu item type" and press OK. Menu item editor dialog will appear.
2. Type a name for new menu item. For example, "Pre-RivaTuner restore point".
3. Check the "Associated preset" option then click "Create" button to create a preset containing your current driver's settings.

New menu item will appear. Now you can rollback to this restore point by double-clicking this menu item. When RivaTuner is minimized to tray you can also rollback to this restore point from the context menu (right click RivaTuner's tray icon in order to open it).

Q: I've noticed that RivaTuner service is running even after unloading RivaTuner. Is it a bug?
A: No, it is by design driver usage strategy. It was introduced in version RC12 in order to make RivaTuner compatible with Windows XP fast user switching feature. Since that version RivaTuner uses install-start-load-unload driver usage behavior instead of install-start-load-unload-stop-uninstall. However, the previous mode (install-start-load-unload-stop-uninstall) can be also activated with the IODriverUninstallBehaviour registry entry.

Q: Where do you get info about all these tweaks? Are you working at NVIDIA?
A: No, I'm not working at NVIDIA. I'm just a discontented owner of NVIDIA display adapter and I want to get all from my hardware and its' drivers. I'm a professional programmer and reverse engineering is my hobby so I simply rip the info from the drivers using SoftICE, IDA and some other additional tools. I used NVIDIA display adapters since Riva128 times but I've never been satisfied with NVIDIA driver's control panel interface. It's a bit strange for me that some really useful settings are hidden from the end uses. That's why I started to code my own tweaking utility, which can satisfy all my needs.

Q: What is *.RTD database and how can I use it?
A: *.RTD database is just the list of registry entries, which can be viewed and edited via the built-in registry editor. RivaTuner uses *.RTD files to store info about the registry entries, used by a driver. Different driver versions use different sets of the registry entries, stored in different registry keys, so the information for each driver version is stored into a separate database. Database for each driver version contains the list of registry entries used by this driver. Default values and descriptions for each registry entry are also included in the database. You don't make any changes in your registry when you are opening new database in RivaTuner, you just load the list of registry entries, which can be modified via the built-in registry editor.

Q: Do I need to load new *.RTD database after installing new drivers?
A: Don't care about databases until you are going to edit the registry directly with the PowerUser tab. Forget about databases if you are not an experienced user and you are not using this tab. The rest of RivaTuner's features absolutely don't depend on the currently loaded database, this tab is just an advanced tool for experienced users, which doesn't directly affect any RivaTuner's module. So you may safely work with RivaTuner even if completely old database is loaded in PowerUser tab. RivaTuner will correctly detect any supported driver and allow you to change all the supported options via the Direct3D / OpenGL / System tweaking dialogs regardless of the database you've loaded in PowerUser tab.

Q: What is *.RTP preset and how can I use it?
A: *.RTP preset is a script, which can add or remove entries from your registry. It is similar to a *.REG file, but it has some advantages:

1. Both Window 9x and Windows 2000/XP store settings in system dependent registry keys. It means that your *.REG files may work incorrectly on another PC or even on your PC after reinstalling a display driver. RivaTuner uses macro names to export and import presets so they will always work correctly.
2. *.REG files cannot remove entries from registry. Presets can do it.
3. Preset files can contain driver version dependent and hardware dependent registry entries.

You can use pre-created presets (located in "Presets" folder) or create your own presets via the built-in registry editor. The presets are integrated in the Explorer shell so you can just click any *.RTP file within the Explorer in order to import preset data. You can also run a preset via RivaTuner's launcher by associating a preset with a launcher's item. Follow the next steps in order to associate a preset with a launcher's item:

1. Open the "Launcher" tab and click the "Add new menu item" button, then select "Regular menu item type" and press OK. Menu item editor dialog will appear.
2. Type a name for new menu item. For example, "Apply quality optimized settings".
3. Check the "Associated preset" option then select your preset and close the menu item editor.

New menu item will appear. Now you can launch the preset associated with this menu item by double clicking it. When RivaTuner is minimized to tray you can also launch it from the context menu (right click RivaTuner's tray icon in order to open it).

Q: I need the preset for Quake III. Where can I download it?
A: You don't need the presets for all the games you have. I've added the presets only for those games, which cannot run properly without the specific driver's settings (e.g. all the NFS series require enabled table fog emulation and the nonstandard texel alignment scheme; games based upon the Unreal engine looks much better with a negative LOD bias and floating point W-buffer format in 16-bit modes and so on). For the rest games you can use the "High quality" and "High performance" presets.

Q: Some settings (e.g. automatic mipmapping) are grayed in RivaTuner. How can I activate these settings?
A: RivaTuner grays some settings due to one of three cases:

1. Settings are grayed if your hardware does not support them. For example, TNT/TNT2 chipsets do not support anisotropic texture filtering. GeForce do not support automatic mipmapping, fast trilinear filtering mode etc.
2. Settings are grayed if your drivers do not support them. For example the "Enable S3TC quality trick" option is supported by the Detonator 6.47 and higher only.
3. Settings are grayed if your operating system doesn't support them. For example the "Use busmastering mode for video" is supported by Windows 9x only.

The best way to determine why does a setting is grayed is to click the button on RivaTuner's window caption then click an option you want to know about. RivaTuner will display detailed help on this option and explain everything you need to know about this option.

Q: It looks like RivaTuner caused the problems with 3DMark2001 on my system. It crashes with the following error message: ''P_D3D::DRV_allocateMap - device does not support bump normal maps". Is it a bug in RivaTuner? Can you fix it?
A: No, it's not a bug. This problem is caused by the incompatibility between the texture format setting in RivaTuner 2.0 RC9 and the Detonator 27.xx. NVIDIA just added new capability bit to the (D3D_)D3D_52971801 (encrypted SurfaceFormatsDX7) and (D3D_)D3D_52971801 (encrypted SurfaceFormatsDX8) registry entries in 27.xx drivers. This bit allows the Direct3D driver to export D3DFMT_Q8W8V8U8 pixel format and it must not be set on pre-27.xx drivers, but it must be set on new drivers. Unfortunately there is no way to make pixel format setting forward compatible because the driver doesn't allow to set unused bits and resets these registry entries to defaults when at least one extra bit is set. So the only way to work around this problem is to wait for updated RivaTuner. RivaTuner 2.0 RC10 is fully 27.xx-compatible, but this problem may appear again in the future if NVIDIA will add new texture format capability bits.

Q: AGP settings in RivaTuner don't work properly on my system. What's the problem?
A: Unfortunately the Detonator's AGP settings don't work on certain platforms (especially non-Intel based). On the most of Intel based platforms these settings work fine, but on the rest chipsets these settings can be ignored or even cause your operating system to crash (e.g. on VIA Apollo Pro 133A AGP transfer rate settings are ignored and AGP FastWrites settings may cause OS to hang). To change AGP settings on such platforms you can use either BIOS/AGP GART driver settings or RivaTuner's low-level AGP configuration module or other utility, which programs AGP settings directly via the PCI configuration registers (PowerStrip, WPCREDIT, ZTAGPTool).

Q: I'm sure that my display adapter supports AGP FastWrites/Sideband addressing, but AGP settings in RivaTuner are grayed. How can I enable it?
A: First, you must have at least a GeForce256 and Detonator 5.32 or higher drivers to change FastWrites settings, and at least Detonator 6.34 to change Sideband addressing settings. Second, read the previous question. FastWrites and Sideband addressing settings can cause your system to hang, that's why I disabled them by default. If you know what is Safe mode and you don't afraid of BSOD, you can enable these settings in RivaTuner via the registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Unwinder\RivaTuner\Detonator\Global]
" LockDangerSettings"=dword:00000000

Q: RivaTuner shows that AGP SBA is enabled on my system, however other diagnostic tool I've used tells me that SBA is disabled. What is the problem and who is wrong?
A: It looks like you use AGP 3.0 graphics adapter and motherboard, but trying to diagnose it with a tool not conforming to AGP 3.0 specifications. According to publicly available AGP 3.0 specifications, AGP SBA is a must for AGP 3.0 capable display adapter, so AGP SBA is always enabled in AGP 3.0 mode and the SBA_ENABLE bits controlling SBA protocol state are meaningless until your system operates in AGP 2.0 mode. Some diagnostic tools simply ignore this specification and use old pre-AGP 3.0 styled AGP SBA detection behavior for AGP 3.0 mode too, relying on obsolete and meaningless SBA_ENABLE bits. RivaTuner follows AGP 3.0 specifications and always shows that SBA is enabled ignoring actual states of SBA_ENABLE bits as soon as it detects that your graphics subsystem operates in AGP3.0 mode. However, if you understand this specific and still want to see actual states of display adapter's / northbridge's SBA_ENABLE bits, you may do it with ForceAGP30SBADetection registry entry.

Q: I have used other tweaking utility before RivaTuner and I could change much more Direct3D and OpenGL options there. Why I cannot change these options in RivaTuner?
A: Unfortunately some coders are trying to boost download rates and increase popularity of their utilities by adding invalid, obsolete and even fake tweaking options. It is pity, but it is true. First of all, such utilities are dedicated to rookies in computer graphics. I'm not going to add fakes or untested options and deceive inexperienced users. To change untested options you may use RivaTuner's built-in registry editor. It will help you to change absolutely all registry entries.

Q: Sometimes I get the message 'Invalid registry entries have been detected. RivaTuner will use default or truncated values for these entries'. What does it mean?
A: It means that RivaTuner have detected some registry entries, which contains invalid values. Such registry entries will be ignored or corrected by driver. RivaTuner uses the same validation routines as driver. Usually this message is caused by other tweaking utilities, which set incorrect registry entries, or even by Detonator control panel interface. For example you can set PreRenderLimit entry to 0 via Detonator control panel interface. But Direct3D driver checks PreRenderLimit entry and set it to 1 if it is less than 1. If RivaTuner will detect that such entry, it will give you the warning message and correct it in the same way as driver.

Q: I cannot use RivaTuner. Each time when I'm trying to run it I get the message 'The ordinal 6880 could not be located in the dynamic link library MFC42.DLL'. Any clues?
A: RivaTuner requires Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) libraries in order to run properly. These libraries are included in Windows 98 SE /Windows ME / Windows 2000 / Windows XP. However, some software can replace these libraries with the older versions. In this case RivaTuner will not run properly. If you have got such error message, then just restore MFC42.dll from Windows CD or download the latest version of MFC from Microsoft.

Q: I tried to use RivaTuner on Windows 95 OSR 2 but it cannot start. The program always displays the error message: 'The RIVATUNER.EXE file is linked to missing export SHELL32.dll:SHGetSpecialFolderPathA'. Any clues?
A: RivaTuner requires SHELL32.DLL v4.71 or higher for full functionality. You must install Internet Explorer 4.0 Desktop Update or higher in order to use RivaTuner on Windows 95. Please read Internet Explorer's readme.txt to get more info about installing Desktop Update. I've changed my code in RivaTuner v2.0 Release Candidate 4.1 in order to improve compatibility with Windows 95. Since this version RivaTuner can start on this operating system with some limitations even if Internet Explorer 4.0 Desktop Update is not installed.

Note: Windows95 is no longer supported. RivaTuner v2.0 Release Candidate 6 is the last version, which could work with this OS.

Q: I cannot overclock my GeForce2 PRO/GeForce2 Ultra/GeForce3 with both the Detonator control panel and RivaTuner. The system just goes back to the defaults after reboot. How can I fix it?
A: It's the known bug of the Detonator drivers for Windows 2000 and it was fixed in the Detonator 12.90. Due to incorrect memory clock frequency validation the NvXTInit function always reverted the memory clock to the default value when it was above 400MHz. The problem was caused by the bug in videomemory type detection. Windows9x drivers used the following validation interval for the memory clock frequency:

80-400 MHz for the boards equipped with SDR memory
80-800 MHz for the boards equipped with DDR memory

Windows 2000 driver couldn't correctly detect a memory type because it checked GeForce256 DDR PCI DeviceID only. So driver detected the rest boards as SDR and used invalid validation interval. If you don't want to use 12.90 or higher drivers, you may use RivaTuner's NvXTInitFix patch script. It will made some correction in driver and force it to use 80-800Mz overclocking range regardless of videomemory type.

Q: RivaTuner reports wrong clock frequencies on my MX400. It shows 200MHz/334MHz instead of 200MHz/166MHz. The Detonator control panel gives me the same result. How can I fix it?
A: This problem is caused by the hardware feature of the clock frequency generator, which can be hardwired to halve PLL clock frequency. Usually this feature is used on the boards equipped with DDR memory, but it is also used by some hardware vendors on GeForce2 MX200/MX400 boards with 4Mx16 SDR memory modules. In this case you'll be able to overclock your display adapter safely, just remember that double clock frequency is displayed.

Q: It looks like I've overclocked my display adapter too high and now Windows freezes after logging in. Can you help me?
A: First, you should peek in RivaTuner's context help before using any option (especially system critical options like overclocking, AGP, NVStrap settings etc.), you can always find detailed instructions there. Yes, you can reset startup overclocking settings by pressing and holding the <Ctrl> button immediately after logging in Windows. It applies to both driver-level and low-level overclocking and the rest system-critical startup settings (AGP etc.).

Q: I know that RivaTuner provides two ways of overclocking, but I don't understand a difference between these modes. I was told in the forums that low-level overclocking sets clocks directly via VGA BIOS whilst driver-level overclocking do it via the Detonator driver. It is true? What's a difference and which way should I use to overclock my GeForce4?
A: It is almost true. The only correction is that RivaTuner don't use VGA BIOS and accesses PLLs (Phase Locked Loops, i.e. clock frequency generators) directly to set the clocks when operating in low-level mode. In driver-level overclocking mode RivaTuner doesn't access the PLLs directly and 'asks' NVIDIA driver to report the current clock or set a new one. So the basic difference between these modes is a level of communication between RivaTuner and display adapter's clock frequency generator.
However, NVIDIA driver have some interesting behaviors causing more differences between driver-level and low-level overclocking mode.
First, the driver tends to adjust memory timings to improve stability when changing clock frequencies on pre-GeForce FX boards. Opposing to that low-level overclocking module changes nothing but the clock frequencies, so when increasing memory clock you may see higher overclocking limit with driver-level overclocking mode, but the performance one the same clocks set can be higher for low-level overclocking. Second, driver's internal overclocking implementation allows it to change clock frequencies on pre-GeForce FX boards only during display mode change. So the driver must reinitialize display mode to force new clocks to be applied. Low-level overclocking mode allows applying clocks without this annoying display flashing. Third, low-level overclocking module allows power users to customize PLL dividers calculation algorithm, so you may fine tune clock with higher accuracy that it can be done by the driver.
I won't recommend you something regarding choosing preferred overclocking mode - just analyze the differences and choose the mode corresponding to your needs.

Q: I've heard that RivaTuner is the only tool providing low-level overclocking for ATI boards. Is it true?
A: No, it is not true. The most of ATI tweaking / overclocking tools control clocks via direct access to the PLLs (i.e. at low level).

Q: I cannot set clocks in RivaTuner on my RADEON 9800PRO after adjusting clocks in ATITool/ATITrayTools. Can you fix it?
A: No, I will not fix anything because it is not RivaTuner's problem. To maximize clock generation stability RivaTuner uses low clock frequency generation accuracy mode and locks PLL reference divider adjusting clock frequencies via feedback dividers only. The tools you've mentioned don't use this safety measure (however, ATITool does have an option for locking reference divider) and may distort reference divider and set it to non-default value even when restoring defaults clocks. This may seriously limit range of available clocks when programming them via feedback dividers adjustment only. So to adjust clock frequencies via RivaTuner after performing clock frequency adjustment with these tools you should either allow RivaTuner to alter reference divider by selecting high clock frequency generation accuracy in advanced overclocking options or simply reboot system to allow VGA BIOS to restore default reference divider state.

Q: I cannot activate low-level overclocking on my NV3x+ display adapter. I've heard that RivaTuner doesn't provide low-level clock frequency control for these boards because GeForce FX GPUs themselves don't support low-level overclocking. Is it true? If not, will you implement low-level overclocking for GeForce FX GPU family in the future?
A: It is quite stupid to talk about lack of low-level overclocking support in the GPU, because low-level overclocking term assumes nothing but the direct access to a clock frequency generator. So it can be implemented for any display adapter. This mode is not available in RivaTuner due to absolutely different reason, which is pretty simple - low-level overclocking is useless for these boards because of dynamic 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment specific to GeForce FX GPU family. It is absolutely pointless to program clock frequency generator directly because the driver will override its' state as soon as the system will change 2D / 3D state. So the only correct way to overclock GeForce FX based board is to 'tell' the driver which clocks should be set for 2D / 3D via RivaTuner's driver-level overclocking module or any other driver-level overclocking tool.

Q: However, I've heard that some tools provide low-level overclocking for NV3x+ series. Can you comment it?
A: Plain wrong. All currently available GeForce FX overclocking tools providing separate 2D / 3D clock frequency adjustment control clocks via NVIDIA driver due to the reasons explained in the previous question. Due to the same reasons, all driver-level GeForce FX overclocking tools have the same maximum stable clocks because none of them control clock frequencies directly.
You can easily determine which overclocking way is used using the following algorithm: just change the clock in any third party tool you are examining then peek in NVIDIA control panel or in RivaTuner's driver-level overclocking mode. You won't see any changes there in case of low-level overclocking (because NVIDIA driver is not directly notified about clock frequency change and still 'sees' old clocks), but you'll see new clock frequencies if they were passed to NVIDIA driver.

Q: Can you explain me specifics of dynamic separate 2D / 3D clock frequency adjustment on NV3x+ GPU families? Are the clocks dynamically adjusted by the GPU or by VGA BIOS?
A: There are few important things you should know about dynamic separate 2D / 3D clock frequency adjustment on GeForce FX boards. First, the clocks are controlled neither by GPU itself nor by VGA BIOS. Dynamic clock frequency adjustment is performed entirely at display driver level and VGA BIOS is used just as a source info storage for the driver. Second, GeForce FX boards can have up to four fixed clocking modes. These modes are also called performance levels. Besides different clock frequencies, each performance level may have its' own core voltage and own fan speed. During system POST VGA BIOS programs initial or so called safe performance level. Core voltage and the clock frequencies corresponding to this performance level are rather low and usually set to 1.1V / 250MHz / 500MHz in the most of NV30/35/38 VGA BIOSes. This ensures that the system will be able to boot and you'll be able to start Windows even without auxiliary power cable connected to your graphics card. Besides safe performance level programmed by VGA BIOS, there are three performance levels more. VGA BIOS contains so called performance table, used by display driver and defining clock frequencies, core voltages and fan speeds (if possible) for each performance level. Performance table can contain up to three different performance levels called performance level 0 (or standard 2D mode), performance level 1 (or low power 3D mode) and performance level 2 (or performance 3D mode). Higher performance level indices mean higher clocks, higher core voltage, higher performance but higher power consumption. As soon as Windows is loaded and the driver detects that auxiliary power cable is connected to your graphics card and VGA BIOS contains non-empty performance table, the driver switches graphics card from safe performance level to performance level 0 or standard 2D mode. During OS runtime, the driver tracks GPU state and switches display adapter to the maximum performance level when GPU power is needed (i.e. when 3D application is running), and vice versa iteratively lowers performance level if GPU power is no longer needed and power consumption can be saved by lowering core voltage and clock frequencies.

Q: So if I understand you correctly fan speeds are specified directly in the performance table in VGA BIOS. Can I edit it, for example set constant fan speed for all performance level?
A: Yes, you can do it easily, but only on the boards with reference cooling system. In simple phrase, the fan must be physically connected to the PCB's reference fan voltage control circuit on you system in order to use performance-level specific fan speed adjustment.

Q: I can hear that my GeForce 6800's fan changes speed when I start 3D applications, however I don't see any changes on the "Fan voltage" graph. Can you comment it?
A: There are a few things, important for fan control understanding. First, reference design display adapters based on NV3x and newer graphics processors have GPU controllable fan connectors, i.e. the graphics processor itself can scale fan voltage from 12V down to zero. Fan speed is controlled using this approach on reference design 6800 series and on some non-reference display adapters manufactured by some vendors like Gainward and Leadtek. RivaTuner's "Fan voltage" graph reflects actual fan voltage scaling level only on such boards. If the fan is not connected to this reference circuit and always fed with 12V, this graph is simply not trustworthy. Second, vendors can install I2C ICs, containing combined thermal sensor and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controllers. Such sensor chips can control fan speed using pulse with modulation instead of linear voltage adjustment. Fan speed on such display adapters is set either by vendor specific software (e.g. ASUS SmartDoctor), or automatically by the sensor depending on the current temperature. For example, ASUS uses this approach. Third, some vendors use entirely fan speed solutions, where the cooling system itself allows controlling fan speed either automatically or manually (e.g. AGP MSI NX6800 series).

Q: I'm having problems with applying overclocking at Windows startup on my GeForce FX with both Coolbits and RivaTuner. Core clock stays overclocked but memory clock resets to defaults as soon as I reboot the system. Can you help me?
A: Yes, it is a known issue and it is caused by incorrect startup overclocking settings you've made. Actually, only NV30 based boards provide separate core and memory clocks for different performance levels. The rest NV3x boards provide separate core clock frequency control, but unified memory clock frequency control. It means that the driver don't control memory clock frequency independently for each performance level, so when you change it for a certain performance level it is also affects the rest performance levels. However, the driver's control panel itself and all driver-level overclocking tools allow you to specify independent core and memory clocks for different performance levels even for boards with unified memory clock (e.g. 300MHz/900MHz for standard 2D mode and 300MHz/1000MHz for performance 3D mode). Such settings will always cause interference and the actual memory clock will be set to the value, corresponding to the memory clock for the last programmed performance level. Control panels startup daemon routine programs performance 3D clocks first, then standard 2D clocks. So either startup memory clock for standard 2D mode or default memory clock for this mode will be actually set. To avoid the problem, simply ensure that you've specified the same startup memory clocks for all performance levels. Starting from version RC15, RivaTuner includes special memory clock frequency reset protection wizard, allowing to detect and fix such incorrect startup settings automatically.

Q: I've enabled overclocking in ForceWare control panel and selected manual overclocking mode, but RivaTuner's "Enable driver-level hardware overclocking" option is still disabled. What's a problem?
A: It is normal behavior for 56.xx+ driver series. When you perform clean driver install, enable manual overclocking mode for the first time and don't apply custom clocks at Windows startup, overclocking is actually enabled in two passes and final initialization is performed after OS reboot. So after reboot and final initialization this option will be enabled in RivaTuner too. Alternately, you may simply re-enable overclocking in RivaTuner to force it to perform the same initialization without OS reboot.

Q: I've unchecked "Allow separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment" option during enabling driver-level overclocking in RivaTuner on my GeForce 5800 and my system booted at inexpediently low clocks (250MHz/500Mhz instead of 300MHz/600MHz). Also, I cannot even reach default 3D clocks. What's wrong?
A: There is nothing wrong, please read above-stated question explaining specifics of GeForceFX specific separate 2D/3D clock frequency control. By disabling separate 2D/3D clock frequency control you simply force your display adapter to work in so called safe performance level, which is programmed by VGA BIOS and has lower core voltage comparing even to standard 2D performance level. So the range of stable clocks is much lower too due to core undervoltage.

Q: I've unchecked "Allow separate 2D/3D clock frequency adjustment" option during enabling driver-level overclocking in RivaTuner, but cannot find an option for re-enabling it. Can you help me?
A: You are prompted to change this option during enabling driver-level overclocking only. To switch between separate / unified clock frequency adjustment modes simply disable driver-level overclocking in RivaTuner, click Apply, then re-enable it again.

Q: Starting from version RC15 I see no progress bar when testing clock frequencies on my GeForceFX. Is it normal?
A: Yes, it is normal. This version introduced instantaneous driver-level stress test feature. There is no need for displaying any progress bar because the test is performed in a split second.

Q: RivaTuner doesn't allow me to set core clock higher than 420MHz on my GeForce6800 and displays "The driver failed to pass internal test with the clock frequencies you are about to set. Please decrease clock frequencies and try again." error message. Can you fix this bug?
A: There is nothing to fix. Similar to the driver's control panel overclocking interface, RivaTuner performs clock stability testing and invokes the driver's internal stress test to verify is it safe to set desired clock frequency or not. As soon as the test is not passed with new clocks, you are not allowed to apply the changes. However, if you are power user, you may either disable internal clock stress testing with "DisableInternalClockTest" registry entry or disable clock testing at all with "DisableClockTest" registry entry. However, I strictly recommend you to avoid using these options if you are beginner and terms like throttling and RobustChannels tell you nothing.

Q: I've disabled stress testing in RivaTuner and tried to overclock my GeForce 6800 Ultra to 490MHz, however graphics performance went down drastically. Can you fix this bug?
A: .There is nothing to fix, you've purposely disabled clock frequency stability testing and went eased stable clocks range, so you should understand that you actions can cause unpredictable system behavior. Stress test failure means that there were some internal GPU functionality failures when the chip was running at that clocks. You should understand that as soon as you forcibly set these clocks, similar GPU functionality failures can and surely will take place during running some heavy 3D applications. When such failures are detected by the driver, it may throttle clocks to lower performance level (Low Power 3D or even 2D). Alternately, the chip may simply hang (happily RobustChannels technology allows to recover system without reboot). Both cases will cause performance drop.

Q: I've successfully enabled LowPower 3D clock controls with "EnableLowPower3DControl" registry entry, but I cannot increase the clocks even by 1MHz due to internal stress test failure on my GeForce FX 5900. What's a problem?
A: It is by design feature. Unfortunately the driver has internal stress test implementation for 2D and 3D modes only. So there were only 3 choices for clock testing implementation in RivaTuner: to test LowPower 3D clocks in 2D mode, to test LowPower 3D clocks in 3D mode or to avoid testing at all. Considering that core voltage for LowPower 3D mode is usually greater than 2D mode voltage but less than 3D mode voltage, LowPower 3D clocks stress testing in 2D mode can give too pessimistic result due to undervoltage and stress testing in 3D mode can give too optimistic result due to overvoltage. Due to beginner protection approach, I've chosen the most safe way, so RivaTuner always tests LowPower 3D clocks in 2D mode. If you are power user and understand this specific, you may disable stress testing (please refer to the previous question) and set higher clocks for LowPower3D mode.

Q: I'm having serious problems with overclocking my GeForce FX 5600 under the ForceWare 6x.xx series. As soon as I change memory clock via RivaTuner's driver level overclocking module, driver's overclocking panel or even generic ASUS SmartDoctor software supplied on CD with my display adapter, performance goes down drastically. Can you help me?
A: It is known issue of ForceWare 6x.xx drivers, which affects only GeForce FX display adapters with non-reference VGA BIOS containing no (or zero sized) performance table. The only workarounds until fixing the problem in drivers are either to adjust clocks at low-level with tools like PowerStrip or to flash reference BIOS allowing the driver to use correct clock adjustment routines. Alternately, you may alter the clocks directly in VGA BIOS with some specialized tools.

Q: There are a lot of rumors about GeForceFX software voldmods on the net. I've seen some online BIOS voltmodding tutorials and even volmodded BIOSes available for download. Can you comment it?
A: Yes, GPU core voltage is really software controllable on GeForce FX graphics processors. Unfortunately, all online BIOS voltmodding guides I've seen seem to be written using blind comparison of different BIOS binaries without actual understanding of software voltage control internals. So they contain some logical errors. The same applies to some voltmodded BIOSes available for download on some websites.
To understand internals of software voltage control, let's start from the very beginning. NVIDIA boards have some GPU controllable GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) pins, which are used for different purposes. Up to three of these pins can be used to control core voltage on GeForce FX based boards. The states of this pins form binary word (up to three bits width), which uniquely identify target core voltage. This word is called VID, or voltage identifier. So to program desired core voltage driver simply sets each pin to the corresponding state via the corresponding GPIO register. But VID interpretation entirely depends on the PCB's core voltage generation logic, for example most of NV35/38 boards control core voltage via ISL6569 IC, where its' VID0 and VID1 input pins are hardwired to 0 / 1, and VID2 - VID4 pins are programmable by GPU. So core voltage on these boards can be adjusted in 0.8 - 1.5V range with 0.1V granularity and all three GPIO pins are used. Other boards may have (and do have) simpler voltage control logic (e.g. simplest 1-bit VID selecting one of 2 predefined voltages). As I've said before, VID interpretation may differ depending on the PCB design, and driver knows nothing about it. To allow hardware vendors to alter voltage control logic safely, NVIDIA introduced so called voltage tables in BIOS with BMP structure version 5.25 and newer. For older BIOSes driver uses its' own GPU-specific internal voltage table. Voltage table begins from the header, containing total amount of voltage entries, size of each entry and valid VID bitmask. The last field is the most important, because it 'tells' the driver which pins actually control the voltage. For example, nobody prevents hardware vendor from using 2-bit VID defined by pin 0 and pin 2. In this case VID bitmask will contain 101b. Take a note, that the driver will never program masked pins. Array of voltage table entries follows by the header. Each voltage table entry contains target voltage identifier (target voltage (in Volts) * 100) and VID defining this voltage. The first element of each entry (i.e. target voltage identifier) is used just to allow the driver to pick the corresponding VID from the table (because the driver knows nothing about VID, it knows just the target voltage picked from the corresponding performance level entry in the performance table). So when programming the voltage, the driver simply picks required voltage entry from the table by scanning all voltage table entries, comparing target voltage identifier with voltage identifier of each entry and selecting the closest entry. When the entry is selected, the driver disassembles VID on separate bits, and programs each non-masked bit via the corresponding GPIO register.
If you've read all this info carefully, you may already see logical errors and potential problems in currently walking voltmodded BIOS yourself:
First, it's plain wrong to voltmod BIOS by copying 1.5V VID from NV38's voltage table to all other BIOSes without seeing the PCB and its' voltage control logic as it is advised in BIOS voltmod tutorials. VIDs do not have to be the same on all boards.
Second, it's wrong to ignore VID bitmask and to edit voltage table entry's VID only. As an example, let's take a board with the following 2-bit VID:
00 -> 1.1V, 01 -> 1.2V, 02 -> 1.3V and 03 -> 1.4V. Attempt to boost voltage by increasing VID to 4 will actually lower voltage and result in setting 1.1V (4 & 3 = 0). Attempt to boost voltage by copying NV38's 1.5V VID (7) will simply do nothing (7 & 3 = 3). The same attempt on the board with different 2-bit VID interpretation (e.g. 01 -> 1.4V, 02 -> 1.3V, 03 -> 1.2V) will also lower voltage and set it to 1.2V. So if you can actually see the PCB and are sure that there are more than 2 bits in VID - you've to change VID mask too. Otherwise, you simply shouldn't touch it.
To help you to see if your voltmodded BIOS really affects VIDs, RivaTuner gives you an ability to monitor state of voltage related GPIO pins in realtime, so you may see which VID is currently programmed by the driver. Using RivaTuner's VID interpretation feature you may also see both raw VID data and target voltage corresponding to this VID (to select VID interpretation mode right-click VID graph in the hardware monitoring window, select Setup from the context menu and press More button). Furthermore, RivaTuner's diagnostic report module allows you to see internals of voltage table stored in VGA BIOS and warns you if there are some entries with invalid VIDs, which don't conform to VID bitmask.

Q: If it is possible to program VID pins, will RivaTuner provide us an ability to adjust GPU core voltage on-the-fly for GeForceFX display adapters?
A: No, sorry. I'll never add software voltage adjustment to RivaTuner as well as I'll never provide info about the GPU registers controlling GPIO VID pins to third party tools creators. I don't want to be related to development of the tool responsible for burning someone's system, and direct voltage control via Windows utility is one on the things that can help beginners to fry their GPUs.

Q: I've read a lot of about so called throttling on GeForce FX display adapters. Can you explain me what is throttling?
A: Throttling is the driver's protective technology, limiting the maximum available performance level for your graphics hardware during 3D applications runtime. Throttling is aimed to prevent your graphics hardware from damage in case of GPU overheating, internal stress test failure, GPU undervoltage or internal GPU errors caused by too aggressive overclocking. Depending on the reason causing your system to throttle, the driver may either return your system to normal state either when throttling condition is reset or leave your system in throttle state until the next reboot.

Q: It looks like I'm having problems with throttling on my GeForce FX. When I go beyond certain clock frequency limit, my system completely freezes for a few seconds then it throttles to lower performance level (sometimes to low power 3D, sometimes to standard 2D). I've heard that this freezing is a result or hardware overheating protection, which is automatically activated by the GPU when some of its' local parts are overheated, so this technique cannot be disabled as it is implemented in the chip itself. Is it true?
A: There are a lot of rumors about this infamous freezing and subsequent throttling, you've just read the most fabulous of them. No, it is not true. You may also find some variations of this hypothesis, assuming that freezing is initialed by the driver's throttling algorithm is case of GPU overheating, so the driver simply cools GPU this way when it is too hot. This hypothesis is absolutely incorrect too. Freezing is not purposely initiated either by the driver or by GPU itself. Quite opposite, freezing is not the result but the reason causing your system to throttle. Probably most of users familiar with ATI display adapters know about well advertised VPU recover technology, introduced in the Catalyst 3.8. This technique allows the Catalyst to reset graphics processor when it no longer responds to the display driver. This helps to avoid system hangs in case of aggressive overclocking, graphics processor overheating etc. However, just a few users know that NVIDIA have the similar technique called Robust Channels since Detonator 40.xx drivers family. Robust Channels also allows to recover system when graphics processor hangs due to some reason. So the freezing you see is nothing but the natural GPU hang caused by too aggressive overclocking. Then Robust Channels technology simply detects that GPU hangs and no longer responds to the driver, resets it and throttles down to improve stability. You do may disable Robust Channels technology by setting RmRobustChannels registry entry to 0, but it will not help you to avoid image freezing. Quite opposite, the system will simply totally hang.

Q: If I understand you correctly, there are few reasons which can cause throttling. Is it possible to know what exactly causes my system to throttle?
A: Happily, NVIDIA miniport driver has nice event logging system which can be activated by setting RmLogonRC registry entry to 1. In this case, after reboot the driver will always add all throttling related events to the system log, so you'll be able to use event viewer and see what exactly causes you system to throttle. So you'll be able to determine the reason causing your system to throttle: hardware error recovered by Robust Channels technique, thermal conditions, stress test failure or lack of auxiliary power.

Q: I've heard about so called throttling modded BIOSes and seen online BIOS modding tutorials. Can they really disable throttling? Can you comment it?
A: No, they cannot disable throttling completely, but they do can help to reduce effect of throttling in some cases. Unfortunately, all online throttling BIOS modding tutorials also contain some logical and technical errors, which can potentially cause the problems.
First, the creators of these mods seem to misunderstand throttling term, wrongly assuming that low power 3D mode (i.e. performance level 1) and throttling mode are the same things and talking about 'throttling' any time when the system runs in performance level 1. It is plain wrong because temporary switch to low power 3D mode in some cases is absolutely normal for GeForce FX boards, as soon as low power 3D mode is not the only performance level the driver can switch to in case of real throttling algorithm activation. So these modded BIOSes just virtually 'eliminate' low power 3D mode by making it equal to performance 3D mode, but don't prevent the driver from activating throttling algorithms and throttling down to lower performance level 0.
Second, there are serious problems in their performance table editing logic, causing side effects of some systems. All currently available throttling BIOS modding guides absolutely wrongly advise you to edit the second item of voltage table to change voltage for low power 3D mode, assuming that voltage table entry indices directly correspond to performance level indices. It is absolutely incorrect, there is do direct conformance between these things. There are BIOSes with low power 3D mode voltages specified by the first voltage table entry, also there are BIOSes with both 2D and low power 3D voltages controllable by the same voltage table entry. And attempt to edit voltage table using such tutorials may cause unpredictable results. If you've read voltage control related discussion carefully, you should remember that the driver uses target voltage based access to the voltage table instead of index based access. Actually, target voltage for each performance level is directly specified right in the performance table, i.e. the driver scans all voltage table entries and tries to select matching voltage from it instead of accessing to fixed entry by index. So actually when you are copying the third voltage table entry to the second one as it is advised, you simply totally remove one of available voltages from the table, causing driver to fail and select wrong voltage for some performance levels. To modify low power 3D voltage correctly, you should leave voltage table unchanged and simply edit target voltage for this mode in the performance table.
To help you to detect such incorrectly modded BIOSes, RivaTuner's diagnostic report displays both performance table and voltage table internals, so you can see if the voltages specified for each performance level really exist in the voltage table.

Q: So it is impossible to disable throttling via editing VGA BIOS?
A: It is possible, but with completely different approach unlike it is advised in throttling BIOS modding tutorials. The only way to disable throttling at VGA BIOS level is to disable separate 2D / 3D clock frequency adjustment. It can be easily done by hiding performance table from the driver (either by zapping pointer to the performance table in the BMP structure or by setting performance table size to zero like it is done in ASUS BIOS). It will force the driver to disable dynamic clock frequency adjustment algorithm and to run at safe performance level set by VGA BIOS. Take a note, that you'll also need to correct BIOS initialization script to set safe performance level parameters to desired ones.

Q: Why does RivaTuner monitor abnormally low 1.0V core voltage on my GeForce 6800? Can you fix this bug?
A: You should look at "Core VID" graph's X-axis dimension carefully. I bet that if you'll do it, you will not find "Volts" there. Quite opposite, you'll see that the value displayed on this graph is non-dimensional. The graph you are looking at is a raw untransformed VID data. Refer to the questions discussed above to understand what is VID and to find instructions on enabling RivaTuner's voltage interpretation function, allowing you to see target voltages on the graph instead of raw VID data.

Q: I've selected "1.1V + 0.1V / 0.3V loop" VID interpretator on my ASUS V9999GT with RivaTuner's automatic VID interpretation selection function, however there is still noticeable difference between voltage monitored by RivaTuner (1.2V) and voltage monitored by ASUS SmartDoctor generic software (1.35V). What's a problem?
A: Address your question to ASUS engineers, which altered PCB's voltage control circuit but forgot to alter VGA BIOS and stored 6800 non-ultra specific voltage table in it instead of altered one. Due to that reason, it is impossible to select correct VID interpretation automatically. You should select "1.1V + 0.2V / 0.3V loop" VID interpretator manually if you have such board.

Q: I've tried to flash ASUS V9999GT BIOS on my ASUS V9999LE, and I do see a difference in core voltage monitored by ASUS SmartDoctor (1.25V Vs 1.35V with new BIOS). However, I see absolutely no changes on RivaTuner's core VID graph. Can you fix it?
A: There is nothing to fix. I strictly don't recommend ASUS V9999 owners to flash different model's BIOS, as it completely invalidates SmartDoctor's voltage reading. ASUS V9999 series use Fintek F75373S sensor chip having 4 analog voltage inputs and 8-bit ADCs, allowing to measure voltages up to 2V maximum. However, some voltages (e.g. framebuffer Vddq) can be higher than 2V, that is why the sensor's input voltages are scaled down with fixed model-specific ratios. When you change VGA BIOS, SmartDoctor software "see" different model and uses different voltage reading ratios, resulting in wrong voltage readings.

Q: I've heard that RivaTuner can be set up to display core temperature in system tray, however I cannot understand how to enable this function. Is it true? Can you help me?
A: Yes, you really can display current value of each of available hardware monitoring data sources in system tray icon. To do it right-click desired graph (e.g. core temperature), select "Setup" from the popup menu, tick "Enable ... in tray icon" and click apply. Take a note that this function works only when RivaTuner is minimized to tray (i.e. when "Send to tray on close" is enabled in Settings tab) and when background hardware monitoring mode is enabled.

Q: RivaTuner fails to adjust gamma with Catalyst 4.2. The same applies to Adobe Gamma and other gamma correction tools I have. What's a problems, can you fix it?
A: ATI driver team tried to make their control panel the only available gamma adjustment tool and intentionally corrupted GDI Get/SetDeviceGammaRamp API to block all third party gamma correction tools. As a counter-measure, since version RC15 RivaTuner provides you new gamma correction mode via direct access to ATI RAMDAC palette, which doesn't depend on ATI programmers' tricks and works with any Catalyst driver, even gamma correction locked. So simply select this mode to make gamma correction settings work. Now you can select preferred tool yourself instead of using the tool ATI force you to use.

Q: Why do I see noticeable difference in core temperatures monitored by RivaTuner and ATI Overdrive tab on my RADEON 9800XT? Does RivaTuner incorrectly read info from the sensor? Will you fix it?
A: I will not fix anything, quite opposite I'd suggest ATI to fix their own control panel. RivaTuner displays the only core temperature that can be retrieved from RADEON 9800XT hardware sensor with the maximum accuracy. ATI already admitted that RADEON 9800XT boards don't have on-die thermal diode, and the temperature is monitored by the thermistor located near the graphics processor. So the temperature displayed by the control panel's Overdrive tab is just an attempt to approximate the real on-die temperature by adding constant 20°C offset to the real sensor's temperature. If you believe that such correction can approximate the real temperature with +/-2°C inaccuracy like ATI claims - you are free to specify 20°C offset for temperatures monitored by RivaTuner. To do it right-click core temperature graph, select Setup from the popup menu then enter 20°C temperature offset and click OK. lf you prefer to see the real sensor's temperatures instead of tying to guess on-die temperature - just use default settings.

Q: I know for sure that my RADEON 9800PRO has R360 VPU, but RivaTuner detects it as R350? Can you fix it?
A: No, there is nothing to fix, it is normal situation for ATI boards. ATI PCI DeviceIDs can be partially strapped by VGA BIOS, so any R350 based board can be virtually turned to R360 and vice versa by editing strapping byte in BIOS. There is no hardwired DeviceID available in the graphics processor's registers aperture space, so you cannot read anything but strapped DeviceID via software. Thank ATI for that.

Q: Why does RivaTuner show non-integer temperatures opposing to integer values displayed in ATI Overdrive tab?
A: Ask ATI, not me. The sensor chip they use (LM63) can monitor temperatures with 0.125°C accuracy.

Q: As far as I know, LM63 sensor chip used to monitor temperatures on RADEON 9600XT/9800XT/X800 series can also monitor fan speed. Is it true? Will you add fan speed monitoring for these boards?
A: Yes, it is true. LM63 sensor chip is really fan speed monitoring capable and contain input pin for the fan's tachometer output. However, this pin is multifunctional and can be also optionally used as output pin for alerting when monitored temperature exceeds programmed limits. ATI hardware seems to use only the second mode for this pin, so unfortunately it is impossible to use LM63 to monitor temperatures on RADEON 9600XT/9800XT/X800 series boards.

Q: What is ambient temperature displayed by RivaTuner on my RADEON 9X00XT/X800? Where do you read this value from?
A: Actually LM63 sensor can monitor two temperatures. The first one is external temperature, i.e. temperature retrieved by IC from ASIC's on-die thermal diode or on-package thermistor. The second one is internal LM63's temperature. RivaTuner calls this temperature ambient temperature. So to find a point on the PCB where this temperature is monitored, simply look at it and find LM63 IC (e.g. on RADEON 9600XT boards you may see LM63 right near the fan's power connector). Ambient temperature is monitored exactly at that point.

Q: I've heard that RivaTuner uses driver-level access to thermal sensors on NVIDIA boards. Is it true? If yes, will you provide low-level access to the sensors in the future?
A: Yes, it is true. By default RivaTuner uses driver-level wrapper to monitor temperatures on NVIDIA display adapters equipped with thermal sensors, supported by NVIDIA display drivers. Opposing to ATI drivers supporting just LM63 and its' clones, NVIDIA driver supports widest range of thermal sensor ICs and provides access to both core and ambient temperatures. So it is much more safe to access the sensor via NVIDIA driver instead of low-level access toI2C bus, because it greatly reduces the risk of I2C collisions. However, RivaTuner includes open source monitoring plugins, providing low-level to the most popular sensors used on NVIDIA display adapters (MAX6648 and LM89/LM99). If your display adapter is equipped with such sensor, you can optionally choose temperature provider via the source's properties dialog.

Q: Why do I see a constant 10°C difference between temepratures monitored by RivaTuner and SpeedFan on my MSI NX6800?
A: Please read the previous question. By default RivaTuner uses more safe and collision free driver-level temperature readings instead of direct access to the sensor. NVIDIA display driver compensates temperature readings nonideality via adding fixed sensor specific offsets to the temperatures, retrieved from the sensor. The offset for MAX6648, which is installed on your NX6800, is equal to 10°C. If you wish to see raw temperature readings, you may configure temperate data source to read the temperatures from the sensor directly.

Q: I've heard that I can use RivaTuner to shut my system down when core temperature reaches the critical limit. Is it true?
A: Yes, it is true. You can use RivaTuner's hardware monitoring thresholds to perform system shutdown in case of GPU overheating. To do it you must perform the following sequence of actions:

1. Press "Enable background monitoring" button in the monitoring window's toolbar to ensure that RivaTuner will monitor the system even when when monitoring window is closed.
2. Right click "Core temperature" graph and select "Setup" from the context menu.
3. Click "Add new threshold" button.
4. Type a name for the threshold, e.g. "Shutdown temperature".
5. Specify threshold value, e.g. 90°C.
6. Configure path and command line for the application to launch on upward threshold crossing. There are various of system shutdown via the command line, for example Windows XP owners may use shutdown.exe utility integrated in OS:
6.1. Click "Browse" and specify shutdown.exe location (e.g. C:\Windows\System32\Shutdown.exe)
6.2. Type "-s -t 0 -f" in the "Command line" edit box. These parameters specify shutdown action (-s), zero delay before shutdown (-t 0) and forces shutdown utility to close all applications (-f). You may refer to shutdow.exe built-in help to get more info on its' command line parameters.

Q: I've heard about RivaTuner's NVStrap driver but I have no ideas how do I use it. Can you help me?
A: RivaTuner contains NVStrap driver configuration panel for Windows 2000/XP/9x/ME, which allows you to install / uninstall the driver as well as to configure the driver's parameters. Just click the device customization button on the main tab then select the 'Customize low-level system' button in order to activate the 'low-level system tweaks' dialog and get access to the 'NVStrap driver' tab.

Q: I cannot find the 'NVStrap driver' tab in the 'Low-level system tweaks' dialog. Any clues?
A: RivaTuner hides this tab if the NVStrap.sys driver cannot be used on your system. The 'NVStrap driver' tab presence depends on the following conditions:

1. NVStrap.sys file must exist in RivaTuner's Tools\NVStrap folder.
2. If you have multimonitor system with or more display adapters, then the primary NVIDIA GeForce256 or higher display adapter must be selected as a tweak target in the main RivaTuner's tab. NVStrap driver configures your VGA adapter before loading OS kernel and at that time only the primary VGA adapter is programmable. You will not be able to use the NVStrap driver if your system boots on non-NVIDIA VGA adapter.
If you have multimonitor system based on a dual head display adapter, primary display device must be selected as a tweak target in the main tab in order to install and configure the driver.

Q: Can you explain me NV40 softmodding internals?
A: NV40 graphics processor's internal configuration is rather flexible and amount of active pixel and vertex units can be easily controlled by special GPU units configuration register. State of each pixel and vertex unit is mapped to the corresponding bit in the configuration register, logical 1 in this bit enables mapped unit, logical 0 - disables unit and prevents graphics processor from using it. This technique allows creating 16x1,6vp / 12x1,5vp / 8x1,4vp boards based on NV40 graphics processor core. So any NV40 graphics processor can be easily reprogrammed to use 1-4 pixel units (or 4-16 pixel pipelines) and 1-6 vertex units via masking the corresponding bits in the configuration register. However, GPU manufacturing process cannot give 100% manufacturing yields and the chips often have some faulty units due to manufacturing process non-ideality. To accommodate this fact, graphics processor's units quality testing is performed after graphics processor manufacturing, and faulty / instable units are marked with so called hardware units mask, which is defined by strapping resistors located on GPU package. Hardware units mask effectively locks such pixel and vertex units at hardware level, making a bit of the configuration register hardwired to 0 as soon as the corresponding bit in mask is set. The mask forces the chip to ignore any attempts to write 1 to masked bit of the configuration register, making unit activation physically impossible for BIOS and third party software tools trying to program configuration register. Happily, hardwired mask itself is stored in a register, which doesn't affect GPU functionality. It only allows software to see which units are bad, but doesn't actually strap anything. The real mask, affecting configuration register bits' programmability is stored in different register, which is simply initialized by BIOS with value stored in hardwired register. So it is possible to reprogram it, allowing graphics processor to activate all units, even if they are hardware masked.
During POST VGA BIOS protects masked units from enabling using hardwired value. Then it enables some or all non-hardware masked units. Some vendors also tend to lock units with so called software units mask, i.e. VGA BIOS simply doesn't enable a unit even if it is not hardware masked. This mainly applies to GeForce 6800 boards having only one hardware masked pixel / vertex units. To fit in specs, one pixel / vertex unit on the boards with such chips is soft-masked in VGA BIOS.
RivaTuner provides two modes of unlocking pixel / vertex units on NV40 GPU based boards. The first one is the safest - you may enable only software masked units, disabled by display adapter's vendor in VGA BIOS due to some reason (mostly, to fit graphics processor in specs). The percentage of the boards, locked with software units masks is rather low and approximately equal to 5% according to our statistics. However, modding success rate for such boards is almost equal to 100% because locked units have successfully passed hardware quality testing and are locked due to marketing reasons only.
Second mode is more risky, because it allows you to force the GPU to ignore hardware mask, and activate unit even if it is marked as bad. However, statistics shows that GPU manufacturers also use hardware masking to fit some processors in specs, so you may also try your luck and attempt to activate hardware masked units. Just remember, that you do it at your own risk. Enabling hardware masked units, which have not passed hardware quality testing, may cause unpredictable results including permanent hardware damages.

Q: How can I see if my GeForce 6800 is softmoddable or not? Does the moddability depend on display adapter manufacturer?
A: No, it doesn't depend on brand. The only factor defining softmoddability success is a quality of pixel / vertex units of your GPU. Also, the chances greatly depend on software units mask, which may exist in your VGA BIOS. You may easily see if your display adapter has software units mask in VGA BIOS using RivaTuner's graphics subsystem diagnostic report module and looking at "SW units mask" line in "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" report category. If you'll find there something different from "none" (e.g. pixel 0001b, vertex 000000b) - it means that graphics adapter's manufacturer tried to lock some graphics processor's pixel / vertex units in software. In this case, you have very high chances for successful softmod.
Otherwise VGA BIOS doesn't disable any units at software level, your graphics processor's configuration is defined by amount of hardware masked units end everything depends on their quality. If the units are locked due to physical damages - you won't be able to enable them without seeing side effects like rendering artifacts / system instability / etc.

Q: What will happen if I'll try to unlock bad pixel / vertex units? Will I see rendering artifacts?
A: It depends on 'Allow enabling masked units' option state. If it is disabled, graphics processor's logic simply will not allow you to enable damaged units. Otherwise you do may see rendering artifacts or experience system instability.

Q: I'm beginner and I never used RivaTuner before, but I'd like to try NV40 softmodding feature. Can you provide me small "how to" guide?
A: Yes. But I still strictly recommend you to read context help for all RivaTuner's options you'll be using instead of following provided guide blindly. To mod NV40 perform the following steps:

1. Run RivaTuner and look at the main tab. You'll see your current graphic processors configuration and amount of active pixel / vertex units in device status string, for example: NV40 (A1,12x1,5vp).
2. Click "Customize" button located at the right of device status string to activate device customization toolbar.
3. Click "Graphics subsystem diagnostic report" button in device customization toolbar to activate RivaTuner's diagnostic module.
4. Scroll down "Report categories" list and tick "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" report category.
5. Click "Capture report" button in the "Report preview" window to refresh report.
6. Scroll down "Report preview" window and find "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" manually or simply double click "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" category name in the "Report categories" list to automatically navigate to "NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" in the "Report preview".
7. Look at line displaying "SW units mask". If you see "none" there, it means that VGA BIOS allow activating all non-hardware masked GPU pixel / vertex units, so your configuration is determined by hardware. In this case, I strictly recommend you to forget about softmodding if you are beginner and if you don't understand what do you do exactly. Power users may proceed and try to activate hardware masked units. If you see something different there (for example, pixel 0001b, vertex 000000b) - you have high chances to unlock software locked units.
8. Click "Low-level system settings" button in device customization toolbar to activate "Low-level system tweaks" panel.
9. Select "NVStrap driver" tab.
10. Press "Install" button if you never installed the driver before. If you already have it installed after the previous version of RivaTuner, ensure that you have followed RivaTuner's warning and updated driver when RivaTuner offered you to do it. If you have mistakenly ignored the warning, simply press "Reinstall" button to update the driver manually.
11. If you are a power user, if you have read the previous questions carefully and understand what does the "Allow enabling masked units" option do, and, the most important, if you understand what side effects can it cause - enable this option. Otherwise proceed with enabling software masked units only.
12. Select "Custom" in the "Active pixel/vertex units configuration" list to activate the "Customize" button, then click it to activate "Custom graphics processor configuration" dialog.
13. Tick all disabled pixel and vertex units and click "OK".
14. Reboot system when prompted.
16. Start RivaTuner and look again at your current graphics processor configuration and amount of active pixel / vertex units in device status string. If you see no changes there - the units you tried to unlock are hardware masked and you have not enabled "Allow enabling hardware masked units" option. Otherwise, if you see desired configuration, - proceed with system stability testing to ensure that unlocked units are really fully functional.

Important note for users / display adapter sellers / reviewers testing many NV4x based boards in succession: If you're experimenting with NV40 softmodding, please ensure that you've uninstalled NVStrap or set "Active pixel/vertex pipelines" to "determined by VGA BIOS" before replacing an adapter with new one. Otherwise you'll see the pixel / vertex units configuration set by NVStrap instead of hardware default configuration. If you forgot to do it before installing new adapter - simply uninstall NVStrap or click "Reset to default" button in the "Custom graphics processor configuration" dialog then reboot the PC to see hardware default configuration for new display adapter.

Q: I have 6800 NU and right after installation RivaTuner displayed 12x1,5vp configuration on the main tab. In the NVStrap tab I saw that I have pixel unit 1 and vertex unit 3 disabled, so I ticked them and restarted PC. After reboot I still see 12x1,5vp on the main tab, however NVStrap tab shows 16x1,6vp configuration. What's going on?
A: NVStrap's status bar (displayed in the upper part of Custom graphics processor configuration panel) shows you default, current and target configurations. 16x1,6vp configuration you see is the target configuration, i.e. configuration you've asked the NVStrap to set after the next reboot. The value you should look at is the current configuration, showing which pixel and vertex units are actually currently enabled. Both context help and FAQ clearly state that the units can be hardware masked, so current and target configurations can be different due to your attempts to activate hardware masked units. So if you see differences in target and current configurations after reboot and see "disabled" state near the unit you tried to enable - it is protected by hardware mask. In this case you may either try to enable it using "Allow enabling hardware masked units" or forget about softmodding, if you don't want to risk with enabling a unit, which can be potentially damaged.

Q: RivaTuner really shows changes in graphics processor's configuration on the main tab after using NVStrap, but I'd like to verify it with some other tool too. What software would you recommend?
A: First, I strictly don't recommend to use any other currently available diagnostic tool to detect an amount of active pixel / vertex units on NV40 family because all of them use hardwired info indexed by chip model only and don't reflect actual graphics processor's configuration. Info about correct pixel / vertex units detection way will be passed to Everest creators ASAP so you'll be able to use it to verify changes in future with this tool, but now I'd recommend you to use fillrate and vertex processing speed limited benchmarks. 3DMark2003 / Multitexturing fillrate test is changed drastically as soon as you alter amount of active pixel units, 3DMark2003/Vertex shader test is sensitive to vertex processing speed reflects changes as soon as you alter amount of active vertex units.

Q: I know about "SW units mask" info allowing us to tell quickly if the board have chances for softmodding or not, but I simply cannot force RivaTuner to display VGA BIOS information. Due to some reason it displays "Cannot dump NVIDIA VGA BIOS information" in diagnostic report. What's wrong?
A: It seems like you tried to play with NVStrap's or RivaTuner's internal PCI DeviceID override function, either flashed VGA BIOS, whose PCIR DeviceID doesn't match with your display adapter's one. When dumping VGA BIOS RivaTuner uses some emergency measures and doesn't display dump of VGA BIOS if the board's current PCI DeviceID doesn't match with PCI DeviceID stored in PCIR header in BIOS. To get it working, either reset all PCI DeviceID related changes you've made in RivaTuner or load RivaTuner.rtd database and set DisablePCIRCheck to 1 to disable PCIR checking emergency measure.

Q: I see "pixel 0001b, vertex 0000b" in "SW units mask" so my display adapter surely has software units mask, however NVStrap doesn't have any effect and I still cannot unlock additional units. What's wrong?
A: "SW units mask" info allows you to see if your display adapter is 100% not moddable without enabling hardware masked units, but it doesn't allow you to see if it is 100% moddable without using this option. This magic line doesn't give you any warranties, it just tells you that display adapter manufacturer tried to lock some units in software so they can be potentially unlockable. However, these units can be locked hardware masked too.

Q: Why do I see "N/A" for all pixel/vertex units in "HW masked" column of the NVStrap's pipeline configuration window on my GeForce 6200?
A: Currently RivaTuner provides hardware units mask decoding for NV40 and NV48 GPUs only.

Q: I've successfully unlocked 16 pixel pipelines on my GeForce 6800 and I don't see rendering artifacts in any games, however after unlocking it I'm experiencing problems with overclocking. Both RivaTuner and the driver's control panel refuse to increase core clock even by 1MHz. Can you fix this bug?
A: There is definitively nothing to fix, and I have to disappoint you: your mod is not successful. When you change the clocks, internal clock frequency stress testing is performed by the driver, and if you cannot increase the clocks even by 1MHz it can only mean that pixel / vertex units you have unlocked are not able to work properly even at default clocks. Some online tutorials advise you to disable stress testing with "DisableClockTest" registry entry, however I strictly don't recommend you to do it. Remember, that even if you don't see visual problems in your games after softmodding, the driver detected problems in their functionality during stress test. So I don't recommend you to fool yourself and hide the problem behind disabled stress testing. You can try to boost core voltage to make the problem disappear, but remember that this operation is extremely risky and can permanently damage your hardware.

Q: I've unlocked 16 pixel pipelines on my GeForce 6800, however I see rendering artifacts? How can I get rid of them? Can voltage mod help me?
A: Unfortunately, the chances to get rid of them almost equal to zero. Rendering artifacts is an indicator of physically damaged unit.

Q: I've successfully unlocked hardware masked pixel / vertex pipelines and I don't experience any problems with system stability and rendering artifacts. I'm using Linux so I'd like to finalize NVStrap's pipeline configuration via VGA BIOS mod. Is it possible.?
A: Yes, RivaTuner's distributive includes NV40BIOSHwUnitsMaskEliminator patch script, allowing you to unlock desired hardware masked units at VGA BIOS level. If you have the NVStrap driver installed, the script will ask you which units are you about to enable so you'll be able to change any VGA BIOS image to activate either all or currently enabled pixel / vertex units only. Otherwise you'll be only able to unlock all the masked units simultaneously. Please use this script with extreme caution and install it only after testing enabled units and ensuring that all of them are 100% working.

Q: I've tried to mod my GeForce 6200 to 6600 with the NVStrap, however the driver doesn't seem to work. There are absolutely no changes in the pipeline configuration, even after ticking "Allow enabling hardware masked units" option. Can you help me?
A: First, you should look at the graphics processor's revision. If it is NV43 revision A4 or newer, then I've to dissappoint you - NVIDIA seem to progress with their hardware protections, so currently these chips are completely unmoddable. You won't be able to unlock hardware masked pipelines, as well as you will not be able to unlock professional capabilities on it. The same applies to all revisions of NV41 graphics processors.

Q: I've installed the NVStrap driver, selected "Quadro" graphics adapter identification mode, rebooted my system and Windows successfully detected Quadro board, but the Detonator drivers fail to install due to the 'Data invalid' error. Can you fix this bug?
A: .The 'Data invalid' error is a well-known problem of Windows 2000/XP, which appears on some systems during installing new hardware and it is not related to the NVStrap driver. You can find information and the workaround for this operating system's problem in The Inquier's news archive.

Q: I've read the previous question but I still cannot fix 'Data Invalid' error on my Windows 2000 based system. Regedit.exe doesn't allow me to change permissions for registry keys. Can you help me?
A: You can change permissions for registry keys with regedt32.exe utility, included in Windows 2000 distributive. Just type regedt32 in the command line to start it.

Q: Windows fails to find supported driver for my display adapter after installing the NVStrap driver and selecting "Quadro" graphics adapter identification mode. Can you help me?
A: Avoid selecting automatic "Quadro" graphics adapter identification mode for GeForce graphics card models, which don't have the corresponding Quadro models. Automatic "Quadro" graphics adapter identification modes assumes that your gaming display adapter has the corresponding professional model and uses the following GeForce to Quadro PCI DeviceID mapping strategy:

PCI DeviceID = PCI DeviceID | 3 for GeForce3 and older graphics processors
PCI DeviceID = PCI DeviceID | 8 for GeForce4 and newer graphics processors

If your graphics adapter doesn't fit in this scheme and doesn't have Quadro clone with PCI DeviceID generated with above formula, Windows will not be able to install drivers for it. In this case you must use custom graphics adapter identification mode and select desired Quadro PCI DeviceID manually.
However, to simplify this approach, the driver contains special internal GeForce to Quadro PCI DeviceID mapping table, allowing you to use automatic "Quadro" display adapter identification mode for some of such non-mapped display adapters. In this case the driver maps your GeForce to the closest Quadro model. The list of special mappings covers the most of currently available AGP GeForce display adapters and includes 171, 172, 173, 181, 182, 301, 331, 332, 333, 334, 282, 302, 320, 321, 322, 323, 326, 327, 341, 342, 343, 344, 40, 041, 042, 045, 140, 141, and 14F PCI DeviceIDs.

Q: NVStrap's graphics adapter identifiacation option doesn't seem to be able to change PCI DeviceID on my GeForce 6600GT AGP. Can you fix it?
A: This option affects PCI DeviceID on native AGP/PCI or PCIE display adapters only. PCI DeviceID of the cards with HSI AGP-to-PCIE or PCIE-to-AGP bridge is hardwired on the bridge and cannot be changed via software. However, NVIDIA driver itself doesn't use the bridge's PCI DeviceID and use the GPU's model ID (which is always affected by NVStrap). So you cannot force OS to "see" a different display adapter, but you can force NVIDIA driver and control panel to do it.

Q: Does the previous question and answer mean that I will not be able to mod GeForce 6x00 with HSI AGP-to-PCIE or PCIE-to-AGP bridge to Quadro?
A: No, in general it doesn't. Happily, NVIDIA driver unlocks professional OpenGL capabilities via checking software overridable chip model ID instead of hardwired display adapter's (or HSI bridge's) PCI DeviceID. So you'll get all professional caps unlocked and the driver will detect a Quadro, but OS will still see a GeForce. However, you can really experience difficulties with some CAD/DCC applications, which perform direct PCI DeviceID checking and refuse to run if no Quadro PCI DeviceID is found.

Q: Can I use the NVStrap driver under Windows NT4?
A: RivaTuner doesn't support Windows NT4, but you may try to install the NVStrap driver manually. To do it just copy the NVStrap.sys file to the %WinDir%\System32\Drivers and run NVStrap.reg file then reboot your system. However, I've not tested the driver under this OS so I cannot give you any warranties.

Q: I've installed the NVStrap driver and Windows detected my GeForce as Quadro. However, the additional OpenGL settings are still not available in display properties and GLInfo still displays the OpenGL renderer name as GeForce. Any clues?
A: NVIDIA protected the Detonator 30.82 and higher against the NVStrap driver. You must use RivaTuner's NVStrapAntiprotection patch script in order to use the NVStrap driver with the latest Detonators.

Q: When I install the NVStrap driver and select "Quadro" graphics adapter identification mode, my systems starts responding slowly after few minutes of work, then it completely hangs. Any clues?
A: The symptoms you are describing are the results of NVIDIA's protection against the NVStrap's PCI DeviceID override, which was introduced the Detonator 30.82. When the driver detects that PCI DeviceID was changed via the NVStrap, it iteratively increases internal delay counter and purposely spend time in internal wait loops, emulating progressing system slowdown and finally system hang. You must use RivaTuner's NVStrapAntiprotection patch script in order to use the NVStrap driver with the latest drivers. GeForce FX and newer display adapter owners may also use "Use ROM straps for PCI DeviceID programming" option, which allows to work around this protection without patching the Detonator / Forceware driver.

Q: My PC doesn't resume from S3/Suspend to RAM (S4/hibernate) mode when I use NVStrap. Can you fix this bug?
A: The NVStrap driver is not compatible with S3/Suspend to RAM and S4/hibernate. It's not a bug, it is an implementation specific, caused by the NVStrap's stealth load-configure-terminate implementation, which will never be addressed.

Q: When I used RivaTuner with my old RADEON 9800PRO, it correctly detected that it has DDR2 memory type. However, it detects DDR memory on my new GeForce 6800 Ultra, but I know for sure that it is DDR3. Is it a bug?
A: DDR / DDR2 / DDR3 memory type detection is available on ATI GPU based display adapters only. This information is simply not available in NVIDIA GPU's registers space. SDR / DDR type is the only thing that can be detected, so both DDR2 and DDR3 are also treated as DDR.

Q: I cannot set some display modes after using RivaTuner's 60Hz refresh rate fix wizard for Windows2000/XP. Any clues?
A: Don't try to use this fix if you have not installed native drivers for your monitor and Windows detects it as the 'Default monitor' or 'Plug and Play monitor'. In this case Windows will enumerate unsupported refresh rates and the fix will not function properly.

Q: I cannot use TV-out after fixing 60Hz bug with driver-level 60Hz fix wizard. What's wrong?
A: TV-out requires 60Hz refresh rate in order to function properly. Once you've removed 60Hz from the list of supported refresh rates for some display mode, you cannot longer use this mode for TV-out. If you are using driver-level 60Hz fix wizard, simply avoid fixing 60Hz for display modes you are using for TV-out. If you need to fix 60Hz for display mode set on your TV-out, use different tool (e.g. RivaTuner's low-level refresh overrider or RivaTuner's low-level monitor driver wizard).

Q: I used to use RivaTuner's 60Hz fix wizard for fixing 60Hz bug under Windows XP. However, I cannot longer use it after installing the ForceWare driver because 60Hz fix wizard's button is simply missing. What's wrong?
A: Driver-level 60Hz fix wizard is purposely blocked for NVIDIA ForceWare drivers in version RC14.1 and newer. This module is not required for new generation drivers, because NVIDIA finally provided unified Direct3D / OpenGL refresh override tool in ForceWare control panel.

Q: I've read the previous question and I know about generic ForceWare refresh override tool, however I don't like ForceWare's refresh rate override implementation. My monitor clicks during refresh rate override and I'd like to exclude 60Hz from the list of supported refresh rates at all instead of overriding refresh rate. Can you please unlock 60Hz fix wizard for ForceWare drivers too?
A: Driver-level 60Hz fix wizard is not the only module in RivaTuner allowing you to do it. RivaTuner provides 3 different tools, which can be used for fixing 60Hz bug using different approaches. The second tool is low-level refresh overrider, which provides you exactly the same way of fixing 60Hz bug like ForceWare refresh override tool. The third tool is low-level monitor driver wizard, and it allows you to remove 60Hz from the list of supported refresh rates like driver-level 60Hz fix wizard. The only difference is that driver-level 60Hz fix wizard limits refresh rates from display adapter's side, whilst this tool limits refresh rates from the monitor driver's side. To fix 60Hz just activate low-level monitor driver wizard, create a driver with custom minimum refresh rates for display modes you want to fix, then simply install the driver you've created.

Q: Can I fix 60Hz on Matrox / SiS / 3dfx board with RivaTuner?
A: Yes. Two of three 60Hz fixing aimed tools available in RivaTuner are vendor independent and can be used for fixing 60Hz on any display adapter. You can use either low-level refresh overrider or low-level monitor driver wizard module for fixing 60Hz bug on these graphics cards.

Q: I used to use RivaTuner with NVIDIA graphics cards, however after moving to ATI graphics card I cannot longer use RivaTuner to tweak Direct3D/OpenGL settings. RivaTuner fails to detect Catalyst x.xx driver on my system and always displays 'No supported drivers detected for this display adapter'. What's wrong?
A: Nothing is wrong, it must be so. RivaTuner never provided driver-level settings for ATI display adapters and probably never will. Driver-level tweaks are exclusively available on NVIDIA boards only. However, ATI users may use RivaTuner's patch engine to install patch scripts on Catalyst / FireGL drivers. RivaTuner also provides a full set of low-level driver independent functions to both ATI and NVIDIA boards, so you may use the following features:

1. Overclocking module, overclocking profile manager allowing you to create different overclocking profiles for different applications.
2. AGP configuration module.
3. Refresh overrider module (can be used for fixing 60Hz under Windows 2000/XP via resident refresh override utility).
4. Monitor driver wizard (can be used for fixing 60Hz under Windows 2000/XP at the monitor driver level).
5. Color correction module, color scheme manager allowing you to create different color schemes for different applications.
6. Graphics subsystem diagnostic module.
7. Hardware monitoring module.
8. Statistics server appliacation.

Q: How do I use RivaTuner's patch scripts? What do I do with these *.RTS files?
A: *.RTS files are dedicated for processing with RivaTuner's built-in patch script interpretator. RivaTuner automatically registers itself as *.RTS file handler. So you can just run RivaTuner at least once to register *.RTS file extension then simply open the script you need via Windows explorer. All the scripts are located in PatchScripts subfolder in RivaTuner's folder. Take a note, that the link to this folder is also automatically added to Start menu during installing RivaTuner.

Q: I've modded my GeForce4 Ti4600 to Quadro4 900XGL with SoftQuadro4, but my PC hangs as soon as I start any OpenGL application. What's a problem?
A: Please read patch script description and documentation carefully. The latest supported driver version is Detonator 42.51, newer versions are protected and not supported by the script. The symptoms you are talking about are caused by your attempt to patch and use protected driver.

Q: I'd like to use ForceWare with SoftQuadro4. Do you plan to support protected drivers and update SoftQuadro4?
A: No, I don't. SoftQuadro4 development is discontinued and the chances to see updated script some day are pretty low.

Q: Is it possible to mod GeForceFX to Quadro with RivaTuner?
A: Officially it is impossible and RivaTuner doesn't provide documented tool for modding GeForceFX to a Quadro. I didn't investigated NV3x to NV3xGL GPUs moddability because from my point of view NV3x GPU family is too weak to invest time in such research. However, some users informed me about successful GeForceFX->Quadro modding with RivaTuner and Detonator FX drivers family. After investigating this question, I can confirm that some NV3x (presumably only NV30 / NV35) boards can be really modded with RivaTuner's NVStrap / NVStrapAntiprotection and SoftQuadro4 scripts under the Detonator FX (version 44.xx - 45.xx) drivers. Modding seems to be possible due to NV3x-specific 'hole' in Detonator FX's anti-SoftQuadro protection system. The protection seems to be fixed in ForceWare driver family, so modding any NV3x with these drivers will result in PC lockup after starting any OpenGL application.
So you may try to use SoftQuadro4 / NVStrap with Detonator FX drivers, but just remember that this mod is not officially provided by RivaTuner so I cannot give you any warranties.

Q: I'd like to buy gaming oriented display adapter then mod it to professional Quadro / FireGL with RivaTuner. What will you recommend to buy?
A: I strictly don't recommend you to buy display adapter special for softmodding to professional model. My SoftQuadro4 / SoftFireGL researches are aimed to prove or disprove a lack of differences between graphics processors used on gaming and professional boards. The scripts just allow you to verify my test results, and they are not intended for permanent usage. As soon as I provide research results to the community, hardware vendors react immediately and protect their drivers against the scripts, because they don't want to loose money on professional boards sales.
However, I physically cannot and will not update these scripts and constantly investigate / block new protections added by hardware vendors to their drivers. As soon as the first generation of scripts is launched and GPU moddability is proved, the scripts support can be discontinued at any time because protection / antiprotection chase is endless and for me it is just a waste of time.
So if you buy display adapter to softmodding - get ready to the fact that the development and support of script you are going to use will be discontinued one day.

Q: How do I install the SoftR9x00 patch script?
A: Just perform the following sequence of actions:

1. Extract ATI driver into the temporary folder (e.g. C:\SoftR9x00\) with WinZip or just run driver setup to extract driver to its default location (usually C:\ATI\Support\).
2. Run SoftR9x00 patch script (read the previous questions to get instructions on installing *.RTS scripts) for your operation system.
3. Patch script window will appear. Press <Continue> button after reading and accepting SoftR9x00 license agreement. Depending on the OS you are using, patch script interpretator will offer you to browse for ati2mtag.sys or ati2xvag.vxd file.
4. If you are using generic driver distributive with packed installation files (*.DL_, *.SY_ etc.) then select ati2mtag.sy_ or ati2xvag.vx_ in the 'Files of type' dropdown list. If you use unpacked modified driver ATI drivers (e.g. ripped driver packs from www.radeon2.ru) then simply leave the 'Files of type' dropdown list unchanged.
5. Select target file in the folder where you've extracted ATI driver. RivaTuner will patch it and display log window. Ensure that it doesn't contain error messages.
6. Install the driver you have patched. To do it use device manager and manually update the driver and specify *.INF file for the patched driver. If you are installing the driver via its' executable installer, ensure that you've removed .cat file from the driver's subfolder, otherwise automatic installed will use original digitally signed packed file instead of unpacked one.

Q: How do I verify that SoftR9x00 is installed properly?
A: First, RivaTuner must display that 8 pixel pipelines have been successfully activated (the number of currently active pixel pipelines is displayed on the main tab, e.g. "256-bit R300 (8x1) with 128MB DDR memory" ).Second, Windows must display 'RADEON 9700' in the Display properties -> Adapter -> Adapter information -> Chip type. Third, OpenGL renderer name must detect Radon 9700 too (you may verify OpenGL renderer name with RivaTuner's diagnostic report module or other specialized software like GLInfo, SiSoft Sandra or simply use some OpenGL games (e.g. use Quake III -> System -> Driver info). Finally, you can compare file modification date for %windir%\system32\drivers\ati2mtag.sys and ati2mtag.sy_ in the driver's distributive. They must be different.

Q: I did it step by step but it didn't work. Is it a bug in script or my R9500 is just unmoddable?
A: The only reason that can cause it is that the script is not properly used (i.e. you have installed the original driver). Please read the previous question carefully and verify your actions step-by-step.

Q: I've downloaded patched ati2mtag.sys and it worked perfectly, but I cannot get RivaTuner's script to work. What's wrong with RivaTuner?
A: It can only mean that you cannot patch and properly install the driver. Nothing more, nothing less. Please read the previous question carefully and verify your actions step-by-step.

Q: Is there any difference in performance between distributed patched driver and RivaTuner's patch script?
A: No. Both of them give absolutely equal performance.

Q: I've tried to apply SoftR9x00 directly to ati2mtag.sys directly in my windows\System32\drivers folder, but I don't see any difference after reboot. What's wrong?
A: I don't recommend to patch drivers on-the-fly if you don't know what is Windows file protection and how to avoid it. When digitally signed driver is installed, operating system tracks changes in such files and automatically replaces files when you made any changes in them. Use patching on-the-fly only if you perfectly understand and can perform all the additional steps necessary to avoid Windows file protection (e.g. empty dllcache).

Q: I've performed hardware mod of my R9500 to R9700 and got checkerboards artifacts. Can I fix it with your SoftR9700 script? Will it help me?
A: No, you cannot and it will not help you. SoftR9x00 is a full software analogue of hardware mod, it performs the same thing (i.e. forcing PCI DeviceID at the driver level).

Q: I've modded my RADEON 9500 to 9700 with SoftR9x00 and got checkerboards artifacts. Can this issue be software related? Should I try an alternate software mod, will it help me?
A: No, it cannot be software related. Checkerboard artifacts can appear after hardware and after both of software mods. You may try to download modified driver, but it will not help you. Both software mods use driver-level PCI DeviceID forcing approach. RivaTuner's script modifies PCI DeviceID request (ANDs and ORs some bits of the PCI DeviceID) so the driver just thinks that the regular R9700 is installed in the system. Similar technique (a lot of replaced DeviceIDs in the driver's devices table) is used in the w1zzard's patched drivers, walking on the net.

Q: However, I've heard that some people have different results using different mods. Can you explain it?
A: Some people are just trying to talk about the things that are beyond of their knowledge. It is absolutely impossible.

Q: I cannot install RivaTuner's SoftR9x00 script on Omega drivers. What's a problem?
A: Both NVIDIA and ATI Omega drivers are already patched with RivaTuner's scripts. There is no need to install the scripts on them.

Q: Can you please create your own pre-patched drivers based upon original Detonator / ForceWare / Catalyst / FireGL driver? I'm not an experienced user and pre-patched driver installation is much simpler than manual driver patching for me.
A: No. Sorry, but I will never provide such drivers to the community. First, there are already some RivaTuner scripts based driver packs walking on the net (e.g. Omega driver, Forsage etc.). Second, I totally disfavor patched driver distribution idea. It's just a question of principle and programmer's ethics. Being professional programmer myself, I can say that I definitively wouldn't like to see that somebody modifies then distributes my modified code. And I don't want to spring the same mine for other developers.
The only legal and moral way I see is external patch utility, allowing you to modify the code yourself. During installing the script you have to read and accepts license, which warns you that the code is modified by third party so it may not work as it was supposed by original code creators.

Q: Where can I post RivaTuner related questions?
A: First, you can post your questions in thematic discussion forum on official RivaTuner's support website www.guru3d.com. I browse this forum almost every day so it is the most likely that I'll address your questions there. Second, you can post your questions via email. Anyway, please ensure that you have completely read this file, RivaTuner's context help and did a search in the forum before you will post your question. The questions which were already discussed there will be ignored.
Also, please take a note that I've disjoined NVIDIA World team and no longer respond to any questions in www.nvworld.ru forum. You still can get rather qualified help there, but don't expect that all RivaTuner related replies will be 100% technically correct.

Q: Can you teach me how to tweak my display adapter?
A: Please don't bother me with such questions. Any non-RivaTuner related system tuning questions and help requests will be ignored.

Q: Why do you answer 'RTFM' so often? Is it so difficult to give detailed answer instead of such rough reply?
A: Yes, it is very difficult for me. I've neither wish nor time to reply on the same questions daily. RivaTuner's technical support via email/forums eats a lot of my time and I don't want to waste it. So don't feel aggrieved if you've got such reply. Just read the documentation and you'll surely find the answer on your question there.

Q: Where can I download the latest versions of RivaTuner?
A: You can download it from the official RivaTuner's hosting partners: www.nvworld.ru and www.guru3d.com.

Q: Where can I download a localized version of RivaTuner? I don't understand English and I'd like to see Russian interface.
A: I'm not going to implement multilanguage support in the nearest future. Please don't spam me with localization related questions (this basically refers to Russian teenagers), I will not reply.

Credits:

RivaTuner is a single man freeware project, developing and existing only due to enthusiasm. However, it won't be possible to provide support for support such wide range of display adapters without having actual hardware samples for testing. Currently RivaTuner's development lab is equipped with:

PCI NVIDIA GeForce2 MX400
AGP NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS
AGP NVIDIA GeForce3
AGP NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti4600
AGP NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200
AGP NVIDIA GeForceFX 5950 Ultra
AGP NVIDIA GeForce 6800
AGP ATI RADEON 8500
AGP ATI RADEON 9500
AGP ATI RADEON 9550
AGP ATI RADEON 9600XT
AGP ATI RADEON 9800PRO
AGP ATI RADEON X800PRO
PCIE ATI RADEON X800

Thanks to Andrew Worobiew @ iXBT / Digit-Life, Partick Kan, Guennadi Riguer @ ATI and Peter Yeung @ HIS for providing these samples for testing. If you want to extend range of supported hardware, wish to add some features specific to different display adapters, and can donate any display adapters not listed above, please contact me via email.

Contacts:

Alexey Nicolaychuk aka Unwinder, RivaTuner programming, design, NVIDIA databases, NVIDIA / ATI patch scripts

E-mail:

AlexUnwinder@mail.ru

Homepage:

http://www.guru3d.com

ICQ:

http://www.icq.com/64116381