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RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 02 Sep 2025, 23:01
by crack
Currently using 566.14, MSI enabled, undefined priority, machinedefault (I get random stutters if I change from default). Pretty much exclusively play games released before 2020, is it worth installing an older driver than this one?

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 03 Sep 2025, 11:11
by Slender
crack wrote:
02 Sep 2025, 23:01
Currently using 566.14, MSI enabled, undefined priority, machinedefault (I get random stutters if I change from default). Pretty much exclusively play games released before 2020, is it worth installing an older driver than this one?
i have BIG frametime spikes and games just freeze on these 566.36 and 566.14
try 566.03

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 03 Sep 2025, 17:44
by crack
It feels better than 566.14, personally I didn't have frametime spikes or freezes because of the 566.14 driver, not once :D. I installed 566.14 and 566.03 with NVSlimmer. 1 min 1 second latency mon screenshots:

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 03 Sep 2025, 18:02
by kyube

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 03 Sep 2025, 18:36
by crack

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 04 Sep 2025, 09:00
by kyube
crack wrote:
03 Sep 2025, 18:36
Your test data only covers 1 scenario: idle on desktop, which isn't representative of what you feel in-game.

The DPC/ISR performance values significantly change once you introduce D3D9-12 3d workloads (games) or OpenGL/VK 3d workloads.
You can take a look at this article, which dissects how Intel ARC cards behave VS AMD cards in D3D11: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/digging-in ... -on-intels

You need a repeatable test environment in a specific graphics API to be able to evaluate 2 driver releases in 1 specific workload (game).

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 04 Sep 2025, 14:47
by crack
kyube wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 09:00
crack wrote:
03 Sep 2025, 18:36
Your test data only covers 1 scenario: idle on desktop, which isn't representative of what you feel in-game.

The DPC/ISR performance values significantly change once you introduce D3D9-12 3d workloads (games) or OpenGL/VK 3d workloads.
You can take a look at this article, which dissects how Intel ARC cards behave VS AMD cards in D3D11: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/digging-in ... -on-intels

You need a repeatable test environment in a specific graphics API to be able to evaluate 2 driver releases in 1 specific workload (game).
Oh, right. I can test DOOM Eternal for Vulkan workload, D3D11 Borderlands GOTY Remastered, DX9 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl and CoD1 for OGL. What time per testing session should I go for? 30 mins? more? less? right now I don't have time to test.

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 04 Sep 2025, 14:55
by Slender
crack wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 14:47
kyube wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 09:00
crack wrote:
03 Sep 2025, 18:36
Your test data only covers 1 scenario: idle on desktop, which isn't representative of what you feel in-game.

The DPC/ISR performance values significantly change once you introduce D3D9-12 3d workloads (games) or OpenGL/VK 3d workloads.
You can take a look at this article, which dissects how Intel ARC cards behave VS AMD cards in D3D11: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/digging-in ... -on-intels

You need a repeatable test environment in a specific graphics API to be able to evaluate 2 driver releases in 1 specific workload (game).
Oh, right. I can test DOOM Eternal for Vulkan workload, D3D11 Borderlands GOTY Remastered, DX9 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl and CoD1 for OGL. What time per testing session should I go for? 30 mins? more? less? right now I don't have time to test.
so, 566.03 working for you?

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 04 Sep 2025, 15:56
by kyube
crack wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 14:47
Oh, right. I can test DOOM Eternal for Vulkan workload, D3D11 Borderlands GOTY Remastered, DX9 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl and CoD1 for OGL. What time per testing session should I go for? 30 mins? more? less? right now I don't have time to test.
You don't need to do long sessions, shorter intervals are sufficient.
You'd set the duration to be exactly the length of the benchmark you're targetting.
The main problem is finding a repeatable testing environment / benchmark.
For example: CS2 (D3D11) benchmark maps, OW2 (D3D11 & D3D12) benchmark maps — HEZHJ & D3KVN can be good games to test driver performance in.

You could also find a D3D12, D3D9, OGL & VK title from here:
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_ ... benchmarks
https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_OpenGL_games

Here's a few examples of games with a built-in benchmarks (taken from the lists above):
D3D12: Ashes of the Singularity, Shadow/Rise of The Tomb Raider, CoD MW3 (2023), RDR2
D3D9: Arma2, UT2004, GTA IV, CS:S, FEAR, Batman Arkham Asylum, Mafia II (original)
OGL: Xonotic, Minecraft, UT2004 (custom), Doom 3
VK: Wolfenstein Youngblood, Doom The Dark Ages

Remember that you are interested in the CPU overhead, meaning you don't want your GPU to be limitation here.
Use lowest graphical settings in-game & lowest possible resolution possible, as a baseline)
I would stick to D3D title tests only, as OGL/VK titles are on DXGI interop (replacing GDI) on Nvidia GPUs
https://old.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comment ... _in_55585/

Note: The DPC/ISR driver performance in 1 title may not apply to other titles of the same graphics API.

Re: RTX 3070 Driver recommendation

Posted: 04 Sep 2025, 19:26
by crack
Slender wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 14:55
crack wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 14:47
kyube wrote:
04 Sep 2025, 09:00
crack wrote:
03 Sep 2025, 18:36
Your test data only covers 1 scenario: idle on desktop, which isn't representative of what you feel in-game.

The DPC/ISR performance values significantly change once you introduce D3D9-12 3d workloads (games) or OpenGL/VK 3d workloads.
You can take a look at this article, which dissects how Intel ARC cards behave VS AMD cards in D3D11: https://chipsandcheese.com/p/digging-in ... -on-intels

You need a repeatable test environment in a specific graphics API to be able to evaluate 2 driver releases in 1 specific workload (game).
Oh, right. I can test DOOM Eternal for Vulkan workload, D3D11 Borderlands GOTY Remastered, DX9 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl and CoD1 for OGL. What time per testing session should I go for? 30 mins? more? less? right now I don't have time to test.
so, 566.03 working for you?
yes, better than 566.14, although 566.14 did not show the big frametime spikes you speak of, this absolutely feels better off straight away after the shader caching finishes.