[Ars] Should we be required to create an account to get drivers?

[ShintaiDK]

It certainly does says it all. People dont care, they only care how it actually perform. GTX970 is only beaten by HD4000 IGP.

Just like Microsoft will succeed with its automated drivers and updates. People accept it. And only the small crowd that may not even be the target audience complains. And in the end of the day, nobody really cares besides someone on a forum.

 

[Spanners]

You've just repeated the same argument.

The majority might not care, that doesn't make this a good move. People often "accept", or are completely ignorant of, things that are not in their best interests it doesn't make a strong argument that they are a good idea or should be implemented.

We are those people on the forums so I think it's fair to express our displeasure. Nobody is saying everyone should be forced to install drivers manually, just that people shouldn't be forced to install needless extra software just to get driver updates. The fact that Nvidia is popular and could get away with doing this isn't a good argument that they should do it.

 

[railven]

You've just repeated the same argument.

The majority might not care, that doesn't make this a good move. People often "accept", or are completely ignorant of, things that are not in their best interests it doesn't make a strong argument that they are a good idea or should be implemented.

We are those people on the forums so I think it's fair to express our displeasure. Nobody is saying everyone should be forced to install drivers manually, just that people shouldn't be forced to install needless extra software just to get driver updates. The fact that Nvidia is popular and could get away with doing this isn't a good argument that they should do it.

But it goes both ways, and that's the meat of forum posts. You got the "nay" crowd versus the "meh" crowd and the "yay" crowd all trying to make their opinion the standing one.

I'd say I'm part of the "meh." I remember when GPU Boost was rolled out. You had the traditionalists fighting tooth and nail in forum wars, and end of the day it didn't really matter. We're all using GPU boost to some degree.

People will find a way around this. They always do. Tis the beauty of PC Gaming (probably why I'm in the "meh" crowd. I know I'll find a torrent file for drivers IF i need them, and most likely the link will be posted by someone here.)

 

[tential]

You've just repeated the same argument.

The majority might not care, that doesn't make this a good move. People often "accept", or are completely ignorant of, things that are not in their best interests it doesn't make a strong argument that they are a good idea or should be implemented.

We are those people on the forums so I think it's fair to express our displeasure. Nobody is saying everyone should be forced to install drivers manually, just that people shouldn't be forced to install needless extra software just to get driver updates. The fact that Nvidia is popular and could get away with doing this isn't a good argument that they should do it.

Nvidia should be able to get away with this. This is what happens when you create a strong user base of people who refuse to purchase anything but 1 vendor. They have a lot of people held hostage and can do things like this.

The only way it changes is if people drop nvidia gpus over this specific issue. People may be dropping nvidia gpus, but it's not because of just this 1 issue, and the people picking up nvidia gpus outweighs the customers they are losing.

 

[railven]

Nvidia should be able to get away with this. This is what happens when you create a strong user base of people who refuse to purchase anything but 1 vendor. They have a lot of people held hostage and can do things like this.

The only way it changes is if people drop nvidia gpus over this specific issue. People may be dropping nvidia gpus, but it's not because of just this 1 issue, and the people picking up nvidia gpus outweighs the customers they are losing.

Have to admit, as someone who plays a lot of MMOs, AMD needs to fix their holes there if they want to win me back. I'm full blown FFXIV obsessed right now and I'd be super furious if I had a shiny $650 Fury X was crashing randomly in that game.

NV does more right for me, as a gamer_consumer, than they do wrong as greedy corporation. Do I go all "we the consumers" and give AMD money for subpar performance in the games I most frequently play and pray they don't abandon me during the DX12 revolution, or do I keep NV fat and selfish with their anti-consumer decisions?

Frankly, Intel should buy out AMD's GPU patents, produce something and then I can be a corporate sheep AND get the raw performance

 

[Ranulf]

Also, if they require your name and DOB, lie.

Hi, I'm Fred Flinstone.

I live at 1600 Pennslyvania Ave. although sometimes I'm residing at 1060 W. Addison.
Zip code is 90210. Leave a message with my secretary Jenny at 867-5309.

Last I checked my DOB is 11/11/1911.

The best part is when I get birthday emails from some of these sites/companies. I get birthday wishes all year long now!

 

[Spanners]

Nvidia should be able to get away with this. This is what happens when you create a strong user base of people who refuse to purchase anything but 1 vendor. They have a lot of people held hostage and can do things like this.

The only way it changes is if people drop nvidia gpus over this specific issue. People may be dropping nvidia gpus, but it's not because of just this 1 issue, and the people picking up nvidia gpus outweighs the customers they are losing.

I agree Nvidia can get away with this and as railven said I'll look for a workaround before I sell my Nvidia card. Which makes me part of the problem I suppose. If there is absolutely no workaround I would drop the card though.

I feel that when you're using phrases like "held hostage" and "get away with" it's clear this is a dumb idea.

 

[Sabrewings]

I agree Nvidia can get away with this and as railven said I'll look for a workaround before I sell my Nvidia card. Which makes me part of the problem I suppose. If there is absolutely no workaround I would drop the card though.

I feel that when you're using phrases like "held hostage" and "get away with" it's clear this is a dumb idea.

Anyone wanting to sell their super depreciated Nvidia card over needing an email address, I'll offer 50c on the dollar for their value a week ago...

 

[tential]

I agree Nvidia can get away with this and as railven said I'll look for a workaround before I sell my Nvidia card. Which makes me part of the problem I suppose. If there is absolutely no workaround I would drop the card though.

I feel that when you're using phrases like "held hostage" and "get away with" it's clear this is a dumb idea.

I'm not saying it's a great idea for consumers. I'm saying that nvidia can do it anyway because the user base is small, they won't make a huge fuss on social media since enthusiasts don't give their emails out, and enthusiasts will look for a work around before switching gpu vendors.

So nvidia can easily do this if they choose to.

I'm willing to bet the same people in this thread who are extremely livid about this, 7 months later will be in their routine of whatever they're doing, pascal will drop, and people will upgrade because zomg pascal.

Nvidia has shown time and time again no matter what they do, people will buy their gpus and increase marketshare.

It sucks, but people buy and promote nvidia products all day no matter what, so I don't think this will be any different.

The lack of outrage on more casual forums is what is telling me nvidia is going to do whatever they want, and people will adapt to it

 

[tential]

Anyone wanting to sell their super depreciated Nvidia card over needing an email address, I'll offer 50c on the dollar for their value a week ago...

I'll offer 55c!

 

[bystander36]

I don't get this, "I don't like not having a choice" argument. You didn't have a choice before GFE. You don't have a choice with AMD. You have to go to their website and download their drivers. Nvidia isn't removing your choice, they are just changing the location you get your drivers.

They don't force you to download drivers, and beta drivers are still there, you just have to tell GFE to look for them. Of course they'll give you the option to use Beta drivers if they want you to have the option.

Nothing really changes except where you get their drivers. The only annoying part I could definitely live without is having it attached to an email account.

 

[bystander36]

You've just repeated the same argument.

The majority might not care, that doesn't make this a good move. People often "accept", or are completely ignorant of, things that are not in their best interests it doesn't make a strong argument that they are a good idea or should be implemented.

We are those people on the forums so I think it's fair to express our displeasure. Nobody is saying everyone should be forced to install drivers manually, just that people shouldn't be forced to install needless extra software just to get driver updates. The fact that Nvidia is popular and could get away with doing this isn't a good argument that they should do it.

Lots of programs have installers, launchers and what not. What's the big deal about having a tiny piece of software that lets you update your drivers? You are blowing that out of proportion. The email thing is the odd add on. Why does Nvidia need your email, unless this is part of their warranty system.

 

[Teizo]

It certainly does says it all. People dont care, they only care how it actually perform. GTX970 is only beaten by HD4000 IGP.

Just like Microsoft will succeed with its automated drivers and updates. People accept it. And only the small crowd that may not even be the target audience complains. And in the end of the day, nobody really cares besides someone on a forum.

You are trying way too hard here. People already have those 970s and when they bought them this policy was not in place. The question is from here on out how will it shake out. Your line of reasoning is invalid and makes no sense whatsoever. Automatic updates for your OS is one thing considering the security aspect of it...plus the damned OS is free, but having your add-in discrete gpu follow along in such a way is too intrusive.

GFE should remain optional, and it should be good enough that people want to install it vs being forced to install it to receive game ready driver updates. As I've mentioned before, some processes of GFE are read as active 3D processes by Afterburner and conflict with it.

I'll put it to you like this. If Radeon comes out with a good competing card in comparison to nVidia (power/heat/noise/fps, etc), I will from here on out go with Radeon...and if anyone says that is an overreaction and act condescending then you are showing your hand.

 

[Teizo]

I don't get this, "I don't like not having a choice" argument. You didn't have a choice before GFE.

Well, considering you could get game ready drivers without having GFE installed off of Geforce.com and could opt not to install GFE during the install if you had no use for it and could then in the future go back to Geforce.com and get the next installment....then yeah I would call that a choice.

You guys are showing your hand. They are absolutely removing choice. To say otherwise is saying 'I get paid by Nvidia to post on forums' probably.

 

[bystander36]

Well, considering you could get game ready drivers without having GFE installed off of Geforce.com and could opt not to install GFE during the install if you had no use for it and could then in the future go back to Geforce.com and get the next installment....then yeah I would call that a choice.

You guys are showing your hand. They are absolutely removing choice. To say otherwise is saying 'I get paid by Nvidia to post on forums' probably.

What is this crap about showing your hand? We aren't playing cards.

Until GFE came about, your only option was to go to the website and download the drivers. Now you go to the GFE and download the drivers. What's the difference other than having a small program loaded? Did you throw a fit when Nvidia and AMD added software suites to their drivers too?

It's just a new way of delivering drivers. Don't be so affraid of it. It's not like this is untested software.

 

[Spanners]

Lots of programs have installers, launchers and what not. What's the big deal about having a tiny piece of software that lets you update your drivers? You are blowing that out of proportion. The email thing is the odd add on. Why does Nvidia need your email, unless this is part of their warranty system.

Does it have to be a big deal for me to be against the idea? I've used GFE for a time and it's not some awful invasive malware but I just don't need anything it offered. I don't want driver updates tied to something I don't want to use. I didn't say the sky was failing or Nvidia was literally Hitler so I feel like this is in proportion.

 

[ocre]

Well, considering you could get game ready drivers without having GFE installed off of Geforce.com and could opt not to install GFE during the install if you had no use for it and could then in the future go back to Geforce.com and get the next installment....then yeah I would call that a choice.

You guys are showing your hand. They are absolutely removing choice. To say otherwise is saying 'I get paid by Nvidia to post on forums' probably.

wow!!!!!

 

[tential]

Well, considering you could get game ready drivers without having GFE installed off of Geforce.com and could opt not to install GFE during the install if you had no use for it and could then in the future go back to Geforce.com and get the next installment....then yeah I would call that a choice.

You guys are showing your hand. They are absolutely removing choice. To say otherwise is saying 'I get paid by Nvidia to post on forums' probably.

Nope I'm not using nvidia. I've said it multiple times, I can't buy nvidia cards because gsync is on small screens and I only like big big screens I'm amd only for the foreseeable future.
Yet if amd pulled the same move, I would just go along with it. I'd welcome it if amd could actually pull something like that off but I doubt it. I trust nvidia to have some hiccups at the beginning but get it working.

I mean it is removing a choice but I just see it as changing the distribution method and since driver installs are optional it's no big deal. There has been so much misinformation spread about this that I really feel a lot of people are against it just because "this is how it's always been!"

 

[AnandThenMan]

There has been so much misinformation spread about this that I really feel a lot of people are against it just because "this is how it's always been!"

You have either not read most of the posts in this thread or are purposely ignoring them. Driver installs are technically optional but given you might have to wait 3 months to get the latest it effectively means you have no choice but to use GFE. Would you wait months to get a driver when there has been a zero day patch to fix a bunch of bugs and speeds up a title you just bought?

No you would not.

 

[5150Joker]

GFE should remain optional, and it should be good enough that people want to install it vs being forced to install it to receive game ready driver updates.

From your lips to God's ears. My money is on you going NVIDIA again and all this talk will be long forgotten.

 

[thesmokingman]

I don't understand why most of the NV ppl seem to back this nuisance of a process. Couldn't you be a fan and not want to sign up and still get your driver? This is an imposition on their customer base. They already bought the card, isn't that enough? Whatever happened to ala carte?

 

[bystander36]

You have either not read most of the posts in this thread or are purposely ignoring them. Driver installs are technically optional but given you might have to wait 3 months to get the latest it effectively means you have no choice but to use GFE. Would you wait months to get a driver when there has been a zero day patch to fix a bunch of bugs and speeds up a title you just bought?

No you would not.

I don't think you understood him.

1) Just like now, drivers are optional, and BETA drivers are still available through GFE.
2) Instead of being required to go to their website and downloading drivers, like AMD currently, and Nvidia until GFE was fairly recently added, Nvidia users will be required to go through GFE instead.
3) How is the waiting for new drivers if you choose to not download them any different than if they were on a website instead of on GFE?
4) He's making note that the fuss is mostly about people not liking change.

The only thing that is really annoying is the added email requirement. The rest is just a slight change. You get them from GFE instead of Geforce.com. Big deal.

 

[AnandThenMan]

You get them from GFE instead of Geforce.com. Big deal.

I can open my browser, download driver, close browser, install driver. Game. Now I have to have a piece of bloatware running to get the driver, maybe I will have to kill the process if I don't want it wasting resources or doing who knows what else, hope it doesn't mess with my game settings, hope it doesn't get even more intrusive in the future.

Yea exactly the same thing.

 

[Pwndenburg]

Sent you a PM about FFXIV Railven

 

[Pariah]

I can open my browser, download driver, close browser, install driver. Game. Now I have to have a piece of bloatware running to get the driver, maybe I will have to kill the process if I don't want it wasting resources or doing who knows what else, hope it doesn't mess with my game settings, hope it doesn't get even more intrusive in the future.

Yea exactly the same thing.

Are you running a Pentium III with 128MB RAM? How are you able to use a PCI-E video card in that system?