Installing some new Nvidia drivers and I noticed an option for a 'Clean' install. Does this actually do a clean install? I have been using driver cleaner Pro run from safe mode after uninstalling a driver set, then running the new drivers on reboot. Can I skip all that mumbo jumbo and just do the clean install option and get the same results?
Second question, is it still the wisest choice to use generic Nvida drivers or is there some compelling reason to use the manufacturer's driver set?
I always use the nvidia mfg driver. FYI I never let Microslop define what driver I need. Its probably the number one issue I fix on friends laptops and such.
that's not really my question. When I say manufacturer I mean Evga or Gigabyte or whoever the manufacturer of the video card is. They will typically have a driver set which I have never used. My question was whether it's ever beneficial to run those drivers over Nvidia's reference drivers.
I highly doubt the video card companies have any sort of advantage over the Nvidia drivers
would be a better question for tomshardware
It's conceptually feasible that manufacturer drivers take advantage of some feature that only their particular hardware has, but it's also likely they are are always a step or two behind nVidia (and may have bugs related to their "special features").
Personally I have always just used the nVidia driver straight from their website.
I've never done anything other than downloading the driver from Nvidia and installing it. None of this safe mode stuff. But supposedly the clean install cleans up any old files from your old driver installs, so I'm thinking that it will provide you the outcome you're looking for.