More and more, gamers, performance addicts, and adventurous computer enthusiasts are getting deeper and deeper into tweaking and overclocking their computers.  To facilitate this process, and unlock a plethora of additional features related to the performance of your nVidia GeForce Video Card(s), Coolbits answers the call.  Not only does Coolbits void the necessity of third-party Video Card tweaking software, it is also relatively easy to enable.  In the following article I will detail the steps required to enable Coolbits, explain what some of the major unlocked features are, and how to use these new features to enhance performance.

**But first, before getting into the juicy, exciting part, I need to cover the legal part with the following disclaimer.  PCMechanic, nVidia, and myself cannot be held responsible for any and all damage (hardware and software related) which the user might bring upon their computer through the features which Coolbits unlocks.  Additionally, I am taking the liberty to assume that anyone who attempts to use Coolbits to Overclock their nVidia Video Card(s) understands the risks involved.  Such risks include, but aren’t limited to, failure of hardware, voiding warranties, and data corruption.

Enabling Coolbits - SLI
First thing first, we need to enable Coolbits before we can take full advantage of the many wonders it unlocks.  To do so, I have attempted to consolidate the required steps into a melody of step-by-step instructions and assisting images.  Keep in mind that Coolbits will only work on 55.xx (and up)  nVidia Drivers.  Also, remember that Overclocking your Video Cards voids the current warranties, so be careful and only attempt Tweaking and Overclocking if you are prepared to possibly replace hardware.  These are the instructions for enabling Coolbits on a computer with dual Video Cards in SLI, if this doesn’t apply to you, skip ahead.

1.)  Click on ‘Start’ and then click on ‘Run’.

2.)  Type “regedit” (without the quotation marks) and click ‘OK’.

3.)  Begin navigating to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/NVIDIA Corporation/Global/NVTweak“.  To do so, expand the following directories in the same order: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > NVIDIA Corporation > Global > NVTweak.  At this moment you should be viewing a window similar to this:

4.)  Under the column titled ‘Name’, right-click and select ‘New DWORD Value’.

5.)  Replace the name ‘New Value #1′ with “Coolbits” (without the quotations).

6.)  Right-click on Coolbits and select ‘Modify’.  Under ‘Value Data:’, type:
1A - to unlock SLI AA options, advanced features, and overclocking abilities (or)
18 - to enable the SLI AA options and advanced features only

7.)  Click ‘OK’ and exit the Registry Editor.

Now, if everything worked correctly, Coolbits should have effectively unlocked  a magnitude of features and functions to do with your Video Cards.   For verification purposes, your Registry, after the addition of the Coolbits DWORD, should look similar to this (with possible variations on the Coolbits Value Data):

Enabling Coolbits - Single GPU
As I only have a computer with dual Video Cards, I was unable to verify what the ‘Value Data’ of the Coolbits Registry Key should be on a Single GPU computer.  Being overwhelmed, I found websites and guides throwing around the values 1, 3, and 8, and other websites where they recommended using an application called “Coolbits 2.0″, which automatically edits the Registry.  Reading reviews, I came to a conclusion that “Coolbits 2.0″ is the easiest, most reliable way enable Coolbits on a Single GPU Computer.  Though, it appears that a little tweaking will still have to be done to enable the Application Profiles (see below).

Download “Coolbits 2.0″ Here: http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=815

After running “Coolbits 2.0″, your updated Registry should look like this:

Opening Application Profiles (Single GPU + “Coolbits 2.0″)
By default (Note: Word on the street is that certain nVidia Card Series and Drivers will not require the following tweak.  So, first check to see if you can access your Application Profiles before adding to the registry), after using “Coolbits 2.0″ and allowing it to add entries to the Registry, you will notice that you no longer have and Application Profiles menu under Video Card properties.  In place of the Application Profile options, you will notice OpenGL and Direct3D tabs.  To gain control over which tabs are shown and not shown, there is a Registry tweak you can do yourself to modify the Video Card  control panel options to include Application Profiles.  I know, you are probably thinking that this is getting all-too confusing, but the overall performance gains and tweaking options are worth it.  Follow the steps below:

1.)  Click on ‘Start’ and then click on ‘Run’.

2.)  Type “regedit” (without the quotation marks) and click ‘OK’.

3.)  Navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/NVIDIA Corporation/Global/NVTweak“.  To do so, expand the following directories in the same order: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > NVIDIA Corporation > Global > NVTweak

4.)  Under the column ‘Name’, right-click and select ‘New DWORD Value’.

5.)  Replace the name ‘New Value #1′ with “NvCplEnableAppProfilePage” (without the quotations).

6.)  Right-click on the DWORD which was just added and select modify.  Change the ‘Value data’ from 0 to 1.  (Hint : If you want to revert the changes again and view the OpenGL and Direct3D tabs, return this value to 0)

7.)  Select ‘OK’, exit the Registry Editor, and Reboot your PC for the changes to take effect