Gaming on Windows 7 in 2025 and forever

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fearedbliss

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Hello all,

I've started my research on downgrading my Razer Blade 15 Base Edition - Full HD 144Hz - GeForce RTX 2060 - Black from Windows 10 Home to Windows 7 Ultimate. I've been using this machine as my gaming laptop (in Offline Mode) for a while now and I purchased it back in 2020. I was skeptical if Windows 7 would even work on it or if I would be able to get the drivers I need to get it functioning. I believe it may be possible to do this. I'm particularly interested in primarily having the GPU working, thus finding Windows 7 x64 NVIDIA drivers for the RTX 2060 card. On the NVIDIA page I can't find any Windows 7 drivers for the RTX 2060 (Notebook) series cards, however, someone on reddit mentioned that they were also trying to get their RTX 2060 Notebook driver to work on Windows 7 and a user posted the link to an older build (that is still available from NVIDIA but not easily findable) that just happens to work for Windows 7 x64 and included RTX 2060 support! I'll need to give this a shot when I have time but I'm excited. Downgrading from Windows 10 Home to Windows 7 Ultimate on my Razer laptop would be amazing and would definitely make me feel right at home. The machine will continue to be my offline gaming machine so, we good ;).

You can find the reddit post here, and this is the link to the driver. The download didn't start when I clicked the download button but I was able to right click the download button and copy the link, then navigated to that link directly and then it started. I also found the Windows 7 reddit page so I'll need to check it out more and see people's rigs. I think we may actually have to start "Making Windows 7 Great Again" LOL. PS: I'm not a fan of reddit's owner, and I don't have a reddit account, so definitely feel free not to visit it!

431.36 - WHQL​

Release Date:Tue Jul 09, 2019
Operating System:Windows 7 64-bit
Language:English (US)
File Size:520.53 MB
Download Now

Release Highlights​

Game Ready Drivers provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases, including Virtual Reality games. Prior to a new title launching, our driver team is working up until the last minute to ensure every performance tweak and bug fix is included for the best gameplay on day-1.

Game Ready
Provides the optimal gaming experience for Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Strange Brigade, and Metro Exodus

Gaming Technology
Adds support for GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER and RTX 2070 SUPER GPUs
Adds support for three new G-SYNC compatible monitors

Supported Products​

GeForce​

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080, GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, GeForce RTX 2070, GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, GeForce RTX 2060

GeForce​

GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, GeForce GTX 1660, GeForce GTX 1650

NVIDIA TITAN Series​

NVIDIA TITAN V

Additional Information​

Please note: Effective April 12, 2018, Game Ready Driver upgrades, including performance enhancements, new features, and bug fixes, will be available only for desktop Kepler, Maxwell, Pascal, Volta, and Turing-series GPUs, as well as for systems utilizing mobile Maxwell, Pascal, and Turing-series GPUs for notebooks.

Following the posting of the final driver from Release 418 on April 11, 2019 GeForce Game Ready Drivers will no longer support NVIDIA 3D Vision or systems utilizing mobile Kepler-series GPUs. Critical security updates will be available for these products through April 2020. A complete list of Kepler-series GeForce GPUs can be found here.

Those looking to utilize 3D Vision can remain on a Release 418 driver. Our software that enables the use of 3D gaming with 3D TVs, 3DTV Play, is now included for free in Release 418. It is no longer available as a standalone download. Our 3D Vision Video Player will continue to be offered as a standalone download, for free, until the end of 2019.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
After more search I found another driver (slightly newer, 441.41 rather than my previous 431.36). I'm going to see if I can find the newest released driver that supported Windows 7 x64.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/results/155055/

441.41 - WHQL​

Release Date:Tue Nov 26, 2019
Operating System:Windows 7 64-bit
Language:English (US)
File Size:552.67 MB
Download Now

Release Highlights​

Cache Test:

Game Ready Drivers provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases. Prior to a new title launching, our driver team is working up until the last minute to ensure every performance tweak and bug fix is included for the best gameplay on day-1.

Game Ready for Halo: Reach
The new Game Ready Driver provides the latest performance optimizations, profiles, and bug fixes for Halo: Reach. In addition, this release also provides optimal support for the Quake II RTX v1.2 update which provides exciting quality enhancements for ray tracing and textures.

Image Sharpening Support for Vulkan and OpenGL
Last month, we introduced a new NVIDIA Control Panel Image Sharpening feature that enables GeForce gamers to improve clarity and sharpness in DirectX titles, and to easily upscale and sharpen. With this new Game Ready Driver, this feature is also now available for OpenGL and Vulkan games. To enable Image Sharpening, open NVIDIA Control Panel and select Manage 3D Settings -> Image Sharpening.

Learn more in our Game Ready Driver article here.

Supported Products​

GeForce​

GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, GeForce RTX 2080, GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, GeForce RTX 2070, GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, GeForce RTX 2060

GeForce​

GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, GeForce GTX 1660, GeForce GTX 1650

NVIDIA TITAN Series​

NVIDIA TITAN RTX, NVIDIA TITAN V

Additional Information​

Please note: Effective April 12, 2018, Game Ready Driver upgrades, including performance enhancements, new features, and bug fixes, will be available only for desktop Kepler, Maxwell, Pascal, Volta, and Turing-series GPUs, as well as for systems utilizing mobile Maxwell, Pascal, and Turing-series GPUs for notebooks.

Following the posting of the final driver from Release 418 on April 11, 2019 GeForce Game Ready Drivers will no longer support NVIDIA 3D Vision or systems utilizing mobile Kepler-series GPUs. Critical security updates will be available for these products through April 2020. A complete list of Kepler-series GeForce GPUs can be found here.

Those looking to utilize 3D Vision can remain on a Release 418 driver. Our software that enables the use of 3D gaming with 3D TVs, 3DTV Play, is now included for free in Release 418. It is no longer available as a standalone download. Our 3D Vision Video Player will continue to be offered as a standalone download, for free, until the end of 2019.

Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Still doing some bisecting and investigation, but I've been able to find this build, I'll need to test if it supports RTX 2060 since I don't see it listed in the list even though it's a way higher build within the Windows 7 x64 sphere:

https://www.nvidia.in/drivers/results/177771#driverInfo-177771=1

471.41 - WHQL​

Version: 471.41 - WHQL
Type: Graphics Driver
Release Date: Mon Jul 19, 2021
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit
Language: English (US)
File Size: 604.02 MB
Download Now

Release Highlights

Although GeForce Game Ready Drivers and NVIDIA Studio Drivers can be installed on supported notebook GPUs, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provides certified drivers for your specific notebook on their website. NVIDIA recommends that you check with your notebook OEM for recommended software updates for your notebook.

Game Ready Drivers provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases. Prior to a new title launching, our driver team is working up until the last minute to ensure every performance tweak and bug fix is included for the best gameplay on day-1.

Game Ready for Red Dead Redemption 2
This new Game Ready Driver provides support for the latest new titles and updates, including the latest game updates for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Chernobylite which introduce NVIDIA DLSS technology.

Learn more in our Game Ready Driver article here.

Supported Products

GeForce MX400 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX450

GeForce MX300 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX330

GeForce MX200 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX250, GeForce MX230

GeForce MX100 Series (Notebook)​

GeForce MX150, GeForce MX130, GeForce MX110

GeForce 10 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 1080, GeForce GTX 1070, GeForce GTX 1060, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, GeForce GTX 1050

GeForce 900M Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 980, GeForce GTX 980M, GeForce GTX 970M, GeForce GTX 965M, GeForce GTX 960M, GeForce GTX 950M, GeForce 945M, GeForce 940MX, GeForce 930MX, GeForce 920MX, GeForce 940M, GeForce 930M

GeForce 800M Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 860M, GeForce GTX 850M, GeForce 845M, GeForce 840M, GeForce 830M
Click to expand...
 

472.12 - WHQL​

Version: 472.12 - WHQL
Type: Graphics Driver
Release Date: Mon Sep 20, 2021
Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit
Language: English (US)
File Size: 607.97 MB
Download Now

Release Highlights​

Although GeForce Game Ready Drivers and NVIDIA Studio Drivers can be installed on supported notebook GPUs, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) provides certified drivers for your specific notebook on their website. NVIDIA recommends that you check with your notebook OEM for recommended software updates for your notebook.

Game Ready Drivers provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases. Prior to a new title launching, our driver team is working up until the last minute to ensure every performance tweak and bug fix is included for the best gameplay on day-1.

Game Ready for Windows 11
This new Game Ready Driver provides support for the official launch of Windows 11, including a variety of new features and functionality to enhance your gaming and productivity. In addition, this new Game Ready Driver offers support for the latest new titles and updates, including Alan Wake Remastered which utilizes NVIDIA DLSS to boost framerates by up to 2x at 4K resolution. Additionally, this release always provides optimal support for the latest update to Deathloop which introduces NVIDIA Reflex technology, as well as the launch of Diablo II: Resurrected, Far Cry 6, Hot Wheels Unleashed, Industria, New World, and World War Z: Aftermath.

Learn more in our Game Ready Driver article here.

Supported Products​

GeForce MX400 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX450

GeForce MX300 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX330

GeForce MX200 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce MX250, GeForce MX230

GeForce MX100 Series (Notebook)​

GeForce MX150, GeForce MX130, GeForce MX110

GeForce 10 Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 1080, GeForce GTX 1070, GeForce GTX 1060, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, GeForce GTX 1050

GeForce 900M Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 980, GeForce GTX 980M, GeForce GTX 970M, GeForce GTX 965M, GeForce GTX 960M, GeForce GTX 950M, GeForce 945M, GeForce 940MX, GeForce 930MX, GeForce 920MX, GeForce 940M, GeForce 930M

GeForce 800M Series (Notebooks)​

GeForce GTX 860M, GeForce GTX 850M, GeForce 845M, GeForce 840M, GeForce 830M
Click to expand...
 
Alright I think that's all I have for now. If anyone else wants to play detective, you can take a look at the NVIDIA Beta and Archive Drivers page. Windows 7 isn't listed, and that's where your adventure begins :devilish:. Once I get a chance to install Windows 7 on my laptop, I'll update y'all on whether 472.12 worked or if I'm gonna need to find the latest build above 441.41 but less than 472.12 that supports the RTX 20 series specifically.
 
So I've been playing around with getting my Razer Laptop (2020) to downgrade to Windows 7 but it may not be possible for various reasons. So to keep things short, it seems Windows 10 will need to be my last platform for my offline gaming computer (which is my current setup), plus all of my library basically works on Windows 10 where as only a portion at this point (a big portion but not 100%) works on Windows 7. Although I'm still happy to be in this current position when we look at the landscape. I'll still be keeping Windows 7 as the core reference platform for Cactus and all of the tools I provide in Cactus. So we are still good when it comes to Cactus and Diablo II. I was thinking of possibly just buying an older generation machine that was made during the Windows 7 era since that would guarantee I can easily install Windows 7 and all of that. I still may do this but at the moment I don't really wanna spend more money on hardware especially given that the Razer laptop works with 100% off my offline DRM free gaming collection, has a better graphic card than anything that I could get from the Windows 7 era (RTX 2070), and I'm already using Windows 10 in offline mode anyways. But we'll see what happens, eventually I may still pick up an old computer just for fun and run Windows 7 on it. Checking eBay, I saw that there were a bunch of brand new (old generation) dell computers that come with Windows 7 installed. I guess it's just old inventory that nobody ever used. These are perfect candidates for playing older games that may not be as graphically intensive from that period of time of before. I'm gonna do some more research and make a decision. Maybe an old Dell XPS haha. Although I'm thinking I would like to have a smaller lighter portable machine if I'm gonna be limiting the graphics performance and just playing old stuff like D2, D1, AOE 1/2, StarCraft, War 3, and stuff like XCOM (in DOSBox). If I make a decision on this I'll make another post here.
 
IMHO, there's no reason to willingly go back to windows 7 if you already have something that works. The only reason I'm still on it is that this laptop is from that era (2009-2010) and came with it and it's worked well so I simply never had a reason to upgrade. But at some point I tried downgrading to windows XP and while it can run, it just doesn't support as much software. I think your use case of just an offline gaming machine makes windows 10 sufficient, although I understand the huge privacy concerns with all the telemetry crap it tries to stop you from disabling. It's a good thing we have linux lol.
 
It's more that I just like Windows XP and 7. Doesn't need to be a specific reason other than that lol.
 
Yeah the windows xp-vista-7 era was the peak UI. I also like the clean design that 95-2000 had. Ever since windows 8 it's looked really atrocious. We've had a decade of this metro crap now and it doesn't appear to be going away. If it were possible I'd still be on windows 98 or the like, if it were theoretically possible to update the kernel+drivers to support 64-bit, support all modern hardware/etc. I love how simple and lightweight these older OSes were. Everything just keeps getting more bloated, complex, and larger as time goes on, and while some things improve, many are unneeded.
 
100% agreed. Like I said before, my main PC and server are on FreeBSD, so when it comes day-to-day stuff I'm up to date, modern, and all of that, but all of my gaming equipment doesn't need internet at all. My gameboy / and multiple Anbernic devices are all offline, all my games are offline single player, and the same thing for all of my PC games, so I'm fully free to downgrade my OS to w/e supports the particular game the best. I'll definitely be keeping my 2020 Razer Laptop and just leave it on Windows 10 (Offline) if that's what it comes to, but I'm definitely interested in either downgrading this machine, or buying a separate smaller machine from the Windows XP/7 era and at least putting part of my gaming collection on it. It would be nice to just chill on those older OSes in a quiet, offline, peaceful environment. No more development on it from outside forces, just a relic of the past that we can enjoy to our hearts content, with full stability given nothing will change in terms of kernel api changes, package updates that cause breakages, etc. It's pretty beautiful. There's so much "old software" out there that's waiting to be explored / re-explored, but everyone is always trying to find the shiny new thing. Our society has been trained, conditioned, and optimized to have short attention spans and keep seeking out artificial pleasures. Society has been alive and developing technology for thousands of years, but nobody ever stops to smell the roses and enjoy the present moment. They think that "the next update", "the next purchase", "The next <w/e>" is going to finally make them happy. This is a delusion. The sooner people realize that is the case, the faster they will gain wisdom to find true happiness. Nothing is perfect and nothing will ever be perfect, but sometimes we've always already had everything we needed to be happy right in front of our noses, and within ourselves.
 
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