Friday, August 14th 2009

AMD Sneaks in ATI Catalyst 9.8 Driver Suite

Without much of a buzz except past leaks suggesting that the company would roll out a beta at this year's Quakecon, AMD released the ATI Catalyst 9.8 WHQL driver suite to readers of the company blog, before formally announcing it and adding it to the AMD Game portal. The package installs drivers for ATI Radeon graphics hardware, including its discrete and integrated graphics processors, AMD 7-series chipsets, and ATI Theater series multimedia products.

With lack of proper documentation (read: release notes) at hand, there are no specifics available about the driver, though one could expect the usual application/hardware/OS-specific enhancement, a possibly expanded supported products list with new SKUs in the Radeon HD 4700/4800 series that surfaced over the last month.

DOWNLOAD:ATI Catalyst 9.8 Driver Suite for Windows 7 and Vista 32-bit | Windows 7 and Vista 64-bit | Windows XP 32-bit | Windows XP 64-bit
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57 Comments on AMD Sneaks in ATI Catalyst 9.8 Driver Suite

#26
1Kurgan1
The Knife in your Back
DavyGTI believe the 50% claim is a far cry from the reality.
Here is 9.7 with 4890/4850 1GB Crossfire setup:
i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff266/DavyGT/97.png
And here is 9.8 with the same 4890/4850 1GB Crossfire setup:
i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff266/DavyGT/98.jpg

EDIT: It appears the people without Core i7s are seeing the greatest improvement, ie: the min framerate increases. I think this driver release is supposed to improve CPU scaling.
I just gotta laugh at that statement and linked benchmark :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#27
Sapientwolf
I'm running a QX9770 @ 4.00GHz, an X38, and 2 HD 4870s in Crossfire. I haven't seen much difference with anything yet so I think Intel platforms got the shaft on this update.
Posted on Reply
#28
Unregistered
SapientwolfI'm running a QX9770 @ 4.00GHz, an X38, and 2 HD 4870s in Crossfire. I haven't seen much difference with anything yet so I think Intel platforms got the shaft on this update.
I'm starting to think this update has more to do with making CPU scaling better, then shafting Intel users. I mean this guy (Alba) is running a Core i7 with 3x4890 and noticed some huge gains: Link to OCAU and this guy (js01) got better frames from this update: Link to TPU
Summary: I think we're both hoping for performance that we've already received.
Posted on Edit | Reply
#29
Sapientwolf
DavyGTI'm starting to think this update has more to do with making CPU scaling better, then shafting Intel users. I mean this guy (Alba) is running a Core i7 with 3x4890 and noticed some huge gains: Link to OCAU and this guy (js01) got better frames from this update: Link to TPU
Summary: I think we're both hoping for performance that we've already received.
Yeah no kidding. Those FarCry2 results looks pretty good, but I don't have FC2. I guess I'll just have to wait for the official release notes to see if any of the changes affect me. Also are the scaling options missing for you? I dug through the driver and I couldn't find where to set it to GPU scaling for my life. I'm pretty sure they were there in 9.7.:ohwell:
Posted on Reply
#30
Unregistered
SapientwolfYeah no kidding. Those FarCry2 results looks pretty good, but I don't have FC2. I guess I'll just have to wait for the official release notes to see if any of the changes affect me. Also are the scaling options missing for you? I dug through the driver and I couldn't find where to set it to GPU scaling for my life. I'm pretty sure they were there in 9.7.:ohwell:
I can't find scaling options after a quick skim through the CCC.
Posted on Edit | Reply
#32
a_ump
DavyGTI usually just Far Cry 2 to run once, just as a quick stability test and clock reference, so there is no average to show.
thanks, ima download these now as i'm dying for more FPS in clear sky lol, game is so demanding.
Posted on Reply
#33
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
DavyGTI can't find scaling options after a quick skim through the CCC.
they were hiding pretty well in 9.7, i will look and let you know.

downloading/installing now :)


improvements to situations with CPU limitations is :D and :O - hell, i'm CPU bottlenecked til around 4.2Ghz, so this is great news.

edit: the installer went bad and hung on the HDMI audio driver, making me have to reboot the machine.

edit 2:
Scaling is still there, however it still has the bugs where it remains greyed out.


the bug seems somewhat improved, as i only need to drop to 1680x1050 to get scaling options now instead of 1280x1024 like in 9.7
Posted on Reply
#34
Whilhelm
Wow these drivers fixed my Fallout 3 issues with flickering HDR and a weird water glitch. Nice. Everything I have tried seems to run better on these drivers.
Posted on Reply
#35
Steve-007UK
Far cry 2 seemed smoother but the FPS diden't change realy.

Tom clancys HawX was a lot better at max settings the stutter seems to have gone and again the game is a lot smoother.

haven't tryed anything else yet and also have extyra ram in the pc now so maybe thats why some games feel a bit better to.

so far tho i can't see any probs with the new drivers and if anythiong there defo better.
Posted on Reply
#36
soryuuha
Somehow i feel that the stutters previously have something to do with OpenGL thinggy..
Posted on Reply
#37
Steve-007UK
speaking of farcry 2 and stuttering, does anyone have the same prob as me where the game stutters in DX10 mode but runs perfectly fine at same settings in DX9 mode, i don't realy see any diffrence in the looks so can't understand why it does this.

Race driver grid seems to run a lot smoother to so im thinking its mainly down to the faster and extra 2 gig of ram i have rather than the drivers but the drivers work good so far no probs at all.
Posted on Reply
#38
jamesrt2004
Musselsthey were hiding pretty well in 9.7, i will look and let you know.

downloading/installing now :)


improvements to situations with CPU limitations is :D and :O - hell, i'm CPU bottlenecked til around 4.2Ghz, so this is great news.

edit: the installer went bad and hung on the HDMI audio driver, making me have to reboot the machine.

edit 2:
Scaling is still there, however it still has the bugs where it remains greyed out.
img.techpowerup.org/090816/Capture042.jpg

the bug seems somewhat improved, as i only need to drop to 1680x1050 to get scaling options now instead of 1280x1024 like in 9.7
does that only work for HDMI

as I don't think it ever has for dvi? :o (or i just never noticed it win7 btw)
animal007ukspeaking of farcry 2 and stuttering, does anyone have the same prob as me where the game stutters in DX10 mode but runs perfectly fine at same settings in DX9 mode, i don't realy see any diffrence in the looks so can't understand why it does this.

Race driver grid seems to run a lot smoother to so im thinking its mainly down to the faster and extra 2 gig of ram i have rather than the drivers but the drivers work good so far no probs at all.
Imo its the card that would casue stuttering for you, people only complain of stuttering with x-fire cos of bad drivers meaning every now and then a big dipping in the framerates and back up again meant it stuttered i jsut have a feeling your gpu isnt powerful enough :/ (no offence?) try running a few lower settings could be its just filled up the memory on the card or something

(also try ocing processor a bit as it's quite a demanding game)
Posted on Reply
#39
Steve-007UK
i don't run xfire and yeah me card aint great but i dont see why farcry 2 stutters in DX10 with the same settings as DX9 (DX9 is fine) and even if i lower the res or settings i still get that wierd stutter in DX10 mode.

anyways don't play that game much lol as for everything else it all runs nice atm.
Posted on Reply
#40
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
DX10 is more demanding than DX9. its possible your 4650 is struggling.

Also, most DX10 games on the market are poorly made - they're a patch on top of a DX9 game.
Posted on Reply
#41
Steve-007UK
you might even be onto something there mussels, im having probs with ram and me pc, and me 4650 takes all power from the PCI-e slot i wounder if my PSU is crapping out when playing farcry 2 causing the stutter, might explain why pc won't boot at 1066mhz ram speed
gonna have a look into it.

cheers :D
Posted on Reply
#42
RadeonProVega
Did a fresh install of XP, and i have them install with my 2400, haven't tested any games. But i did notice some new opengl extensions.
Posted on Reply
#43
a_ump
i was hoping there was a review out comparing these to 9.7, but i guess review sites are waiting for the official release. 9.7 seems pretty solid for me.

i played far cry 2 the other day with my new HD 4870, and i got none of the stutter feel some of you talk of, smooth at butter.
Posted on Reply
#44
PCpraiser100
I'm still loving my HD 3870 despite the scale of my i7 as I'm still surprised I still get improvements with the latest drivers. They save my skin a lot when it comes to Far Cry 2, COD4, and Crysis. Will try these drivers out when I have the chance.
Posted on Reply
#45
joey_sfb
Good!!! I am surprised they could squeeze out more fps from some of the more recent titles.
Posted on Reply
#46
a_ump
9.8 might be geared towards xfire configs. but these are the results i got from the 2 games that used to lag owith me

==Company of Heroes v1.71 DX10: ultra settings(high for ones that can't go ultra)/8xAA/1680x1050
9.7
Avg: 30.756 - Min: 9 - Max: 60
9.8
Avg: 41.502 - Min: 13 - Max: 59
==Stalker CLear Sky
9.7
Avg: 36.113 - Min: 22 - Max: 49
9.8
Avg: 37.963 - Min: 26 - Max: 46

EDIT: SCS settings


So company of heroes got a nice improvement in FPS, which is awesome as i'm just now starting to pick the game up again n learning to play at its quite different from most RTS where its amass a huge force. Clear Sky i couldn't notice much of a difference, but apparently my minimum rates should be better yet max lower? haha either way i'm happy with it as there's sure to be bug fixes and whatnot as well.

for those of u that don't know, sun quality is right after steep parallex in scs settings
Posted on Reply
#47
Zubasa
Musselsthey were hiding pretty well in 9.7, i will look and let you know.

downloading/installing now :)


improvements to situations with CPU limitations is :D and :O - hell, i'm CPU bottlenecked til around 4.2Ghz, so this is great news.

edit: the installer went bad and hung on the HDMI audio driver, making me have to reboot the machine.

edit 2:
Scaling is still there, however it still has the bugs where it remains greyed out.

the bug seems somewhat improved, as i only need to drop to 1680x1050 to get scaling options now instead of 1280x1024 like in 9.7
Well no scaling for me on DVI :shadedshu
Got my new BenQ monitor with scaling truns out to be the saving grace :respect:
At lease no crappy drivers needed for now :p
Posted on Reply
#48
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
scaling on ATI always has been, and always will be your friend screwed

nah i hope they fix it soon... as soon as they admit there is a problem.
Posted on Reply
#49
AsRock
TPU addict
a_ump9.8 might be geared towards xfire configs. but these are the results i got from the 2 games that used to lag owith me

==Company of Heroes v1.71 DX10: ultra settings(high for ones that can't go ultra)/8xAA/1680x1050
9.7
Avg: 30.756 - Min: 9 - Max: 60
9.8
Avg: 41.502 - Min: 13 - Max: 59
==Stalker CLear Sky
9.7
Avg: 36.113 - Min: 22 - Max: 49
9.8
Avg: 37.963 - Min: 26 - Max: 46

EDIT: SCS settings
img.techpowerup.org/090817/SCS_settings.jpg

So company of heroes got a nice improvement in FPS, which is awesome as i'm just now starting to pick the game up again n learning to play at its quite different from most RTS where its amass a huge force. Clear Sky i couldn't notice much of a difference, but apparently my minimum rates should be better yet max lower? haha either way i'm happy with it as there's sure to be bug fixes and whatnot as well.

for those of u that don't know, sun quality is right after steep parallex in scs settings
Why isn't COH updated there like on 2.30 some thing now, unless you just use a pirated copy :( ?. Either way the benchmark figures are a fail as you should be using updated version of COH.
Posted on Reply
#50
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
Coh is on 2.500


benchmark has not changed since DX10 was added, i actually tested that recently. No game patches for CoH have altered performance, at least not as far as the in game benchmark goes.
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