Monday, July 26th 2010
AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL Software Suite
AMD rolled out its latest ATI Catalyst Software Suite today, as expected. The latest release is Catalyst 10.7 WHQL. The Catalyst Software Suite provides drivers for ATI Radeon graphics processors, AMD 7-series chipsets, and ATI multimedia products. Version 10.7 WHQL ironed out an important issue with VLC Media Player, which enabled DXVA2 hardware h.264 video acceleration (with VLC 1.1.1 or later installed), which results in smooth video playback and reduced system resource usage. Important enhancements to the HydraVision technology were also added, such as taking into account bezel compensation when maximizing windows across displays. The new pull-down detection algorithm improves visual quality of certain types of videos. And finally, ATI CrossFireX now supports rotated displays, which was particularly longed for by users of ATI Eyefinity setups that make use of rotated physical displays. A list of performance improvements are also included, pertaining to Borderlands in single and multi GPU modes, with and without AA.
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A list of changes follows.
Performance Improvements:
Borderlands -
ATI Eyefinity - HydraVision enhancements
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A list of changes follows.
Performance Improvements:
Borderlands -
- Performance increases 3-5% on ATI Radeon HD 5800 and ATI Radeon HD 5700 series single card and CrossFire configurations when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering is enabled
- Performance increases 3-8% on ATI Radeon HD 5970 single card and CrossFire configurations when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering is enabled
- Performance increases 2-6% on ATI Radeon HD 5600 and ATI Radeon HD 5500 series single card configurations when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering is enabled
- Performance increases 2-10% on ATI Radeon HD 4800 series single card and CrossFire configurations when anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering is enabled
ATI Eyefinity - HydraVision enhancements
- Maximizing a window across displays will now take user defined bezel compensation into account
- Automatically adjusts window position when dragging and dropping windows to ensure title bar visibility
- Proper dialog box placement - dialogs do not cross displays, are not hidden behind bezels, and can be designated to be shown on the users "preferred" display
- The Pull-down detection algorithm has been enhanced for higher visual quality on certain types of video content
- Supported on the ATI Radeon HD 5000 Series
- This release of ATI Catalyst enables end users running supported ATI CrossFireX configurations to rotate their displays (single or ATI Eyefinity display configurations) and still enjoy the performance benefits of ATI CrossFireX technology
- Enables GPU acceleration of h.264 video content when using the VLC 1.1.1 Media Player - delivering a better user experience by consuming less system resources
- Supported on the ATI Radeon HD 5000 and ATI Radeon HD 4000 Series of products
- Requires VLC version 1.1.1 and later
93 Comments on AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL Software Suite
I've even pulled the cards and tried in another system..I still get the cursor issue, all three of my cards cause it, and only in Eyefinity. Crossfire doesn't matter...
Nor does Crossfire cause the BFBC2 CTD. It makes it happen far mroe often, but I cna trigger it on a couple of maps using UAV, other times it seesm to almsot be a kick from the server or something.
:shadedshu
The last time I didn't have this issue, Crossfire and Eyefinity didn't work together. So it seems whatever change they made to make the two work together, causes the issues...but then...not everyone has the problem.
I'm really not happy with my cards, I guess. It's only upsetting, though, becuase I tossed the extra cash on three monitors, so now I feel like I gotta use them...:shadedshu
Because i don't give a hoot about the game anymore lol.
However, I have noticed that Anisoscopic Flitering quality has dropped a notch or two.
These apply to all apps, not just BFBC2. Really, I don't think any changes were specific to BFBC2, although load times are now back to where they should be.
OpenGl is a bit problematic...10.6 seems to work better for that(in respect to Crossfire, singlecard seems OK).
But at the same time, I'm also wondering ifthis isn't jsut my own personal thing, or if everyone see the difference as well...
Try it and let us know!
I've also encountered the odd mouse corruption which was mentioned by cadaveca (et al.) except I was using only a single card and no amount of wiggling fixed it. I still have no way of telling when/if it will occur and when/if it will ever stop.
(Read on to hear my continuing HD 5830 saga . . .)
Even more uncanny is an error I experienced with the one-off HD 5830 drivers based on CCC 10.3. After restarting my computer to swap a SATA cables I booted up and was immediately greeted by most unprecedented artifacting. Within 30 seconds of getting to the Windows 7 desktop the screen would be largely obscured behind a brilliant collage of artifacting. After several restarts I somehow managed to launch Portal, the Valve game, and to my surprise I could play it with a minimum of artifacts but when I quit and returned to the desktop I was in the same surrealist state as before. I went into safe mode and manually reinstalled the drivers but still encountered the same problem. So I went back into safe mode and by some miracle of god ATI had just released CCC 10.5 that very day, which I installed and it has worked damned skippy ever since.
That would be the end of it but... Well it wasn't completely flawless, it was damned skippy. The card defaulted to 600/1000 in game (without overdrive) as opposed to 800/1000 (which is what it was supposed to be). Besides that issue, I never once saw the card hit the golden 157/300 at idle. I started OCing my card anyway and soon discovered RBE and gave it a whirl, not because it could fix my broken clocks but because I'd hit the limits of AOD and I really hated the AMD GPU Clock Tool. So I did a method 2 increase of the overclock limits, which worked and had the added benefit of fixing my default clocks (now, properly, 157/300 idle and 800/1000 in games).
My question in regards to my saga is this: How, for the love of god, is an inexperienced user supposed to figure this **** out?!?!
Seeking was also instant, which is NOT the case in powerDVD - works very well.
does it still accelerate Flash?
And did anyone use mobility modder on this? (Win 7 x64 Mobility HD4650)
10.6 feels like heating up my GPU insanely, cleaned my fangrill and everything but didn't help it clocks it more aggresivley... a saw that in GPU-Z and GPUTool_CTP1.exe clock transition is crazy fast :-(
Sum it up so Far:
Pros:
* VLC acceleration is nice,
* Crossfire improvements....are improvements
* minor bug fixes for Eyefinity
Cons:
* Some issues with Eyfinity have been addressed
* Overclocked GPU's done by users are more sensitive in 10.7 (stick with 10.4a seems to be the overwhelming choice for manual GPU OC's)
:confused:
Guess I have to rethink the memory cooling...
EDIT: With 10.6 numbers were below 90 C
until this combo, i have NEVER seen a bluray disk played with lag free seeking. MPC-HC is my weapon of choice, but it cant play BR. Ewwwwwwies. why do people use K-lite? its les terribleh
I installed 10.7 over 10.4a though, so I will be doing a full wipe of the CCC and drivers. I'll report back if it continues to give me trouble.