AMD Releases Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta Drivers

[btarunr]

AMD released its latest Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta drivers in the run up to its major Radeon Software Crimson Edition launch. One of the last drivers to bear the name "Catalyst," these drivers come with performance optimization for all of the season's biggest releases - Star Wars Battlefront, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Fallout 4, and Assassins Creed: Syndicate. These optimizations could include CrossFire profiles on games that support it. Grab them from the links below.



DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta 32-bit | AMD Catalyst 15.11.1 Beta 64-bit

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[RCoon]

I think Windows 10 very kindly downloaded these automatically and installed them and then went on to break my GPU last night. Had to do a cleanup.

 

[Fabio Pisco]

Well, you can block those automatic driver downloads on windows 10. Anyway, i think that now that AMD has split apart in a kind of independent sectors (Radeon Technology), they are finally delivering drivers efficiently.

Sorry for my english. It's not my main language.

 

[medi01]

I think Windows 10 very kindly downloaded these automatically and installed them and then went on to break my GPU last night. Had to do a cleanup.

Update driver => ... => let me choose from a list => select older driver works fine for me.
It doesn't even require restart, although some features (e.g. brightness control) only appear if you do restart.

 

[Aquinus]

I think Windows 10 very kindly downloaded these automatically and installed them and then went on to break my GPU last night. Had to do a cleanup.

Windows as I understand it only installs WHQL drivers which this is not. I've also never encountered Windows 10 installing GPU drivers over a beta driver that's newer than the WHQL one. Sorry @RCoon but, correlation doesn't imply causation and unless you were running an old WHQL driver, I doubt it was windows.

Read the driver logs, it will tell you if it did.

 

[RCoon]

Windows as I understand it only installs WHQL drivers which this is not.

That's odd. After wierd resolution bugs I took a look at Catalyst and noticed it had downloaded this new 15.11.1 driver and installed it.

EDIT: A quick check of the AMD forums confirms this. Windows 10 does occasionally sign and install AMD Catalyst Beta drivers.

 

[rooivalk]

My display occasionally revert to 30Hz from 60Hz several times in the past two weeks. Does it have to do with new catalyst?

 

[RejZoR]

I think Windows 10 very kindly downloaded these automatically and installed them and then went on to break my GPU last night. Had to do a cleanup.

I think I'll stick with NVIDIA for as long as AMD will be pushing their drivers through retarded Windows Update. I've tasted the share of this forced nonsense with HD7950 and even bigger one on AMD E-450 APU, thanks but NO thanks. It's not convenient, it's absolute pain in the ass.

When something keeps overriding YOUR decisions, that's when I draw a line. I want to be in control of my system, not the other way around. I generally had very positive opinion of AMD software, but this is just absolute nonsense.

I'm even starting to like NVIDIA Experience, even though I'm only using it for driver updating and nothing else. AMD went the absolutely other (wrong) way with updating through Windows Update...

 

[Aquinus]

That's odd. After wierd resolution bugs I took a look at Catalyst and noticed it had downloaded this new 15.11.1 driver and installed it.

EDIT: A quick check of the AMD forums confirms this. Windows 10 does occasionally sign and install AMD Catalyst Beta drivers.

That's really weird. Mine is still sitting on 15.11. I'll run Windows update to see if it will install it but, I've never experienced the behavior you're describing.

Edit: After checking for updates, the only one that came back with Win 10 Pro v.1511, build 10586 update. Are you sure your machine is setup to not update drivers via Windows Update?

 

[chinmi]

I think Windows 10 very kindly downloaded these automatically and installed them and then went on to break my GPU last night. Had to do a cleanup.

it's still in beta, so expect heavy bug and crashes everywhere... better wait for a better, stable, and more optimize whql version

 

[Octopuss]

I'm puzzled why did they even bother when the big update is coming out next week.

 

[Cybrnook2002]

Awesome, will be downloading these when I get home.

Exciting to see AMD pushing out drivers on a consistent basis. Assuming the slow down end of last year, beginning of this year, was due to the split off and all the bureaucracy that comes with something like that. But now that it is officially announced (the split), and with the release of Crimson coming up, AMD (Radeon division) may be cleaning up their act with Driver support now that they can hopefully work heads down.

I love it! Plus, the past few driver releases for me have been stable, no issues I encountered outside of just waiting for the normal CF profiles, and even that is not an "issue" but more of a request for latest game support (both teams are trying here, but naturally dual gpu will never be %100 on day one. Just the way it is).

All of this is granted on me using current hardware (which the main focus will of course be on).

Keep it up!

 

[RCoon]

I'm puzzled why did they even bother when the big update is coming out next week.

I presume to do the same "Game Ready" things as NVidia. Drop an update for a game during/shortly after release.

 

[jumpman]

Bioshock Infinite doesn't work for me using 15.11 drivers nor do 15.11.1. I get an infinite loop at the launcher window when launching from Steam. 15.7.1 works though and game launches fine.

 

[INSTG8R]

LOL Still can't use Freesync in Fallout 4 or else it's locked at 20FPS...

 

[mab1376]

anyone do an AB test with Fallout and previous driver?

 

[Casecutter]

I'm puzzled why did they even bother when the big update is coming out next week.

Releasing new game drivers is not tied to Crimson, these updates will just be include when it releases. The way actual drivers might launch within Crimson may improve, but such drivers still interact within the game as always. Crimson is not tied to any one-thing, it arrives when Raja Koduri, and Radeon Technologies Group have confidence it's stable across all platforms. I'd be surprised if it shows any sooner than a couple of days before the end of November. The rest below is not a reflection of you post...

It has to be said, while there might be slight gaming improvements... heck some games might drop here and there (sometimes hard to validate as they are within the margin) the implementation of Crimson is less about actual game FpS performance. From just using the slides, it's implantation is about smoothness of start-load, features, and overall experience of the software.

It's drum-beating to infer that Crimson is going to be judged by increase in FpS. The hard part is where Crimson should be proposed to show (hopefully) it's merits is more often not something that has ever been quantified, and considered subjective like how it looks or laid-out. While long term Crimson should provide the positive shoring-up of the base software that been clamored for, its initial release honestly isn’t going to be "earth-shattering". When just using the slides AMD released for overview/comprehension I think the pundits and forum chatter are making more out of it than it's going to be.

Like any new/changed software there are probably a portion of those individuals who download it and possibly run into trouble, and there will be forums abundant stirring that. My feeling once over the "teething-pains", long term it can be reliable and effective. Also, way to cut from the past, repudiation that AMD hasn't been doing doing enough, faster, etc; within the old Catalyst rendition. All that can now go into annals of the past... but it won’t there will always be critics who exhume form the decade of flip-phones as all that can ever be adjudicated.. I’m willing to permit Crimson to be its own commencement.

 

[Mercennarius]

My Ashes of Singularity benchmark FPS dropped roughly 5% with these new beta drivers over the old ones. (R9 280X)

 

[GhostRyder]

LOL Still can't use Freesync in Fallout 4 or else it's locked at 20FPS...

Odd, I am playing Fallout 4 with Freesync and its working. Though I can only play the game at 60fps because of that game bug (It may go higher but I limited it to 60 just in case) and it seems to be working fine for me (I mean I assume it is as it shows to be active while playing).

I think I'll stick with NVIDIA for as long as AMD will be pushing their drivers through retarded Windows Update. I've tasted the share of this forced nonsense with HD7950 and even bigger one on AMD E-450 APU, thanks but NO thanks. It's not convenient, it's absolute pain in the ass.

When something keeps overriding YOUR decisions, that's when I draw a line. I want to be in control of my system, not the other way around. I generally had very positive opinion of AMD software, but this is just absolute nonsense.

I'm even starting to like NVIDIA Experience, even though I'm only using it for driver updating and nothing else. AMD went the absolutely other (wrong) way with updating through Windows Update...

Well I am with @Aquinus on this one as I cannot get windows update to grab Beta's for me. Unless I am doing something wrong it has not showed me any update for my AMD cards recently. Unless I have something disabled that stops it from being shown or its a timing thing...

I'm puzzled why did they even bother when the big update is coming out next week.

Probably to make sure people have a week of gaming on these new games with CFX profiles and drivers that may help/fix problems. Its mostly because of Star Wars Battlefront I suppose more than anything.

Ill be downloading this one only because I am going to be playing Star Wars Battlefront and Fallout 4.

 

[ASOT]

it's still in beta, so expect heavy bug and crashes everywhere... better wait for a better, stable, and more optimize whql version

Yes,wait for the full version to be release ..

 

[Cybrnook2002]

Odd, I am playing Fallout 4 with Freesync and its working. Though I can only play the game at 60fps because of that game bug (It may go higher but I limited it to 60 just in case) and it seems to be working fine for me (I mean I assume it is as it shows to be active while playing).

I went to 100hz cap and am no longer getting stuck at terminals. (144 I was getting stuck)

 

[m0nt3]

I went to 100hz cap and am no longer getting stuck at terminals. (144 I was getting stuck)

If this is like some previous Bethesda games, it doen't like going beyond 60FPS, causes issues with physics and maybe AI was it. Read something on it with Skyrim a number of years ago. Probably why they lock the game to 60 without modding of course.

 

[buggalugs]

Hey, Where is the setting about windows updating hardware drivers?? I cant find it, I've never seen it.

 

[Aquinus]

Hey, Where is the setting about windows updating hardware drivers?? I cant find it, I've never seen it.

 

[GhostRyder]

I went to 100hz cap and am no longer getting stuck at terminals. (144 I was getting stuck)

Oh ok, ill give it a try then at that frequency.

Thanks.