AMD Releases Newer Hotfix Driver, Addresses Far Cry 2 and STALKER: Clear Sky Issues

[btarunr]

AMD updated the graphics driver hotfix titled, 737-38664: Far Cry 2 and Stalker Clear Sky HotFix. The hotfix aims to address issues with the two game titles and improves performance. Highlights include:

• Performance improvement for the DirectX 9 version of Far Cry 2 on CrossFire installations
• Performance improvement for the DirectX 10 version of Far Cry 2 on single GPU and CrossFire installations
• Improves performance for the DirectX 10 and DirectX 10.1 version of STALKER: Clear Sky on both single and CrossFireX configurations at higher resolutions

This hotfix includes STALKER performance enhancements for the DirectX 10 version of the game. Also be sure to download the STALKER Clear Sky DirectX 10.1 patch, which will provide further performance enhancements (up to 10% at higher resolutions) and image quality enhancements over DirectX 10. AMD strongly recommends you download the game patch and test it in conjunction with this Catalyst hotfix. For more information on the hotfix and downloads, please visit this page.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[wolf2009]

No mention of the bug they fixed ?

 

[Duffman]

how does one find these hotfixes by themselves on the site?

and what bug did they fix?

 

[wolf2009]

how does one find these hotfixes by themselves on the site?

and what bug did they fix?

did you follow the link to the bug

here it is http://www.alienbabeltech.com/?p=890

 

[oli_ramsay]

The new drivers no longer allow me to OC my 4870 via AMD GPU clock tool:

Does the new rivatuner have 4800 series support yet?

EDIT: Rivatuner 2.11 doesn't support this driver BTW
Just tried ati tray tools 1.6.1328 beta and that wont work either.

 

[PCpraiser100]

Does this seem to apply for XP owners in anyway other than DX9 performance improvements over Xfire? Can you still hack DX10 effects into XP just like with Crysis?

 

[Whilhelm]

YES!! this hotfix also fixes the Brothers in Arms Hells Highway "Black Friday" glitch that makes the game unplayable.

Thank you ATI

 

[newconroer]

:sigh:

More drivers...dammit, I'm using ATi now, not Nvidia... I thought this would end! :0

did you follow the link to the bug

here it is http://www.alienbabeltech.com/?p=890

Erm, there they go again, another review using driver forced AF. I don't understand, why are people forcing AF in Far Cry 2, it seems to do nothing for the image quality. I got the impression it was built into the engine..


I thought that review was trash. They're using 178 for Nvidia, they don't test the X2 AND the screenshots they give to represent AA and AF are some ground shot at close distance where no AA would be seen anyways.
What did I miss?


Anyways, DX9 is still the way to go.

DX10 continues to present a micro stutter, crash, and it's IQ is in no way justifying it's performance hit.

The best way to play I've found, is in DX9, 4xAA, All Ultra or Very High (where applicable), Vsync, with Geometry on Medium(which vastly improves performance. The IQ lost, is that things like trees are less dense, but you can rectify this problem for the most part with a console command).

The console command in question is the gfx_LODScale. By default it's at "1" Moving it to 0.5 should have little performance impact when your Geometry is at Medium, and it fills out the trees and other objects a lot 'fuller' than having Geometry at High/VHigh/UHigh, and a default LODScale of 1. You can also afford to run shadows at Ultra, which is key when using the config listed below, as with those shadow settings, your shadowing filter is increased, so you no longer see that ugly texture drawing / film line, but shadows up close lose some of their resolution quality. With Ultra applied, most of that returns, and you retain the distance settings as well.


Gfx_HemiQuality 1 (Barely noticeable atmostpheric effect, primarily on tree trunks when faced with sun shadows)
Gfx_LeavesShadowRatio 1 (Increases the shadows cast by trees in the immediate vicinity; no performance impact, nice IQ gain)
Gfx_SunShadowRange0 10 (Increases range for the shadow filtering line for close distance shadows)
Gfx_SunShadowRange1 40 (Increases range for the shadow filtering line for medium disatnce shadows)
Gfx_SunShadowRange2 130 (Increases range for the shadow filtering line for medium to long disatnce shadows)
GfX_Lodscale 0.5 (Increases density of all objects, sprites and etc. as well as creating a more 'plush' environment; also highly recommended if you use Geometry on Medium, as doing so can 'thin' out textures for tress and other objects).

You could go on to add

Gfx_KillLODScale 0.7 (Increase range at which relevant objects pop/spawn onto the screen -only applicable beyond a certain range)
Gfx_LODClustersize 0.6 (Reduce the amount of close and medium range sprites popping into view i.e. grass thickness is more consistent)


This new driver does allow for a few more frames here and there, but nothing to write home about and I also don't see any improvement for DX10.

Results with settings above (DX9)

# Average Framerate: 57.54
# Max. Framerate: 82.08
# Min. Framerate: 48.62

Results with DX10 (either default configuration, or manual settings above)*Note that there is no option to run Geometry at Medium in DX10 mode. It's easy to assume that performance would rise noticeably, but the overall weight of the DX10 bearing down on the results would be unavoidable and probably negate whatever was gained my moving down to Medium.

# Average Framerate: 46.61
# Max. Framerate: 61.55
# Min. Framerate: 30.72



I have a feeling that all of the reviews revolving around the original hotfix, and their ATI results, especially for the X2, were wrong (or misleading in two ways)

A) When they said 'average' they meant 'high' and when they said minimum they meant 'average.' I.e.
B) They are using Medium Geometry for their DX9 results, but are not stating that.

 

[oli_ramsay]

Is anyone else able to OC their card after installing this hotfix (excluding through CCC)

Thanks

 

[EiSFX]

Yes its through CCC but i'm still able to OC my HD 3870 with NP with these new Hotfix drivers

 

[wolf2009]

@ newconroer - Nice set of commands. I'll try some.

But the dx10 stutter you mention, i saw it with ATI cards, not with Nvidia. Been using 9800GT 1GB and playing at >30 FPS all the time with Vsync On .

Where is the full list of those commands and what they do ?

 

[newconroer]

Yes, it seems Nvidia is the victor here, but it's nice that AMD saw it as a priority of sorts.

If you want to see a list of commands and what they do, with recommended settings; it was in the Far Cry 2 thread. It's in my second post on the page.
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=1031158#post1031158

If you think I should start a new thread for it, let me know.

I know Koroush is working on his guide as we speak, though I suppose two opinions is better than one..well not if they are wrong

 

[imperialreign]

although they claim no performance increase in CS DX9, I'll be installing the hotfix anyways. Seeing as how there isn't much difference between eFDL_DX9 and eFDL_DX10, the hotfix might address some of the rendering issues the 4870s seem to have . . .

 

[wolf2009]

Yes, it seems Nvidia is the victor here, but it's nice that AMD saw it as a priority of sorts.

If you want to see a list of commands and what they do, with recommended settings; it was in the Far Cry 2 thread. It's in my second post on the page.
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=1031158#post1031158

If you think I should start a new thread for it, let me know.

I know Koroush is working on his guide as we speak, though I suppose two opinions is better than one..well not if they are wrong

ya dude you should start a farcry 2 optimization thread. don't feel like wading through all that thread searching for commands

 

[erocker]

Well, these new "Hotfix" drivers do absolutely nothing for my DX10 stuttering problem. Looking at Ubi's forums it does nothing for others too. I guess this is a DX9 only game for me.

 

[wolf2009]

Well, these new "Hotfix" drivers do absolutely nothing for my DX10 stuttering problem. Looking at Ubi's forums it does nothing for others too. I guess this is a DX9 only game for me.

only for ati users, sadly

 

[erocker]

only for ati users, sadly

Wrong. There are plenty of Nvidia users having the same problem. As a matter of fact, on my other rig using a 8800GS the problem is there too. I'm quite sure the problem lies in the game.
Thanks newconroer.

 

[newconroer]

So if he's dead wrong, then he's like, not alive,... so can he really be right, or wrong?

 

[erocker]

I've even tried renaming the .exe on both machines. Nope.

 

[ShogoXT]

Erocker on the 8.11 betas I was using I dont know what stuttering you were talking about.

 

[ShogoXT]

Ugh I get BSOD after install of video drivers caused by atikmdag.sys or atikmag.sys I think. Whats up with this?

 

[erocker]

Erocker on the 8.11 betas I was using I dont know what stuttering you were talking about.

It's a strange problem. I'm not using the 8.11 betas, I'm using the 2nd ATi hotfix. DX9, ultra settings with AA no problem. With DX10 any settings I get a persistant stutter when I'm moving. It's more noticeable while driving. The problem is detailed more on Ubisofts forums and on other forums. What sucks is when I try to get a video of the problem (using fraps) my framerate drops but the stuttering goes away. On two different machines using three different video cards, both ATi and Nvidia. It has absolutely nothing to do with my hardware or drivers.

 

[wolf2009]

Wrong. There are plenty of Nvidia users having the same problem. As a matter of fact, on my other rig using a 8800GS the problem is there too. I'm quite sure the problem lies in the game.

strange, I have been playing on 9800GT 1 GB 1280x1024 2AA DX10 Ultra High Vsnc ON >35 FPS constantly without any hitches. Using 180.43 Drivers .

 

[erocker]

strange, I have been playing on 9800GT 1 GB 1280x1024 2AA DX10 Ultra High Vsnc ON >35 FPS constantly without any hitches. Using 180.43 Drivers .

Yes, I've gathered that by now. For some people it all works fine, for some it doesn't. A friend of mine has a very similar system to my q6600/4870 setup and it works perfect for him. I'm kinda making it out to be a bigger deal than it is since DX9 on ultra settings looks freaking georgeous, and I can barely tell the difference. It's just the principal!

 

[AphexDreamer]

Yeah ATI user using the first hot fix and I have no stutters in DX10.