AMD First with OpenGL 4.0 Compliant Graphics Driver

[btarunr]

Shortly after the Khronos group announced the OpenGL 4.0, the newest version of the multi-platform graphics API, AMD is out with a preview graphics driver for its ATI Radeon, FireGL, FirePro, and Mobility Radeon graphics accelerators, which includes the OpenGL 4.0 ICD (installable client driver). The driver is available for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Linux. OpenGL 4.0 is comparable and up to times with Microsoft's DirectX 11 API, it makes use of hardware features such as tessellation on the GPU, per-sample fragment shaders and programmable fragment shader input positions, 64-bit double precision floating point shader operations, etc., and has no restrictions on which later version of Windows it can run on. With OpenGL 4.0 for example, one can expect 3D graphics with the complexity comparable to DirectX 11 on Windows XP.

DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst OpenGL 4.0 Preview Driver for Windows 7/Vista, Windows XP, and Linux.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Easo]

Mmm, more games should support OpenGL QQ

 

[Mussels]

DX11 graphics on XP? noice!

 

[filip007]

Maybe now nVidia will say, OGL 4 is not important like they ware saying for DX11 at first

 

[Hawkster13]

Maybe now nVidia will say, OGL 4 is not important like they ware saying for DX11 at first

Haha yep, I remember reading that. Nvidia was really pushing the OGL 4 thing, saying that all the GTX4xx will support OGL4 with just a driver update and now ATI comes out with the driver before they did.

I got to say, WELL Played ATI, well played haha

 

[Mussels]

i wonder if this driver is newer than cat 10.3a?

 

[Loosenut]

Probably one of many new and interesting things from ATI coming out in the next few days

 

[Mussels]

Cat 10.3a

10.3 OGL4

Seems clear to me that these are 10.3a + OGL4 (direct3D version hasnt changed)

 

[Perra]

Interesting. ATI sure has been stepping up their game lately when it comes to drivers, gotta love it. Lets hope they keep it up.

 

[Loosenut]

So is it worth installing?

 

[Mussels]

So is it worth installing?

not a clue. since the OGL versions are improved, anyone who plays OGL games may benefit. CCC is also updated, which may or may not included bugfixes (new crossfire profiles, for example)

 

[Loosenut]

not a clue. since the OGL versions are improved, anyone who plays OGL games may benefit. CCC is also updated, which may or may not included bugfixes (new crossfire profiles, for example)

Thanks Mussels. Like you, I'll throw caution to the winds and try it out.

 

[Mussels]

Thanks Mussels. Like you, I'll throw caution to the winds and try it out.

its not like we're on nvidia, where a bad driver kills our cards

 

[Loosenut]

its not like we're on nvidia, where a bad driver kills our cards

Lord knows I need all the help I can get with BFBC2 anyways

 

[INSTG8R]

Lord knows I need all the help I can get with BFBC2 anyways

I hear that...:shadedshu

 

[burebista]

not a clue. since the OGL versions are improved, anyone who plays OGL games may benefit.

There are a few reports on guru3d forums about broken old OpenGL games. I dunno.

 

[Roph]

No word of which cards it's supported on? I assume all ATI's DX 10.1+ cards.

 

[Mussels]

There are a few reports on guru3d forums about broken old OpenGL games. I dunno.

it is beta.

No word of which cards it's supported on? I assume all ATI's DX 10.1+ cards.

Not a clue. worked on my 4870's at least, so we should assume all 4k cards are supported until proven otherwise.

 

[Lionheart]

Is this worth downloading?

 

[Sasqui]

not a clue. since the OGL versions are improved, anyone who plays OGL games may benefit. CCC is also updated, which may or may not included bugfixes (new crossfire profiles, for example)

Don't forget other applications, like Google Earth.

I found that plain CAT 10.3 OpenGL performance was down from the 9.11 drivers. I was getting over 10k in FurMark, now it's 9550.

I wonder how the optimization is with these, guess I'll have to give it a try.

 

[InnocentCriminal]

No word of which cards it's supported on? I assume all ATI's DX 10.1+ cards.

Applicable Products:

This issue applies to the following configuration(s):

* Hardware
o ATI Radeon™ HD 5000 Series
o ATI Radeon™ HD 4000 Series
o ATI Radeon™ HD 3000 Series
o ATI Radeon™ HD 2000 Series
o ATI FirePro V8750
o ATI FirePro V8700
o ATI FirePro V8650
o ATI FirePro V8600
o ATI FirePro V7750
o ATI FireGL V7700
o ATI FireGL V7600
o ATI FirePro V5700
o ATI FirePro V5600
o ATI FirePro V3750
o ATI FirePro V3700
o ATI FireGL V3600

However, this is just software support as these cards only support OpenGL 3.2 and lower on a hardware level. The 5 series are the only cards that can support the OpenGL 4.0 specification even though they don't have hardware support. OpenGL 3.3 is meant to bring some/most of the features in 4.0 to older cards.

 

[buggalugs]

Not a clue. worked on my 4870's at least, so we should assume all 4k cards are supported until proven otherwise.

OpenGL 3.3 is supported on ATI cards made since 2007. OpenGL 4.0 is fully supported on 58XX and mostly supported for low end 5XXX series except for something called double precision.

Heres AMDs statement:

http://blogs.amd.com/developer/2010...ble-–-amd-supports-opengl-3-3-and-opengl-4-0/

 

[Sihastru]

All this noise is nice and all, also it's a good thing we move forward, but what applications and/or games do you know that are using OpenGL 4.0? Is ATI again first to support something that nobody is using to code anything at the moment?

 

[filip007]

Mussels try with GLview maybe will that show some more info...
http://www.realtech-vr.com/glview/download.html

 

[buggalugs]

All this noise is nice and all, also it's a good thing we move forward, but what applications and/or games do you know that are using OpenGL 4.0? Is ATI again first to support something that nobody is using to code anything at the moment?

Apparently OpenGL is used a lot in non-gaming applications by science researchers, military and various commercial applications.

Things like simulations etc.