An Expreview community member ran benchmarks comparing the performance of the Intel HD 4000 graphics embedded into its upcoming 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" Core i5-3570K, comparing it to the integrated graphics of Core i5-2500K, and discrete graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 240. These tests are endorsed by the site. The suite of benchmarks included games that aren't quite known to be very taxing on graphics hardware by today's standards, yet are extremely popular; games such as StarCraft II, Left4Dead 2, DiRT 3, Street Fighter IV. Some of the slightly more graphics-intensive benchmarks included Far Cry 2 and 3DMark Vantage. All benchmarks were run at 1280 x 720 resolution.

The Intel HD 4000 graphics core beats the HD 3000 hands down, with performance leads as high as 122% in a particular test. The chip produces more than playable frame-rates with Left4Dead 2 and Street Fighter IV, both well above 50 FPS, even DiRT 3 and Far Cry 2 run strictly OK, over 30 FPS. StarCraft II is where it produced under 30 FPS, so the chip might get bogged down in intense battles. A mainstream discrete GeForce or Radeon is a must. On average, the graphics core embedded into the Core i5-3570K was found to be 67.25% faster than the one on the Core i5-2500K.

Well, this 11.11 release doesn't list any performance improvements unfortunately. It contains just one new unexciting feature and a few fixes, but still has quite a long list of known issues. The new feature is Adobe Flash Player 11 hardware accelerated graphics support, including the A-series and E-series APUs. Fixes include things like Rage texture corruption, bezel compensation working correctly in Far Cry 2 and a screen tearing fix for displays in clone mode. Therefore, if your setup is working fine, there's no rush to update to this driver in case it breaks something. Note the following CAP 1 profile updates added to this release:

- Battlefield 3: Tweaks to the CrossFire profile
- Global Ops: Commando Libya: Improves CrossFire performance
- Driver San Francisco: Disables CrossFire

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 11.11 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

DOWNLOAD: Release Notes

XFX released a special FarCry 2 themed graphics card based on the GeForce 9600 GSO graphics processor. The bundle includes a copy of the popular first-person-shooter title, FarCry 2. Its specifications are spiced-up by its memory: 1.5 GB. The memory however is DDR2 and is clocked at 800 MHz, with a bus width of 192-bits. This G92-based graphics card features 96 shader units clocked at 1,450 MHz, with the core running at 580 MHz. It sports a distinct XFX design with black-coloured PCB and single-slot cooling.

Thanks to Intel and its Game On website, fans of Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 title can now enjoy 3 more hours of their favourite game, playing several bonus maps. These explosive bonus missions are kindly available for free here thanks to Intel.

ZOTAC International, a leading manufacturer of NVIDIA-based graphics cards and motherboards, today kicks off the holiday season with a new premium software bundle featuring Ubisoft's Far Cry 2. The new premium software bundle will be available with the award-winning ZOTAC GeForce GTX 280, GeForce GTX 280 AMP! Edition, GeForce GTX 2602 and GeForce GTX 260 AMP2! Edition for a limited time. "ZOTAC is pleased to provide gamers with Ubisoft's highly anticipated Far Cry 2 game. With Far Cry 2, users can take advantage of the 3D power available with their new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 280, GeForce GTX 280 AMP! Edition, GeForce GTX 2602 or GeForce GTX 260 AMP2! Edition and experience stunning visuals right out of the box," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

AMD had released an updated hotfix to its ATI Catalyst 8.10 drivers the other day, with hotfix 71310. It succeeded hotfix 70517 for the said version of Catalyst. Hotfixes specific to certain games, are intended to selectively improve hardware performance and/or visual quality. When AMD released the older hotfix for version 8.10 of Catalyst, it aimed to improve performance in general. It was later found by keen observers, that the hotfix manipulated with visual elements of the game in an attempt to gain performance. A popular example of this, was noted in the "lost rocks" issue in Far Cry 2, where the hotfix 70517 caused the texture and/or geometric loss of certain rocks along a track from a scene, presumably reducing load on the graphics processor(s).

With hotfix 71310 issued yesterday, AMD seems to have fixed the issue. Expreview put the hotfix to test, where it was found that the "lost rocks" issue was fixed. The larger issue was of the driver interfering with visual elements the game has to offer. The fix however, came at the expense of performance. Expreview used a test-bed consisting of Core 2 Extreme QX9650 CPU, ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics, 2x 1 GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, all seated on an ASUS Striker II Extreme motherboard, running Windows Vista 32-bit operating system. The testers used Driver Sweeper to make sure a new variant of the driver installed on a purged environment. Testing Far Cry 2 revealed that the issue was addressed, but at a performance loss. The frame-rate dropped from 48.12 fps to 43.20, which is roughly a 10% loss in frame-rate.

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.

Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 suffers from the same issue Bioshock had when it was released. Both games have problems handling widescreen resolutions, but in Far Cry 2 the problem appears to be even bigger. When played in widescreen resolution, the game displays a cropped version of the original 4:3 video aspect. The wider screen resolution you use, the less you'll see because the game cuts the top and bottom edges to fit the wider aspect ratio. If you don't like the sound of that, there's a fix created by Racer_S over at Widescreen Gaming Forum. Please note that the fix only works with Far Cry 2 v1.00 and online players may receive a ban from the server they're playing if they use the hotfixer. The reason, Punkbuster may think you are a 1337 haxxor and ban you from the server. You may download the Far Cry 2 Widescreen fix from here.

Following the formal launch of the Far Cry 2 frachise BFG and EVGA, two of the official NVIDIA AIB (Add-In-Board) partners, announced they'll start bundling the game with their GeForce GTX 200 range of graphics cards. That includes both GeForce GTX 260 and GeForce GTX 280.
For a limited time, and while supplies last only, customers who buy any BFG GeForce GTX 200 series graphics card starting from yesterday will get a free full copy of Far Cry 2 ($50 value), a full copy of 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition ($20 value), and
a BFG branded mini super bright LED electric torch. Find more details here.
EVGA is also offering a free Far Cry 2 copy, as long as you meet the following terms and conditions written here. EVGA's offer is also limited while supplies last.

Odd enough, AMD has just issued a hotfix for the yet to be released PC game title Far Cry 2. The patch is meant to be used for the Radeon X1000, HD 2000, HD 3000 and HD 4000 series cards to improve the performance of Far Cry 2 in DirectX 9 and DirectX 10. Both single and CrossFire compatible systems will benefit from it. The hotfix download package includes both the Display Driver and Catalyst Control Center. The hotfix can be downloaded by clicking on this link here. After all this might be a smart move for AMD/ATI. The official launch date for Far Cry 2 is October 24th, and the game will launch simultaneously on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Now ATI owners will be prepared and hopefully won't have problems running the game when it is released.

Publisher Ubisoft issued today the minimum and recommended system requirements for the PC edition of Ubisoft Montreal's open-world first person shooter Far Cry 2. The successor of the original Far Cry game is also due to be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall. "It has always been our intention to make Far Cry 2 as accessible to everyone as possible, and we have worked continuously to optimize Far Cry 2 to achieve this goal," said lead technical director Dominic Guay. The full specs follow below.

Clint Hocking, the creative director behind the upcoming Far Cry 2, has confirmed that there will be no demo released for the game. Developed by Ubisoft, future Far Cry 2 players won't be able to play a level or two to get the idea, before the full game is out. According to Hoking there's no easy way of making a Far Cry 2 demo, because of the open nature of the game that will leak almost 12 hours of gameplay from a possible demo. "One reason is, even if we were to give out what you played today - even if we put invisible walls around it and said, here's the demo, you can go anywhere you like inside these walls and play it how you want - that's potentially right there eight-to-ten hours of gameplay," said Hocking. "I don't know too many people who are willing to give away a 12-hour game for free", he continued. In related news, Clint Hocking also informed that Far Cry 2 is almost complete and it only needs a good testing before retailing.

A video with Ubisoft Montreal producer LP Pharand posted on Youtube today, revealed the release plan for the next gen shooter Far Cry 2. The game is being developed from Ubisoft Montreal and will be simultaneously launched on PC, PS3 and X360 this fall. Unfortunately other details surrounding the game and its story remain brief. What's sure is that there will be no mutants or what so ever as it was previously reported.

Ubisoft has released two tech movies from Far Cry 2 trailer, showcasing this first person shooter sequel in the works at Ubisoft's Montreal studio. Developed for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Far Cry 2 is scheduled to ship in Spring 2008.

Far Cry 2 Tree Regeneration Tech Trailer (HD) Online (512.95MB)
Far Cry 2 Day and Night Cycle Tech Trailer (HD)Online (535MB)

GameSpot has managed to acquire some new Far Cry 2 screenshots as part of an article about the game. You can see all five of the new screenshots below, with all of the older screenshots available to look at here.

Ubisoft has confirmed two days ago at CES in Las Vegas that it is going to use Philips' Ambx-technology in some of its major upcoming titles. amBX allows developers to include "surround sense" elements in games through various peripherals, including light, colour, sound, rumble and air flow through enabled devices like fans and LED-powered lights. The tech is being shown at CES working on both Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Far Cry 2, which were recently delayed by Ubisoft until the next fiscal year beginning April 2008. "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Far Cry 2 are titles that will showcase just how powerful and in your face amBX effects can be in a war game. This is just the start of the alliance between amBX and Ubisoft and the level of our comarketing with Ubisoft will underline our dedication to bringing all-new ambient effects to world class games." said amBX COO Jo Cooke. amBX only works with PC titles at the moment, but console announcements are on the way too. The agreement will also see an amBX patch being released for the original Far Cry. Further patches for existing Ubisoft games will also be released with the amBX-enabling of additional titles to be announced later.

Publisher Ubisoft has announced Far Cry 2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Set in Africa, the exploration-heavy first person shooter is slated to arrive within the 2008-2009 fiscal year, which begins in April. A PC version of the game was first revealed last summer. All editions of the game are being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, which previously handled the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii spin-offs of the first Far Cry (PC). Original Far Cry creator and developer Crytek is not involved with the project, as Ubisoft acquired the Far Cry and Crytek Engine rights in 2006.

Shacknews posted today a set of eight screenshots from Far Cry 2, the first person shooter sequel in development at Ubisoft Montreal. See all the screenshots here.

New Far Cry 2 concept art images surfaced today, showing that the game will be playable on numerous locations around the globe. You'll also notice the concept art includes characters or "Buddies", which are surely people who join up and fight alongside you during the adventure. See all the images here.