TechPowerUp announces the availability of GPU-Z version 0.3.1 for download. GPU-Z is our graphics sub-system information and monitoring utility that provides information on installed graphics hardware, their various specifications, provides real-time updates on their parameters such as clock-speeds, temperatures, fan-speeds, etc., all in a neat, tabbed user-interface, backed by our overclock validation system and an extensive video card BIOS database. Version 0.3.1 brings in a few important updates to the table, notably:

• Crash fix on systems without NVAPI (Win 2K, old NV drivers)
• Optimized AMD RV770 BIOS reading code (faster application startup)
• Added preliminary support for NVIDIA GT212, GT214, GT215, GT216, GT218
• Added support for NVIDIA Quadro FX 4700 X2, GTX 295, GTX 285
• Support for fan speed monitoring on ForceWare 180.xx and up
• Voltage monitoring for NVIDIA GT200

...and more. For a complete changelog and download, please visit this page.

The latest update to our VGA information tool GPU-Z has just been released. Here is the list of changes:

• Added support for NVIDIA 9800 GT, 9600 GS/GSO, 9300 GS, Quadro FX Go1400, 9800M GTX, 9600M GT, 9650M GT, Quadro FX 770M, 9200M GS, 9300M GS, Quadro NVS 160M, G71 0x2e5
• Added support for ATI HD 4350, HD 4550, HD 4650, HD 4830, HD 4850 X2, RV670 0x9504
• Added support for Intel GM45 variant 0x2a43
• Added support for shader count reading on HD 48xx
• Changed ATI driver function call method. This should result in more accurate readings on X2 cards and non-desktop ATI devices
• Improved VGA BIOS Upload dialog. Drop down lists appropriate for your card will now be fetched from our servers to facilitate the upload process
• Corrected RV610 transistor count

Download here.

Earlier this week, when evaluating samples of the new Radeon HD 4830 GPU-based graphics card, W1zzard, who also authors the GPU-Z diagnostic utility, had found an anomaly with the stream processor (SP) counts on samples sent by AMD. The GPU could access only 560 out of its 640 SPs available. This affected the card's performance significantly, and TechPowerUp's findings were validated by several other reviewers with similar samples.

AMD on its part quickly followed up the issue with its engineering department, and released a video BIOS update that fixes the issue and makes available all the 640 SPs. AMD will be circulating this BIOS to all its press contacts and add-in-board (AIB) partners, to make sure the issue is isolated and fixed. The updated BIOS file can be downloaded from here. AMD also asserts that the issue isn't hardware related, and that updating the BIOS resolves the issue completely.

The ATI Radeon HD 4830, the newest foot-soldier from the red-camp, is AMD's answer to the GeForce 9800 GT, a gap left by the company, that may have been eating into its profits for months now. As usual, TechPowerUp received its review samples from TUL (PowerColor), AMD's long-standing partner, and AMD itself. We reviewed both of them, as soon as the product became official today. During the course of reviewing them, with the card from AMD in particular, our reviewer, W1zzard noticed an anomaly: the sample from AMD was showing an abnormal stream processor count of 560.

W1zzard also authors the GPU-Z diagnostic utility, and it is his routine chore to program the utility to detect a new GPU. The newest build of GPU-Z detected the card from AMD to have as many as 80 stream processors disabled from the original specifications for the Radeon HD 4830. In his article, W1zzard attempts to explain this anomaly.

A new version of GPU-Z has been released. New features include the much requested sensor logging feature and support for AMD's latest RV730 cards.