Catalyst feedback thread anyone ?...

[exAndrzej]

PREAMBLE:
If this has already been done - then apologies up front !
FYI: The naming convention used is <year>.<month> - so Cat 4.12 means 2004 - December
FYI: WHQL is the Microsoft stamp of approval. These Windows Hardware Quality Labs tests put serious stress on drivers to see how well behaved they are. WHQL certification means fewer issues and overall better performance for the user. Commitment to WHQL means a commitment to quality

Every month, millions (literally !) of customers upgrade their software by downloading the latest release of Catalyst from our WEB site

They can choose to download with Control Centre (neat .NET application that shows you what's going on when you alter settings)... http://www.ati.com/home/online/CatalystCCCdriver.html

...or they can have the 'vanilla' version without Control Centre... http://www.ati.com/home/online/CatalystXPdriver.html

For most people, this is a smooth transition that makes things (a) faster and (b) more stable

Compare one month to the next - and the differences will be clear

Compare Catalyst 4.12 with something from 6 months ago (i.e. around 4.6) and the differences will be much more obvious

We'd love to get feedback on the changes from Hexus Forum users

If anyone has an opinion on Catalyst that they'd like to share - then can they tag it on to this thread ?

We'd love to hear from you whether you:-

• Have upgraded and it really improved your system
• Upgraded - but encountered an issue
• Have never considered upgrading (and please let us know why !)

ATIis very proud of its driver improvement programme that sees the official release of a brand new, WHQL certified drivers each and every month

We definitely want your feedback...

...so please feel free to give it to us straight

[mike_w]

I'm still here on Catalyst 3.10 - probably will change to a more recent set when I reformat, but right now I don't see any real benefits to upgrading, so it's easier to keep it as it is.

[TiG]

I have to say that as i'm not a Doom 3, or Half Life 2, i'm less interested in upgrading Catalyst drivers month in month out. The problems i tend to face with upgrading drivers is that some programs i use tend to have problems with updated drivers.

I'm pleased to report that 4.12 is the ones i've managed to move to quite literally yesterday, with everything i wanted.

I was running 4.1's before that, Simply due to graphics issues or complete slow down with certain games.

IL2 Sturmovik - Forgotten Battles and Pacific Fighters and "Water" is one such issue that is running much better with 4.12

But i'm also had issues with UFO Aftermath and some sort of Vector graphics but again, 4.12 has fixed that.

Having a chance to provide feedback from within a community that I feel comfortable in is a good move. Nice one Hexus and ATI.

TiG

[Nick]

I was intrigued... no make that AMAZED that UbiSoft/1C Maddox reccomended rolling back to Cat 4.1s to get the best from Pacific Fighters...

I still get texture corruption on the water and occasional invisible decks on carriers with the 4.12s, BUT performance is greatly improved compared to the slide show the game becomes when the flak starts flying when I'm on the 4.1s.

[Stoo]

Yup, good to see ATi OpenGL is slowly improving

I'm currently downloading Cat 4.12's as we speak, which I might switch over to to omega's tweaked drivers for all the softmod goodness

[CrapshoT]

I agree the quality has improved in cats 4.12 over others.I have been using 4.11 betas since they came out.I like the adition of CCC as well.Having to instal .net is a bit of a pain tho.It would be nice to be able to oc the ram as well as the gpu in overdrive.As long as the drivers do include improvements over the last set I'm all for monthly updates.Keep up the good work \m/-_-\m/

[exAndrzej]

Hi All,

I am not going to do personal replies to everyone all the time - I am too busy ironing sweatshirts and buying duvets ( in joke !)

But I wanted to do this on the first day so you get some feedback as well:-

...Having a chance to provide feedback from within a community that I feel comfortable in is a good move. Nice one Hexus and ATI...

:blush:
It is great to hear that you have had a good experience, but the feedback that is most useful is the gitches. If you notice something 'not quite right' then please post it up here so we can look at it !

...Keep up the good work...

...I'm still here on Catalyst 3.10... I don't see any real benefits to upgrading...

To see a solid, measuable difference, you'd need to snapshot your system where you are - run a bunch of tests for performance and stability - install 4.12 - run the same tests again - you'd be pleasantly surprised at how much quick/smoother life is afterwards. Hexus showed a decent, measureable improvement from 4.10 to 4.12. Going back over a year would make for a really cool delta on performance !

...texture corruption on the water and occasional invisible decks on carriers...

Must try harder...
Must try harder...
Must try harder...
Must try harder...
Must try harder...
Must try harder...
Must try harder...

Promise we will get better in the future...

[steve threlfall]

Now using 4.12's

I update as soon as the new cats are avaialble and games such as Farcry seem to me at least to be playing better with each new release...

So im happy

Keep up the good work

[johnnr892]

definately half-life 2 and doom3 and far cry show large improvements with the 4.12. They are also very stable as i found the 4.10 didnt like far cry, halo and call of duty, but the 4.12 are spot on

[jonathan_phang]

Another welcome to Andrjez to the forum, its nice to have our own rep from Ati here! Wondered if anyone could help here. I've been running the 4.12 betas eversince doom3 came out, and I've been very pleased with them. I've now finished HL2 and was also pleased with the performance.

Just wondering if there are any improvements to be gained by going to the 'official' Catalyst 4.12 ??? Also, Im on th vanilla CP version. Is there also any extra performace between CP and CCC versions of the same driver, or just purely functional?

Thanks in advance

JOP

[Zak33]

Catalyst re spawned my already strong faith in ATI. Then I went from a R8500 LE to a Ti 4200 that failed to work (not nVidia fault, my mobo's fault) but taking the nvidia drivers out was a pain in the bum. Unlike ATI.

Lent the 4200 to Deckard, who put it in, failed to like it and then HE failed to take out the nVidia dets successfully.

and yet, for both of us, changing form one set of Cats to the next is a DODDLE.

So in terms of feedback, and the advice I give to most people. Down loading the Drivers and Control panels seperately, installing them and then using add/remove programs when you want them out for the next ones ALWAYS WORKS.

So I cant BE more happy

Have installed two 9000's, one 9200, 3x9800Pro's, a 9600 Pro AND an X800 this year. Every single one WITHOUT FAIL was a dream

BUT.....[drum roll]

PLEASE could you either WARN punters in MUCH BIGGER LETTERS that the screens gonna go black after avout 15 seconds and to NOT PANIC .....or simply stop it happening.

PLEASE.....cos I STILL get my heart in my mouth if I forget....the PC reboots....the mouse goes all jerky...then the screen goes BLACK

I cry...

then it works again and its going fine.

And as an AVID IL-2 Forgotten Battles and Pacific Fighters person....4.12 is good....really much better than 4.10 or 4.11
Cheers ATI

[Howard]

4.12s work fine but they didn't like my usual method of just installing the new ones over the old... Had to uninstall the olds ones first Bah

[jonathan_phang]

I swear half my problems were when I used to just install over the top of older ones, especially when trying betas (had to have the edge first didnt I!!). I use the official catalyst uninstaller, found at:

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/cat-uninstaller.exe

Which when you run it removes pretty much everything Ati related, then i boot into safe mode, run driver cleaner then reboot again and install. Then re...laaax!

[Furton]

Overall I'm pretty happy with ATi drivers, but the one thing that bugs me is the size of the new ones with the control panel (no biggie, on ADSL but sitll), and the new control panel is pretty cluncky, unlike nVidia's which seems slick and smooth in comparison

[Nick]

Ooh, just remembered somethin that irked me with the CP over the old one... no function to turn AA and AF off!!

Or am I just missing something.... which is more likely and probably a "one d ten t" user error...

[SHISH]

Had a bit of trouble on one rig with the Cat4.11/4.12`s which may be due to a beta version of .NET 2.
The card is an 8500DV AIW and it keeps coming up with a"Severe" file missing warning when I install the Tv drivers.
It wouldn`t work at all on the 4.11 but it seems to be working now with the CCC`s despite not having a 9000 plus version.
Also got a 7200 running near perfect on the CCC 4.12 but still have to reinstall the multimedia stuff yet for the 8500DV.
Usually crap reply from the ATI problem reports....`bout time they sorted out some decent tech support people at the home base.