Catalyst 6.8 released

[dangel]

How is it horrible. it's a million times better than that forceware ****.

Slow and clunky - a by product of using .NET for something that patently doesn't suit the job (particularly in terms of an app that runs at startup!). Sometime it takes two launches to start CCC at all, and on both my work and home pc's it's _so slow_ that i can see individual UI elements being drawn. It's just not right for the job and I wouldn't make the same mistake in my own software (which also has startup components) as our customers would complain (as ATI users do quite vocally on the subject).

Oh my life, give it a rest folks.

NVIDIA's drivers are fine. ATI's drivers are fine. If they weren't neither company would be here. Now they both have their problems, in their own respective areas. Both have annoying Linux support. I've used both, both have their issues, I won't quantify them to save a debate on which side's is better.

As for control software, CCC has its issues, but so does NVIDIA's new control interface.

Bottom line is, no amount of fanboyism will make one side's driver package better than the other's outright.

The drivers themselves have nothing to choose between them (at least in my experience) on Windows. It's the peripheral software in ATI's case that let's them down - and whilst I know .NET is 'the future' it wasn't the right time to choose it - who on earth wants to twiddle their thumbs waiting for .NET to load it's 8 billion DLLs just to show a simple control panel? Bottom line is (for me) I couldn't care less which company produces the best solution for me - and so I switch 'sides' (god knows why there's even that concept - neither corporation 'cares' about you) regularly. ATI (IMHO) have a better solution right now with HDR+AA than nVidia, and so that's where I am. If the next gen part from nVidia is better i'll go there. Driver's are secondary issue as i've never really had that much of a problem with either (aside from the very early days with a Rage 128!) but boy, CCC don't half wind me up. Perhaps it's because i'm a developer and I can't help but think 'i could of done a better job with good old ropey MFC'.


I may be wrong but on Vista I think both companies will be forced to comply with MS' new control panel style and perhaps it will resolve the issue for both sides.

[GeorgeTuk]

Slow and clunky - a by product of using .NET for something that patently doesn't suit the job (particularly in terms of an app that runs at startup!). Sometime it takes two launches to start CCC at all, and on both my work and home pc's it's _so slow_ that i can see individual UI elements being drawn. It's just not right for the job and I wouldn't make the same mistake in my own software (which also has startup components) as our customers would complain (as ATI users do quite vocally on the subject).



The drivers themselves have nothing to choose between them (at least in my experience) on Windows. It's the peripheral software in ATI's case that let's them down - and whilst I know .NET is 'the future' it wasn't the right time to choose it - who on earth wants to twiddle their thumbs waiting for .NET to load it's 8 billion DLLs just to show a simple control panel? Bottom line is (for me) I couldn't care less which company produces the best solution for me - and so I switch 'sides' (god knows why there's even that concept - neither corporation 'cares' about you) regularly. ATI (IMHO) have a better solution right now with HDR+AA than nVidia, and so that's where I am. If the next gen part from nVidia is better i'll go there. Driver's are secondary issue as i've never really had that much of a problem with either (aside from the very early days with a Rage 128!) but boy, CCC don't half wind me up. Perhaps it's because i'm a developer and I can't help but think 'i could of done a better job with good old ropey MFC'.


I may be wrong but on Vista I think both companies will be forced to comply with MS' new control panel style and perhaps it will resolve the issue for both sides.

Hurrah, you said it, there is nothing between them in terms of drivers just the control panel software for them.

I have a mixed GPU environment and neither system is better, they all do a good enough job and exactly what it says on the tin. Oh and thats over 500 PCs. In the last year we have had two breakages, one from both constructors.

I do prefer ATI without Catalyst but the drivers both do a great and impressive job!

[dangel]

mess about reformatting (to get rid of the ati drivers)

Use driver cleaner pro

[badass]

What a bunch of fanboys!
Easily spotted as the first thing they say is I'm not a fanboy but.........

[kalniel]

All I want is an nVidia driver that lets me play my games!

I like the nVidia cards, I have an nVidia card, but I want to be able to play Rallisport, NWN, Quake 4 and Oblivion on the same driver. I can't. I have to swap out drivers to do so. That isn't right

[Smokey21]

Bottom line is, no amount of fanboyism will make one side's driver package better than the other's outright.

Indeed, it won't, but user experience, and preference, does.

Likeing one manufacturer, more, doesn't make someone a fanboy, it's pathetic really, how often that crap gets thrown around. Ever since my first ATI card (X800XT PE), ive really liked there cards. Ive owned more nvidia cards, than ATI cards, but i prefer ATI, so does that make me a fanboy?

[dangel]

What a bunch of fanboys!
Easily spotted as the first thing they say is I'm not a fanboy but.........

Thanks for stopping by - don't slam the door on the way out...

[Synergy6]

...you forgot to mention that it is 100% free of charge

What company charges for 12mb worth of drivers? ( I don't call CCC/WDM the "driver")
Synergy6