AMD Catalyst 11.1a Hot-Fix Driver 1-26-11

[Wreckage]

Here's a link to the official drivers released on 1-26-11
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/radeon_win7-64.aspx

Link to the 11.1a hotfix
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/AMDCatalyst111aHotfix.aspx

Release notes:
http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/AMDCatalyst111ReleaseNotes.aspx


http://www.hardocp.com/news/2011/01/18/amd_catalyst_111a_hotfix_driver_information/

*Release date is set for 1-26-11 (and yes I'm still putting 2010 for some reason).

The latest Catalyst Hot-Fix; (11.1a) offers increased performance brings a slew of new features and should be the driver used for any performance testing. Below are a few of the highlights from this driver:

Performance improvements for the AMD Radeon HD 6800 & HD 6900 series include but not limited to:

AMD Radeon HD 6900 and AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series:

* ·3DMark Vantage improves ~7%

* ·3DMark06 improves ~3%

* ·Call of Duty Black Ops improves ~20% at 4xMSAA and up to 35% at 8xMSAA

* ·Riddick Assault on Dark Athena SSAO performance improves ~20%

* ·Unigine Heaven OpenGL performance improves ~10% at moderate, 30% at normal and 100% at extreme tessellation levels

* ·Aliens vs. Predators improves ~9% at 2xMSAA and up to 20% at 4xMSAA

* ·Batman Arkham Asylum improves ~4%

* ·Crysis Warhead improves ~2-4%

* ·Metro 2033 improves ~28% at 4xMSAA

· The Catalyst Control Center includes an early prototype of some new tessellation controls. Our goal is to give users full control over the tessellation levels used in applications. The default selection "AMD Optimized" setting allows AMD, on a per application basis, to set the best level of tessellation. The intention is to help users get the maximum visual benefit of Tessellation, while minimizing the impact on performance. Currently no applications have been profiled, so the "AMD Optimized" setting will be non-operational until further notice.

· The "Use Application Settings" option gives applications full control over the Tessellation level. Users can also manually set the maximum tessellation level used by applications with the slider control

· The long term goal for the "AMD Optimized" setting is to use the Catalyst Application Profile mechanism to control the AMD recommended level of tessellation on a per application basis. AMD’s intention is to set the tessellation level such that we will not be reducing image quality in any way that would negatively impact the gaming experience.

 

[tijag]

http://www.hardocp.com/news/2011/01/18/amd_catalyst_111a_hotfix_driver_information/

*Release date is set for 1-26-11 (and yes I'm still putting 2010 for some reason).

Yay! A 100% increase in a synthetic benchmark!?!

[note my sarcasm]

Overall though, good start to the new Cat 11 drivers.

 

[Lonyo]

So, wait, 11.1a hotfix, but there hasn't been an 11.1 yet?
I assume these will be non-WHQL and then the regular 11.1s have been sent to MS for qualification and will arrive "soon"?

 

[Castiel]

So, wait, 11.1a hotfix, but there hasn't been an 11.1 yet?
I assume these will be non-WHQL and then the regular 11.1s have been sent to MS for qualification and will arrive "soon"?

11.1 beta

http://www.filefront.com/17797660/AMD-Catalyst-8.810.0-BETA-asder00Guru3D.7z/

 

[Wreckage]

It looks like they fixed their issue in Metro 2033 with 4xAA. So that's good news. It's a pretty good game. Like Half Life 2 only not as epic.

 

[Mistwalker]

Another hotfix driver...are the days of getting monthly, normal updates long gone? We're pretty much hopping from "hotfix" to "hotfix" here, pull it together AMD.

Here's hoping the new CCC is standard for all cards including the 6900 series as well. Performance gains seem respectable.

 

[Maximilian]

Im still on 10.11 as 10.12 didnt look like a normal driver, it smelled of "test this stuff out for us before we burn it to driver discs etc" and now 11.1 is also not really a proper normal release either. Goody

Actually its good theyre making changes etc but a tried and tested normal update would be nice too.

 

[apoppin]

Another hotfix driver...are the days of getting monthly, normal updates long gone? We're pretty much hopping from "hotfix" to "hotfix" here, pull it together AMD.

Here's hoping the new CCC is standard for all cards including the 6900 series as well. Performance gains seem respectable.

This is the driver that was submitted to MS for WHQL certification. It should be on their site by next week.

Check out the tessellation slider
(i haven't yet; i am evaluating another card for next week's publication)

 

[Skurge]

lol, finally the magic drivers silverforce was talking about.

I have to say there are some massive improvements there. Also the tessellation control could be what AMD was talking about with HAWX2. I'd like to see performance and IQ differences.

The 100% increase in unigene is not surprising, AMD did say they had to optimise the tessellation units for Cayman in the driver.

 

[Skurge]

This is the driver that was submitted to MS for WHQL certification. It should be on their site by next week.

Check out the tessellation slider
(i haven't yet; i am evaluating another card for next week's publication)

Will you be testing these drivers when they come out? If you do, will you check out what differences the tessellation slider has.

 

[apoppin]

Will you be testing these drivers when they come out? If you do, will you check out what differences the tessellation slider has.

i have had them before they were available to the public. They are expected to be posted today. i am expected to use them when i bench for next week's big review.

Unfortunately (timewise), i increased my benching suite by 7 games plus 3DMark11 and i won't have a lot of time to look at it until the next week.

i just set the slider all the way to 'max' (for now)

 

[Schadenfroh]

Another hotfix driver...are the days of getting monthly, normal updates long gone?

Why do they need monthly driver updates if there is nothing significantly wrong with them? Surely, taking their time to polish a release would be much better than meeting a self-imposed monthly update.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I hope this is fixes some of the issues I have been having with crossfire eyefinity on my 6970s. Been waiting for new drivers, also excited for the performance increase.

 

[tijag]

i have had them before they were available to the public. They are expected to be posted today. i am expected to use them when i bench for next week's big review.

Unfortunately (timewise), i increased my benching suite by 7 games plus 3DMark11 and i won't have a lot of time to look at it until the next week.

i just set the slider all the way to 'max' (for now)

perhaps a very small supplemental for like 2 games, say, hawk2 and metro2033, and see what lowering the slider does to IQ vs. performance?

I can understand not testing all the settings for all the games, but I think it'd be very important aspect of this driver, and all AMD cards effected by this slider, to see if 'normal' tessellation slider impacts IQ noticeably.

 

[Wreckage]

Why do they need monthly driver updates if there is nothing significantly wrong with them? Surely, taking their time to polish a release would be much better than meeting a self-imposed monthly update.

I would not be surprised if they give up on this "monthly cycle" soon.

 

[hdfxst]

11.1a hotfix http://www.hardwareluxx.de/index.ph...doc_details/169-amd-catalyst-111a-hotfix.html

 

[Gloomy]

I would not be surprised if they give up on this "monthly cycle" soon.

Why


Just out of curiosity (and because you guys brought it up) how often does the other team release drivers? I'm currently using an Nvidia card but don't ever upgrade ever

 

[busydude]

ust out of curiosity (and because you guys brought it up) how often does the other team release drivers?

Once a month.. with frequent hot fixes in between.

 

[Skurge]

Once a month.. with frequent hot fixes in between.

I think he means nvidia. Which is basically whenever they are ready or feel like it.

 

[Castiel]

11.1a hotfix http://www.hardwareluxx.de/index.ph...doc_details/169-amd-catalyst-111a-hotfix.html

Downloading now

 

[Skurge]

Downloading now

Let us know.

 

[Qbah]

Delayed until next week: http://legitreviews.com/news/9872/

 

[Castiel]

Let us know.

Pulled the same score in 11 - 5048

 

[zerocool84]

I would not be surprised if they give up on this "monthly cycle" soon.

If only women did the same.

 

[BFG10K]

We’ve been notified by AMD that the latest 11.1 driver has filtering improvements to Q but no changes to HQ.