Catalyst 11.7 Released!

[Mem]

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/downloads.aspx .

Highlights of the AMD Catalyst 11.7 Windows release includes:

Resolved Issues for the Windows 7 Operating System
This section provides information on resolved known issues in this release of the AMD Catalyst 11.7 software suite for Windows 7. These include:

•All issues experienced with mouse cursor lag have been resolved
•Resolves system hangs seen in the AMD Catalyst 11.6 driver on specific HDMI and DP displays
•Log event (Event ID 62464) issues when playing video content have been resolved
•Bluray playback using PowerDVD 10 under High Performance mode no longer randomly displays a blank screen.•Bluray playback using PowerDVD 10 under High Performance mode no longer randomly hangs.
•Some Divx format files no longer display video corruption using WinDVD.•AVIVO Video Quality settings are now correctly applied to Flash Video Content.•AMD SteadyVideo is now applied to Home Video clips when using WinDVD 10.•Random screen corruption is no longer displayed when changing desktop themes.•Chequerboard corruption is no longer displayed intermittently when playing DirectX 10 titles in a Crossfire configuration with Eyefinity enabled.•Shogun II now renders the cinematics correctly when run in various Eyefinity configurations.•Video playback now works correctly when Hardware acceleration is enabled with VLC Player version 1.1.9.•720P Divx video clips no longer display stuttering when played using Windows Media Center and Windows Media Player.•Crossfire now functions correctly when playing Hamilton’s Great Adventure.•Video corruption is no longer observed when when using the Forward slider on 720P Divx format video clips using Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center.•PowerDVD now correctly handles 3D Bluray content.•Portal 2 no longer displays flickering on water surface textures with Medium and Low Shader detail settings.•Image stabilization now functions correctly when playing Divx content using Windows Media Player.•Wraparound corruption is no longer displayed intermittently after exiting a 3D application.


Known issues under the Windows 7 operating system
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under the Windows 7 operating system in the latest version of AMD Catalyst. These include:


•Star Wars Jedi Knight II / Jedi Academy may randomly crash on launch.
•Image rotation might not function correctly in Photoshop CS5.
•OpenGL acceleration might not be available in Photoshop CS5.
•High GPU speeds might be retained after exiting a 3D application.
•Crysis 2 may display random corruption when Crossfire is enabled and run in DirectX 9 mode
•Homefront may experience random crashes during gameplay.
•Crossfire may not perform as expected when playing Earthsim, Bad Company 2 and Metro 2003 under DirectX 11 mode.


Known Issues under the Windows Vista Operating System
The following section provides a summary of open issues that may be experienced under the Windows Vista operating system in the latest version of AMD Catalyst. These include:


•PowerDVD may display a blank screen during Bluray playback when Crossfire is enabled.•Doom 3 and Quake 4 may display random screen corruption.•Performing Bezel compensation in certain Eyefinity configurations may cause some bezel groups to not appear.•Windows Aero options may no longer be available after installing the driver.

 

[QuantumPion]

Hey hey they finally fixed the cursor lag bug. Only took them 2 years.

 

[lsv]

Hey hey they finally fixed the cursor lag bug. Only took them 2 years.

At least it's fixed now, I was about to switch to Nvidia but this might keep me in the cool n quiet ATI camp.

 

[Jeff7]

I wonder if they also fixed the issues with dual monitors. I can't remember the card model I've got at home, but apparently there's an issue with their PowerPlay power-save settings where it throttles back the clock so far that it can't push out enough data to keep the screens going. Whatever it is, running dual monitors results in display corruption on one or both screens, unless the clocks are forced to something a bit higher. The only other option is to disable it completely, which really heats up the card while it's doing darn near nothing.

(And there's some problem with Skype and antialiasing, causing Skype's bloated mass to crash unless a specific antialiasing setting is set to Use Application Setting. As for why Skype, a 2D application, is even touching anything in the 3D driver section, who knows.)


It'll be nice to get rid of the cursor lag too. It's like there's warm Silly Putty in the upper-right corners of both monitors.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

(And there's some problem with Skype and antialiasing, causing Skype's bloated mass to crash unless a specific antialiasing setting is set to Use Application Setting. As for why Skype, a 2D application, is even touching anything in the 3D driver section, who knows.)

For that matter, Windows Live Messenger as well. I always have to shut down Skype and WLM before switching between graphics chips on my Alienware M11x.

One thing that isn't mentioned that will make bitcoin miners jizz in their pants - dummy plugs are no longer needed.

 

[QuantumPion]

At least it's fixed now, I was about to switch to Nvidia but this might keep me in the cool n quiet ATI camp.

I just did switch back to nvidia. 4 days later they fix one of the more annoying and persistent bugs.

As for cool and quiet, my new 580gtx with giant 3-fan heatpipe cooler is actually just as quiet as my watercooled 5870, surprisingly enough.

 

[Red Storm]

I just did switch back to nvidia. 4 days later they fix one of the more annoying and persistent bugs.

As for cool and quiet, my new 580gtx with giant 3-fan heatpipe cooler is actually just as quiet as my watercooled 5870, surprisingly enough.

I don't think I've ever encountered this bug and I've been running ATI/AMD GPUs for a long time now. Oh well, nice to see they fixed it anyhow.

 

[busydude]

I wonder if they also fixed the issues with dual monitors. I can't remember the card model I've got at home, but apparently there's an issue with their PowerPlay power-save settings where it throttles back the clock so far that it can't push out enough data to keep the screens going. Whatever it is, running dual monitors results in display corruption on one or both screens, unless the clocks are forced to something a bit higher. The only other option is to disable it completely, which really heats up the card while it's doing darn near nothing.

I think they solved that issue long back(> 6 months or so).. when was the last time you updated the drivers?

 

[Zargon]

it was not >6 months ago, because I had 11/3s with that issue. I am going to roll my main rig to 11.7 or 11.8 preview soon though, we'll see how that goes

 

[busydude]

it was not >6 months ago, because I had 11/3s with that issue. I am going to roll my main rig to 11.7 or 11.8 preview soon though, we'll see how that goes

Hmm.. I don't think I have tried 11.3.. I am not sure, but they first address this issue with 10.6 or 7 IIRC.

 

[Mir96TA]

I wonder did they fix the Dummy Plug (if no monitor is pluged in) needs for mining purpose

 

[dalamchops]

I wonder did they fix the Dummy Plug (if no monitor is pluged in) needs for mining purpose

it's been fixed in this update, however your cpu usage is still at 100% if mining with multi gpu

 

[Jeff7]

I think they solved that issue long back(> 6 months or so).. when was the last time you updated the drivers?

I'm on 11.5.

...thinking about it now, I think the reason I dropped 11.6 was the Skype crashing, though I don't remember exactly what it was.
(Oh, and my card's a 5850, I believe.)

Time to try out the 11.7s.

 

[Chiropteran]

Hey hey they finally fixed the cursor lag bug. Only took them 2 years.

Never suffered from this bug. Used 5770, 5850, 5830, 6970 cards. What exactly causes it?

 

[StrangerGuy]

Never suffered from this bug. Used 5770, 5850, 5830, 6970 cards. What exactly causes it?

I never had any trouble with AMD drivers myself.

 

[Bill Brasky]

Never suffered from this bug. Used 5770, 5850, 5830, 6970 cards. What exactly causes it?

No one really knows except the driver team. I've spent *hours* reading about it. Basically certain configurations of hardware and software cause it, but that's all we know. It was moved from the upper right to the upper left part of the screen in 11.6 hotfix.

 

[zebrax2]

Anyone tried the 11.8 preview that was released along side the 11.7?

 

[Wag]

I'm using the 11.8 preview on my 3 unlocked 6950s right now. No problems so far.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Never suffered from this bug. Used 5770, 5850, 5830, 6970 cards. What exactly causes it?

Same here with 2600 Pro, 4850, 4890, 5830 and 6950. What exactly is it?

 

[jvroig]

Nice timing. Just a day or two ago, from using 2009 drivers, I decided to get the latest driver (still 11.6 then) to see if some minor game issues I had were really game-specific or driver-related (turns out, really just the game). Two days later, I'm already obsolete. Oh well. The bad timing is my bad. I already knew july was ending, could have just waited a few days for 11.7 to get out before doing the mega upgrade. Then again, coming from a 2009 driver, I'm obviously not exactly the type who always wants to be on the latest and greatest drivers, so no biggie

 

[trasixes]

it's been fixed in this update, however your cpu usage is still at 100% if mining with multi gpu

Mining with 2 GPU here, and not seeing 100% cpu usage. Each instance is using roughly 13%, so 26% total. Can you elaborate on both the dummy plug issue, as well as the cpu usage issue?

Never had to use any dummy plugs...

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Mining with 2 GPU here, and not seeing 100% cpu usage. Each instance is using roughly 13%, so 26% total. Can you elaborate on both the dummy plug issue, as well as the cpu usage issue?

Wait, is he saying that he's seeing 100% CPU usage when trying to mine _without_ dummy plugs in 7/Vista, ala XP?

 

[dalamchops]

Wait, is he saying that he's seeing 100% CPU usage when trying to mine _without_ dummy plugs in 7/Vista, ala XP?

Technically, i've never used less than 3 cards to mine, but w/ all my mining rigs. CPU usage stays at 100%, it's a bug caused by the windows driver that does not exist if you use linux.

with 11.7, you will no longer need dummy plugs on windows machines for the card to be detected as active. (Obviously this applies to dedicated mining rigs)

 

[Chiropteran]

Technically, i've never used less than 3 cards to mine, but w/ all my mining rigs. CPU usage stays at 100%, it's a bug caused by the windows driver that does not exist if you use linux.

I have 1 rig with 3 5830s and another with 2 5830s and neither one shows more than 15% cpu usage while mining with all cards. I am using windows 7 64 bit. Is this bug only with 6 series cards or something?

edit: oops, spoke too soon. After updating my 3 card system to 11.7, I see the CPU usage bug. I don't know why my computer at home doesn't suffer from it and this one does.

 

[jackstar7]

11.6 came amid a bunch of concurrent failures for me so I opted to stick with something earlier, but switching to 11.7 seems good for both x-fire and eyefinity so far.