Going for Catalyst 4.12 or not.

[FrustratedUser]

Got a 9700Pro w/ Win2K SP4 and using (IIRC) catalyst 3.6 or 3.8.
Is it worth going to 4.12?

 

[Mem]

I would normally say yes,there have been many bug fixes/improvements since then,however the new 5 Cats will be here very soon so you might as well wait for that driver update to appear.

 

[FrustratedUser]

mmK..... everything is working fine so no need to screw with it.

 

[Mem]

mmK..... everything is working fine so no need to screw with it.

I have updated from every driver starting with 3.4s all the way up to 4.12s with my 9700NP,never had any real problems,besides using Driver Cleaner makes sure I get a clean install.

I guess bottom line is it all depends on if you game a lot,but I would still update my drivers to either the 4.12s or CATs 5 when they appear,to be honest updating drivers is really a simple matter and in general is always more positive then negative ,with you gaining benefits from bug fixes etc....

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
mmK..... everything is working fine so no need to screw with it.

that is the general rule of thumb.

FWIW, when i installed Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher's Bay -- BTW, it's MY GotY. . . much more fun than HL2 -- i needed more performance and installed Cat 4.12. It did run smoother. . .
. . . and i also noticed my 3DMark05 went up ~300Marks from 2600 to 2955
:shocked:

if that ain't a reason to upgrade. . . . .
:roll:

 

[FrustratedUser]

OMG!!!1!!1THEONE!!!

Now I HAVE to install it.

 

[Pete]

The Cat 4.12 offers a slight improvement overall compared to the previous sets, and it may well show more than a handful fps improvement in some games (e.g., KOTOR and other OpenGL games, Doom 3, Half-Life 2, maybe other newer games). I haven't heard of any big issues with the 4.12, whereas some of the previous 4.x series had various crashing issues with KOTOR and Wolf:ET for sure. Anyway, I'm happy with the 4.12 in my very short time with it.

Normally I'd say leave well enough alone, but driver updates are fairly simple to do and undo. I'd give 'em a try if you feel performance is a little low in some titles. But I'd also download a 3.6/3.8 package in case the the 4.12 gives you trouble.

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: Mem
I the new 5 Cats will be here very soon .

when will that be?

 

[Schneider879]

Chronicles of Riddick does kick major @ss.

 

[Malak]

ATI says do not update your driver unless you are having issues. They show all the things they fix in each driver so you can see how a driver may help you each time one is released(once a month). If you have no problems, no need to update. However, drivers don't just affect bugs, they also affect performance. For instance, the 4.12 drivers increased performance in HL2 across all ati cards. I got an 11fps boost. That is a pretty hefty bonus for a new driver. I would suggest checking the updated drivers everytime they are out, and update at least once every few months.

 

[BFG10K]

Always get the latest drivers and work backwards if you have problems.

 

[kef7]

Can anyone comment on whether prime95 blend test works with the 4.12 driver? (hasn't worked for me since the 4.10)

 

[Mem]

when will that be?

This month ,my best guess is next week.