ATI/AMD has released the latest Catalyst driver update, revision 7.3 (handily numbered for the 3rd month of 2007). There are plenty of fixes for users running both XP and Vista.
The headline functionality is support for OpenGL CrossFire under Windows Vista. This means that fans of Quake 4 and Doom 3 will be able to enjoy much better performance, akin to the kind of boost seen in Windows XP. However, there are also more CrossFire improvements for Direct3D CrossFire under Vista, including the re-appearance of Alternate Frame Rendering, which was previously MIA from drivers. This results in, ATI claims, an average performance gain of 12.5% in Dark Messiah, with some cards seeing as much as 60% gain.
There are a whole bunch of fixes for both operating systems. Under Vista, Doom 3 now works with X700, City of Heroes works at 2560x1600, and playing a DVD full-screen using Windows Media Player results in smooth playback, unlike 7.2. However, there are still known bugs under the new Microsoft OS: using the TV mode in Media Center with an ATI card can cause random reboots, whilst Doom 3 and Quake 4 still have minor issues on some hardware.
As for XP, there are a whole bundle of Catalyst Control Center fixes, including previous problems even getting the thing to launch. OverDrive, ATI's automatic overclocking functionality, now retains settings properly. However, gamers employing X1900 CrossFire (with Master and Slave cards) may have problems with AA.
If you're an ATI user, you should go and grab the latest update. Install them, then let us know any problems or fixes over in the forums.
The headline functionality is support for OpenGL CrossFire under Windows Vista. This means that fans of Quake 4 and Doom 3 will be able to enjoy much better performance, akin to the kind of boost seen in Windows XP. However, there are also more CrossFire improvements for Direct3D CrossFire under Vista, including the re-appearance of Alternate Frame Rendering, which was previously MIA from drivers. This results in, ATI claims, an average performance gain of 12.5% in Dark Messiah, with some cards seeing as much as 60% gain.
There are a whole bunch of fixes for both operating systems. Under Vista, Doom 3 now works with X700, City of Heroes works at 2560x1600, and playing a DVD full-screen using Windows Media Player results in smooth playback, unlike 7.2. However, there are still known bugs under the new Microsoft OS: using the TV mode in Media Center with an ATI card can cause random reboots, whilst Doom 3 and Quake 4 still have minor issues on some hardware.
As for XP, there are a whole bundle of Catalyst Control Center fixes, including previous problems even getting the thing to launch. OverDrive, ATI's automatic overclocking functionality, now retains settings properly. However, gamers employing X1900 CrossFire (with Master and Slave cards) may have problems with AA.
If you're an ATI user, you should go and grab the latest update. Install them, then let us know any problems or fixes over in the forums.
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