AMD Posts Catalyst 13.8 Beta, Fixes CrossFire Frame Latency

[btarunr]

In the run up to the big Catalyst driver update AMD promised, that fixes frame latency issues on Graphics CoreNext-based GPUs, AMD posted Catalyst 13.8 beta, which addresses frame-pacing issues on CrossFire configuration, which minimizes the micro-stuttering issues some CrossFire configurations are notorious for. The driver includes a fix that ensures frames generated by member GPUs of a CrossFire configuration are displayed in an even and regular pace, so there's no micro-stuttering. This fix can be enabled through Catalyst Control Center, on a per-application basis. It supports games that use DirectX 11 and DirectX 10 APIs, running at resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600 pixels.

Next up, Catalyst 13.8 beta includes full support for the OpenGL 4.3 API. You can now create application profiles within Catalyst Control Center for OpenGL applications, and CAP updates will now be issued for such apps. The only performance-improvement you get with this driver, are for Metro: Last Light. Radeon HD 7000 series GPUs get up to 7 percent performance improvement on the game. Lastly, a nifty new feature addition for Enduro shows which apps are active on the discrete-GPU, and which on the integrated/low-power GPU.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 13.8 Beta

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[fullinfusion]

A little late mate!

Great friggn driver. Smoooth as butter!
Good going Amd! Best driver ever

 

[Prima.Vera]

For ALL crossfire configurations, or only for the 7xxx series ???

 

[btarunr]

For ALL crossfire configurations, or only for the 7xxx series ???

All CrossFire configurations, but only DirectX 10/11 games.

 

[fullinfusion]

AMD is bringing out there drivers out in phases... 1st phase DX 10/11 and the later will also have DX9 games included.. and so far I've seen ppl reporting improvements in 5 series and up with this new 13.8 driver.

Can it play Crysis.... Yes it can.. And extremely well it does, haha

 

[hardcore_gamer]

Any reviewer in TPU planning to check if AMD's claims are true ?

Edit: Techreport already tested it. Their conclusion :
"I think we can say with confidence that AMD's frame pacing solution appears to work just as well as Nvidia's SLI frame metering. The Radeon HD 7990's frame production and delivery results look much more like what you'd get from a single fast GPU—and that's exactly the behavior you'd want."


If they extend this technique to 4K displays, I might buy a couple of 9790s and a 4K monitor.

 

[Aceman.au]

Are there any crash issues reported yet?

 

[fullinfusion]

Are there any crash issues reported yet?

Nope none at all

 

[Aceman.au]

nope none at all

this cannot be!

 

[erocker]

I'm getting diagnol lines/glitches, especially during loading screens and sometimes a driver crash. Both cards on their own are fine. Tried different CrossFire bridges and anything else I could think of. Happens every time in Valley benchmark. Running stock...

 

[Prima.Vera]

seems like an oc issue...

 

[vega22]

shame it still breaks the downsampling

 

[Mussels]

exciting. looking forward to this fix in DX9, should help out my desktop even with its older hardware.

 

[Kovoet]

Running very very smooth

 

[beck24]

not fixed, but better

Several hardware sites like Hardware Heaven and Hardocp looked at this driver and said, while a step in the right direction, it's a long way from fixed. Caveat emptor!

 

[linoliveira]

Several hardware sites like Hardware Heaven and Hardocp looked at this driver and said, while a step in the right direction, it's a long way from fixed. Caveat emptor!

Hardocp review is useless and has no rep, at least for me.
They measure the latency in fraps (which was explained by many people has being totaly misleading in frame latency measures), and they should measure it with FCAT as provided by Nvidia to some reviewers.
I let you have a good read at Guru3d as they have the FCAT and have some acurate results: AMD Framepacing Catalyst 13.8 driver examined with FCAT

 

[BigMack70]

Hardocp review is useless and has no rep, at least for me.
They measure the latency in fraps (which was explained by many people has being totaly misleading in frame latency measures), and they should measure it with FCAT as provided by Nvidia to some reviewers.
I let you have a good read at Guru3d as they have the FCAT and have some acurate results: AMD Framepacing Catalyst 13.8 driver examined with FCAT

I agree. HardOCP is one of the not-so-useful reviews on this particular subject. Anand, PCPer, Guru3d, Techreport all have much more useful analysis.

It obviously has room for improvement, but I think it's hard to criticize what AMD has done here other than to point out how late to the party they are compared to Nvidia. Everyone wins right now (well, except maybe Nvidia fanboys who don't get to bash on AMD and their drivers as much ).

 

[Mussels]

as much as i used to hate guru3D, that article seems well written and detailed.

 

[de.das.dude]

finally, that micro-stuttering in apu crossfired laptops will be gone. quite an annoying thing it was.

 

[xvi]

Just had an epiphany. If I download the new drivers at work, I won't have to spend forever downloading them at home!

 

[fullinfusion]

I'm getting diagnol lines/glitches, especially during loading screens and sometimes a driver crash. Both cards on their own are fine. Tried different CrossFire bridges and anything else I could think of. Happens every time in Valley benchmark. Running stock...

I just ran Valley benchmark and didn't have any issues. The only thing I see is when it loads to run, the image goes from top to the bottom of the screen but the games I tested do the same.

Its no issues here. are you on windows 8? did you remove all the amd entries in the registry? check hidden folders? I cant be happier with this driver

 

[erocker]

I just ran Valley benchmark and didn't have any issues. The only thing I see is when it loads to run, the image goes from top to the bottom of the screen but the games I tested do the same.

Its no issues here. are you on windows 8? did you remove all the amd entries in the registry? check hidden folders? I cant be happier with this driver

I don't expect other people to have issues, but thanks for chiming in.

Issue resolved. Windows was listing the 2nd adapter as the 1st adapter. This was causing some driver confusion. After a while of trying I managed to get things the way they should be. Not sure how this happened to begin with, but whatevs.

 

[manofthem]

I don't expect other people to have issues, but thanks for chiming in.

Issue resolved. Windows was listing the 2nd adapter as the 1st adapter. This was causing some driver confusion. After a while of trying I managed to get things the way they should be. Not sure how this happened to begin with, but whatevs.

That's strange but glad you figured it out. Good to know for all of us with crossfire systems in case we run into it too

 

[fullinfusion]

I don't expect other people to have issues, but thanks for chiming in.

Issue resolved. Windows was listing the 2nd adapter as the 1st adapter. This was causing some driver confusion. After a while of trying I managed to get things the way they should be. Not sure how this happened to begin with, but whatevs.

Ahh good deal. Does your screen do this when you fire up Valley?

 

[erocker]

Ahh good deal. Does your screen do this when you fire up Valley?

Sorry for the bad quality.. was shot by my phone.

You mean when it first started up? Yeah.. Like that but 1000X faster. Like on an old TV with vertical and horizontal trim.