ATI Catalyst 8.9 drivers are out

[Heinz68]

http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx
New Features

Catalyst™ 8.9 introduces the following new features:

• Catalyst™ Control Center: New Display mode support

• OverDrive™ support for QUAD CrossFireX configurations

· OpenGL™ 3.0 extension support

Catalyst™ Control Center: New Display mode support

This release of Catalyst™ introduces 1080p @ 50Hz custom mode support for HDTVs for the ATI Radeon HD 4000 Series, ATI Radeon HD 3000 Series, ATI Radeon HD 2000 Series, and ATI Radeon X1000 Series of products. Users can configure their own custom 1080p @ 50Hz modes to best fit their display.

OverDrive™ support for QUAD CrossFireX configurations

This release of Catalyst™ introduces Overdrive support for QUAD CrossFireX configurations.
Users can now over-clock each graphics accelerator’s engine or memory speed when running in QUAD CrossFire configurations using manual controls or the automated auto-tuning utility.

OpenGL™ 3.0 support - Phase 1

This release of Catalyst™ introduces OpenGL™ 3.0 extension support. In upcoming Catalyst™ releases AMD will continue to expand its support for OpenGL 3.0 extensions. The following is a list of supported extensions in Catalyst 8.9:

· ARB_half_float_pixel

· ARB_draw_instanced

· ARB_instanced_arrays

· EXT_texture_compression_3dc

· EXT_texture_compression_rgtc

· EXT_texture_compression_latc

· EXT_texture_shared_exponent

· EXT_depth_buffer_float

· EXT_gpu_shader4

· ARB_map_buffer_range

ATI's Folding@Home

Folding@Home is a distributed computing project designed by the Stanford University. The application performs intensive simulations of protein folding. This simulation will help researchers uncover how certain diseases develop. Folding@Home uses distributed computing to simulate protein folding, the workload is broken up into small work units and distributed across hundreds of thousands of computers over the internet. You can help find the cure to many different diseases! To join Folding@Home, follow these steps:

1. Download ATI's Catalyst™ software suite

2. Download the Folding@Home GPU client application

3. Enter the ATI team number 51394 and start folding!

For more information on Folding@Home visit: http://ati.amd.com/technology/streamcomputing/folding.html

Resolved Issues for the Windows Vista Operating System

This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™ Software Suite for Windows Vista. These include:

· Company of Heroes: Setting the in-game options to maximum levels no longer results in the game exiting to the desktop after the game has completed loading. Further details can be found in topic number 737-32600

· Quake 4: Corruption is no longer noticed during the new game introduction • Playing a Blu-ray DVD title may result in corruption being intermittently noticed when using certain display resolutions such as 1360x768, 1360x1024, or 1600x1200

· DiRT: Setting shadows to ultra quadCF no longer results in a performance drop being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37320

· Assassins Creed: Brightness and saturation distortion is no longer observed during game play with ForceAA enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37327

· Grid: Enabling CrossFire and starting a new game no longer results in flickering bands being noticed across the display device. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37331

· Jericho: Corruption is no longer noticed when AA is enabled and the in-game option Advanced Smoothing is enabled. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37332

· Age of Conan: Playing the game for a short period of time no longer results in flickering corruption being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37333

· Enabling BOB de-interlacing no longer results in a green line being noticed on the bottom of the playback window when playing a 1080i clip. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35895

· Playing certain Blu-Ray DVD titles using the Cyberlink player no longer result in color corruption being noticed. This issue may be experienced under the Windows Vista (32 bit version) operating system when using an ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 X2 product

· The Blu-ray DVD movie image no longer fails to rotated when the player window is drag to an extend monitor which rotated 180 degree. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37329

· Switching from h.264 to MPEG2 video titles no longer results in the operating system failing to respond. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37322

· VC1 streams with Interlaced Frame and Slice features no longer results in picture corruption and flicker in VLD sites. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37324

· Playing a DVD title using the Windows Media Player no longer results in the user defined Avivo Video settings failing to be applied. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37317

· Playing a DVD title using the PowerDVD player no longer results in the PowerDVD player failing to respond when DXVA is disabled, closed captioning is enabled and the user is fast forwarding the DVD title anywhere from 4x to 32x. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37328

· Clicking on the seek slider when playing a DVD title using the PowerDVD player no longer results in corruption being noticed on the playback window. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37323

· Resuming from power saving mode on a system with an HDMI TV connected no longer results in the operating system failing to resume. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37318

· Using a hot-key command to switch between an HDMI display device and any other display device no longer fails. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37330

Resolved Issues for the Windows XP Operating System

This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™ Software Suite for Windows XP. These include:

· Lord of the Rings: Return of the King: Flickering is no longer noticed when changing chapters

· Stranglehold: Setting the in-game options to 1024x768, and Decals off no longer results in the game failing to respond after a short period of game play

· World in Conflict (DX9): Enabling CrossFire no longer results in flashing corruption and the game intermittently failing to respond. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37341

· Oblivion: Setting the display option to 2048X1536 and AA to either 8x or 16x, while having the in-game options remain at their default values no longer results in the game failing to respond. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37342

· Hellgate London: Enabling AA to 8x, AF to 16x and setting Mipmap Detail Level to High Performance, along with AAA set to Performance no longer results in textures being missing when playing the game 8x. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37343

· Witcher: Game corruption is no longer noticed when setting all of the in-game options to their maximum values and having CrossFire enabled along with AA set to 16x and AF set to 8x. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37344

· Spore: Playing the game in a windowed mode on the secondary display device no longer results in poor performance being noticed when AA is set to 8x. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37345

· Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts: Enabling CrossFire no longer results in the displays flashing corruption when setting the in game graphics options to off or their lowest settings. Further details can be found in topic number 737-35118

· Age of Conan: The inventory icons may show corruption when playing the game with CrossFire™ enabled. This issue may also be experienced under the Windows Vista operating system as well. Further details can be found in topic number 737-34825

· Catalyst Control Center->Theater Mode->Video Aspect Ratio: The default settings no longer fail to be restored when clicking on the Default button. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37337

· Setting the display mode to 1080p50 and rebooting the system no longer results in the display mode failing to be retained

· Cropped text is no longer noticed when changing the language option and DPI setting from their default values. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37334

· Setting the language option to Polish no longer results in the hot-key Ctrl+alt+C being active resolving issues with Polish keyboards. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37335

· Certain supported languages no longer display cropped text within the Display Options of the Catalyst Control Center. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37336

· Resuming from hibernation mode no longer results in the TV signal failing to be restored. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37338

· Closed captioning no longer fails under the Windows XP and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating systems. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37339

· The FM seek function under Windows MCE no longer fails to find radio stations. Further details can be found in topic number 737-37340

Resolved Issues for the Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Operating System

This section provides information on resolved issues in this release of the ATI Catalyst™ Software Suite for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. These include:

· Momentary screen flicker may intermittently be noticed when launching or exiting a D3D or OpenGL application. This issue may be experienced on systems running the Windows XP Professional x64 Edition operating system and containing an ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 X2 product
Known Issues Under the Windows Vista Operating System

[grey_1]

Thanks! The 8.9 betas have been good, lets see whats new in the official release...

[AngelGraves13]

LOL so much for NVIDIA being the first with official OpenGL 3 support.

Lame.

[Tr1cK]

I think ATI just threw that crap in there because the driver lacks in so many other areas.

[AngelGraves13]

Still...they beat NVIDIA.

[LordJuanlo]

I was expecting them for next week, 8.8 were released on august the 21th, and 8.7 on july the 21th.

I have the 8.9 betas installed and they are the best driver so far for the x2, will try those as soon as I get home. Beta 8.9s is driver version 8.53, can anybody check out driver version in the official drivers?

EDIT: Rage3D says that they are exact same drivers than 8.9 beta, however betas have a slightly higher build number. Beta are 8.53-080820a-068929C, and official are 8.53-080820a-068906C.

I think I will wait for the 8.10 betas, an ATI betatester at Rage3D forums says that a nice Warhead performance improvement is coming very soon

[slaWter]

Here's a good review comparing the new driver to older versions: http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hardware/grafikkarten/2008/bericht_ati_catalyst_89/

WiC performance is great with the 8.9! :D

[HYBRID]

I could not get 8.8 to install properly on my 4850 crossfire setup 8.9 installed but it required a second reboot before the drivers set strange.

I have a nice bump in Vantage about 300 marks and ETQW which was the only thing I tested for 20 minutes or so played fine.

These are a keepers, will try Crisis for benchy purposes tonight.

[LordJuanlo]

One ATI guy has confirmed (http://www.rage3d.com/board/showpost.php?p=1335620469&postcount=30) that those drivers and the leaked 8.53 beta are IDENTICAL:

Hmmmm. Very interesting. The leaked driver is a duplicate of the Catalyst driver. Only difference is WHQL.

Only this part of the number tells you about the driver. "8.53-080820a"

This part "068906C" is a formality, but does tell me who actually requested the driver. (Useful when tracking leaked drivers :-))

CC

[slaWter]

Funny that they introduce a 1080p 50Hz mode... Unfortunately, my X2 did that automatically in DX10 :(

[nekrosoft13]

Funny that they introduce a 1080p 50Hz mode... Unfortunately, my X2 did that automatically in DX10 :(

maybe that why they "introduce" it now, instead of a bug, it will be called a feature now
:headexplode:

[Xion X2]

maybe that why they "introduce" it now, instead of a bug, it will be called a feature now
:headexplode:

While slawter's experience was unfortunate, it's hardly a widespread issue. I'm running 1080p at 60Hz just fine on an HDMI widescreen. Crysis plays great on it whether in Crossfire or CrossfireX.

Using the 8.9 betas.

[Heinz68]

Funny that they introduce a 1080p 50Hz mode... Unfortunately, my X2 did that automatically in DX10 :(
slaWter sure it's funny. You returned your x2 complaining it did run at 1080i 50Hz Crysis DX10 LINK (http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=1749872&postcount=125)
So I got my card today but I'm not happy with the X2 I can't get it to work with my LCD TV. The X2 works flawlessly in Windows and most game, 1:1 pixel mapping is spot on. But Crysis DX10 runs at 1080i 50Hz all the time, scaling doesn't work.

I'll try a few things tonight but if I can't find a solution tonight I'm gonna sell the card, I'm not going to waste my time with ATI drivers when I have a perfectly fine GTX 280 on my table.
There is a difference between (i) interlaced scanning and (p) progressive scanning. The 50Hz is for PAL system. Since at least some European HDTV models might run better at 50Hz I was wondering even before why the 1080p 50Hz was not the option to force.
The only option on previous driver was 1080i 50Hz (PAL)

EDIT
By the way scaling has nothing to do with it. There is "Scaling Option" in CCC and I always have to set it on 0%.

[slaWter]

Ah right, it was at 1080i 50Hz. Forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me Heinz ;)

[Heinz68]

Ah right, it was at 1080i 50Hz. Forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me Heinz ;)
No problem I did know it was a mistake. I was more concerned what info like that would lead to.

For example few replies in this tone, not only ATI drivers being crap but same goes for the updates. Or some other smart alec remarks.
maybe that why they "introduce" it now, instead of a bug, it will be called a feature now

n/m

[ATi]

cant download the hotfix is the hotfix called 8.9? new to ati

[Heinz68]

There is not Hotfix for the 8.9 drivers. The Hotfix was for 8.6 drivers. I don't know why it's still listed at AMD game site.
If you start from this page the option is not there.
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html