m17 ATI Driver comparison

This is a comparison between the different drivers for the 3870 CrossfireX avalible for the m17.








Used system:
3870 CrossFireX | T9400 2,53 GHz | 4GB DC DDR3 1067MHz | Windows 7 64bit

 

3DMark06:
Default

8.10:
1280x1024 12.072 (guessed)
1280x900 12.203
1280x720 12.352

8.12:
1280x1024 12.010

9.1:
1280x1024 11.955 -
1280x800 12.217

AW:
1280x1024 12.106
1280x720 12.387 +

W7:
1280x1024 12.161 +
1280x768 12.332

UPDATE:
9.6:
1280x1024 12.080


Crysis Benchmarktool:
64bit | DX10 | Very High | 1280x720

8.10: 17,31 FPS +

8.12: 17,22 FPS

9.1: 17,28 FPS

AW: 11,59 FPS -

W7: 17,19 FPS

UPDATE:
9.6: 19,76 FPS ++

 

Pros/Contras
8.10
Pro: good 3DMark06 scors
Con: external TFT resolution problems

8.12
Pro: good 3DMark06 scors
Con: -

9.1
Pro: newer games better performance
Con: WoW error during playing, texture problems

AW
Pro: good 3DMark06 scors
Con: bad game scores

W7
Pro: no modding needed for W7, good 3DMark06
Con: no 1280x800

9.6
Pro: no modding needed for W7, good game scores

 

Used drivers

I run them to let them extract ... mobmoded them ... made a clear deinstallation and installed the new drivers:
Mobility Modder
"How to make a clear deinstallation" by E-wrecked

here you can find the older Catalyst drivers:
Vista 32bit
Vista 64bit
I tested the 64bit ones on Windows 7 Beta and they worked quite well

For the 8.12 I also used the .inf from E-wrecked which makes 8.12 support 1280x800

Now I need your help!

8.10 doesn't allow me to show 1280x1024 on my external TFT ... is it possible to gess a 1280x1024 score with the two other scores?
(e.g the AW ones are better at 1280x720, so should they be better at 1280x1024 as well?)

Have you noticed other "changes" during testing different drivers?

What would you also like to see? (e.g. problems / pros)

The two diagrams will follow soon

Thanks for your feedback!

Greetings
Julian

 

Hi Julian

Great job on the comparison. Since I still have my own notes from testing I throw my own two pennies.

AW First Driver (8.6) (Certified, can't remember the version)

3DMark (Default): 12191
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 24Fps
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8xAF): 20Fps
Stalker (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, No AF):27 Fps

OCZ 98XT Driver (Certified, 8.9)

3DMark (Default): 12245

World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 27Fps
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8xAF): 23Fps
Stalker (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8x AF): 47Fps
Combat Mission Shock Force (v1.11, WUXGA, Best Details, No shadows): Frames: 33314 - Time: 1237815ms - Avg: 26.914 - Min: 6 - Max: 1499 (Fraps)
Theatre of War (WUXGA, Max Details, No shadows): 17Fps avg

E-Wreckeds Driver: (Modded, 8.12)

3DMark (Default): 12092
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 29Fps
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8xAF): 22Fps
Stalker (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8x AF): 52Fps

I haven't tried modded 9.1 yet. Installing Win7 now. Will post results with it later.

Edit:

Windows 7 64-bit Beta ( Official ATI 8.12 beta for W7 Has scaling issue):

3DMark (Default): 12012
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 32Fps
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, 4x AA, 8xAF): 26Fps

EDIT 30/03/09:

'New' AW 8.12 Driver

Vista:

3DMark: 12152
World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 28Fps
Combat Mission Shock Force (v1.11, WUXGA, Best Details, No shadows): Frames: 27021 - Time: 872853ms - Avg: 30.957 - Min: 12 - Max: 359 (Fraps)
Theatre of War (WUXGA, Max Details, No shadows): 21Fps avg

Windows 7 Beta (7000) ( Has scaling issue!?):

World in Conflict Benchamrk (WUXGA, Max Details, No AA, 8xAF): 31FPS
(CMSF and ToW, unplayable under W7 due to poor OpenGL support).

Cheers

Luke

 

THX!
I should try this 98XT driver! (do they run on an AW Bios?)
The problem is, now I installed (today) my new Raid0 setup and my scors increased^^

Greetings
Julian

 

Well congrats on that! Nice comparison thread julian, good idea. +rep

 

THX bro

Greetings
Julian

PS: this Raid0 gives you realy +points!
12.344 (1280x800) Raid0
12.332 (1280x768) noRaid

 

*hmhmmm*

nice work, julian...

 

You like the smell

THX

I am supprised that the AW drivers are so bad at games
AW buyer seems to like higher 3DMark06 scores more than gamescorse xD

Greetings
Julian

 

hey hey hey. very nice. a place to compare. thumbs up to ya julian!

 

maybe AW has optimized drivers for 3dmark... so they can say "hey, look, this computer got XX,000 in 3dmark!!!"

 

Hi again

Just came back from work.

Julian, Yes it does. It's the best 'official' and certified driver so far.

There is still no perfect driver for our rig. All of them have some quirks.

AW one performs very poorly in games.

OCZ makes some textures flicker (in WiC) after prolonged periods of gaming.

E-Wreckeds gives the best frame rates, but in WiC it stutters. I mean like its smooth, but when I scroll the screen it kinda leaps forward even when fraps shows 45 fps.

I am going to give WIN7 a try. I'll check this new Catalyst 8.12 beta, and post the results.

Cheers
Luke

 

OK I'll give them a chance .. the problem is, since I installed Raid0 I'll not be able to compare

Where can I get this drivers?

THX
Greetings
Julian

Edit: just installing BF2 and Crysis (+ patches) and run test to see if Raid0 brings also there a boost (@ W/ with W7 Beta driver) ...

Than I'll give 8.9 a chance^^ (after making a system image you can never be too save^^)

 

I am preparing for the diagram and for that I need a guessed of the 8.10 1280x1024 score ...

I would guess: 12.070
Even if you are a bad "guesser" ... let me know what you guess ...
I just want to make a diagram

THX!
Greetings
Julian

 

my calculator says 12072 is the magic number.

 

THX

Greetings
Julian

 

Hi Julian

You can get them from OCZ site/support/drivers/OCZDIY17A2

link:

32-bit: http://www.ocztechnology.com/drivers/oczdiy17a2/vista32/8.55-080930a-070403E.zip
64-bit: http://www.ocztechnology.com/drivers/oczdiy17a2/vista64/8.55-080930a-070403E.zip

Cheers

 

THX +rep

Greetings
Julian

edit: sry have to spread first xD

 

*update* diagram 1 is online

Greetings
Julian

 

Nice work Julian +rep

 

whoooo 12 points, thats less then 1/000 lol

3dmark scores makes the marketingmanager happy

 

Look! This aren't the same resolutions! Normaly the difference between them would be not +12 it would be -XX ...


OK I'll make one more comparison xD ... just joking ... ok may be no joke

Greetings
Julian

Edit: calculation:
1280x800 = 1024000
1280x768 == 983040
1024000 - 983040 = 40960
40960 / 1024000 x100 = 4
That means ... normaly the socre would be 4% lower^^

Sure the gain from Raid0 isn't that high because it's only a software raid^^ But there IS an increasment! no matter how high

 

*update* Crysis diagram online

I tested 8.9 (OCZ) as well and got 12.132 3DMark06 ... not bad but not as good as W7 driver ... even after I installed Raid0 ...

Greetings
Julian

PS: now I'll install AW once again to hit a new (world)record

 

Hi again

Just finished playing with Win7 and updated the WiC benchmark. The ATI beta driver for Win7 gave me the best performance in games (WiC, Stalker, Brothers in Arms) so far.

Cheers
Luke

 

Hi

Nice to hear that you (more or less?) enjoy the W7 beta

Year the W7 Beta Drivers are realy nice! And the most interessting thing is:
They perform very well at games AND at 3DMark06

So far ... gn8

Greetings
Julian

edit: would you do me a favour pls:
run 3DMark06 3times at 1280x1024 (or an other resolution) and post the results
Thank you very mutch!

 

It's my first day with W7, and it looks not bad so far.

I am at work now. I will run these tests for Ya tomorow and come back with results.

Cheers

 

KK THX!

Greetings
Julian

 

Hi Julian

I didn't want to mess with the catalyst settings so I had to run the tests on default. Unfortunately I have got scalling issue with 3DMark, and picture was displayed in letterbox.

1st Run: 12012
2nd Run: 12013
3rd Run: 11998

Cheers

Luke

 

Oh no! Your score drops from 1 to 15 after a try ... at my m17 ... is trops around 100!

I still think it's a heat problem ...

Do you have a spezial cooler? Or have you benn in a cold room?

Thank you for your help!
Greetings
Julian

 

christ man, stop worrying about a couple dozen points... honestly...

 

I don't get what you mean with: "Christ man"

NEWS!

Aftre reading this I decided to make a new FutureMarkAccount and make some more tests ... this time the results (with Raid0) are not that bad ... they are even making me very happy !

3DMark06 1280x768 Default:
1 # 12.395
2 # 12.372
3 # 12.323

So I am not that worried any more but ... I still think it's because of the heat And I think it's a gpu problem ... not a cpu problem ... so I think I "only" need a tool to set the fans on "turbomode" to test the max performance without loosing the warenty

What do you guys think (I don't want to hear that I am crazy )

THX!
Greetings
Julian

 

Now with Raid0:
1280x768 12.395

I will try to push a 4 instead of the 3 ...
All in all ... Raid0 is not a sooo big improofment ... but I think it's worth the risk

Greetings
Julian

 

Hi Julian

I don't use any cooler, and my room is quite warm. But I have noticed that my temps dropped around 5 dgrees after I've removed the battery. My usuall idle is 45-50, under full load - 78-82.

Cheers
Luke

 

lol, he means Jesus Christ

 

Oh I'll give it a shot! If the score hits 12,4XX I'll start loving you for that

Oh I am catholic

Greetings
Julian

 

Eeee... Me too . But U know Jesus, the Guy that performed all those miracles? He is in catholic version as well

 

Sure I know him
I was one of the guys who walked next to the prist ... some years ago^^ (I don't know how you call them^^)

Greetings
Julian

Edit: @ Topic

what resolution did you use? (page 3)

 

julian, didnt you have the smales aw-cpu (8400) at first? what was your result with this cpu?

 

You are right! I installed Vista new without using AlienRespawn ... so I lost this "tool" ... and than I as not able to select 1280x800 again ...

The technic guy said, that there is "now" (because what I did) no solution so I decided to give it back^^ After 2 days I decided to buy a new one ... with T9400 ... nearly everybody said Crossfire without a T9400 makes ot that mutch sence ...

Now I am happy that I decided this way

Greetings
Julian

 

yea the t9400 is a sweet spot for price and perfformance now

the ASUS W90Vp hits over 15k stock no tweaks with dual 4870s with a t9400

 

but early pricing on that asus is insane so far

 

That is not quite true^^ As far as I know ... the "boost" was pushed => 25% more "power" (huhu^^) and I thought this was a system with X9100? (E-wrecked postet a screenshot)

But this discussion would fit perfectly in my "m17 CPU comparisson *advertising*

Greetings
Julian

Edit: Mobility HD4870 Benchmark w/ x9100 - 15k+

 

Hi

I AM BACK ... ok just joking^^

I thought it's time for a little update^^

My m17 with Vista again and Raid0 (2x160GB Seagate 7200.3)

9.2 12.416 (1280x720)

OCZ 12.478 (1280x720)

AW 12.499 (1280x720)

I am impressed what the AW driver is capable of!

Greetings
Julian

 

Hey Julian,

Have you done some research using 3dmark vantage? Since we have Vista and Dx10...

Do you have experienced noticeable differences in any game? You stated AW drivers are good for benchmarking but not too good for gaming

 

I have decided to use a Vista W7 dualboot ... so I play the "powerfull" games on W7 with the W7 Beta driver wich performce realy well and the "problem games" like BF2 (thanks to PunkBuster) on Vista with 8.12 because the don't stress my system at all

I don't use Vantage because the "one use key system" suckes^^

Greetings
Julian

 

Can someone with a t9800 test this?

 

I think there is only a T9600 and mom I have some scores ...

Edit: T9600: @ 2,80 GHz : 13,132 (NBR Forum^^) + 500$ / 455€

m17 CPU comparison with 3DMark06

Greetings
Julian

 

9.3
I just booted and ran the benchmarks, I didn't shut something down (like Command Center, Steam ...).


3DMark06 (default @ 1280x1024):
Vista 64bit:
9.3 12102 (1280x1024)
Windows 7:
9.3 12037 (1280x1024)


Crysis (maxed out @ 1280x720 und 1280x1024):
Vista 64bit:
1280x720 ==> 19,48
1280x1024 => 18.31
Windows 7 64bit:
1280x720 ==> 17,12
1280x1024 => 16,13

Greetings
Julian

 

julian, why don't you try using my modded driver for Win7 and see if it works any better? Just an idea. It can't hurt.