AMD Catalyst 11.11a (Dated Nov. 18)Perfomance Driver (Release Notes Included) + Leaked 12.1 Beta

11.11a Links:

XP
Vista/7

AMD Catalyst 11.11a performance driver features (url=http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/Catalyst1111aperformance.aspx]Link[/url]:

Batman Arkham City

• Improves DirectX 11 performance for single GPU and CrossFireX configurations

Rage

• Delivers AMD CrossfireX performance scaling
• Resolves a number of image / stability issues seen with the title:
• Fix geometry corruption, sometimes seen in Bash TV entrance
• Fix issues with Low-memory conditions on 32bit systems.
• Fix issue with extreme corruption with missing textures on 32bit systems.
• Fix memory leaks when deleting/reusing sync objects.
• Fix hitching and pausing, especially noticeable on some Quad Core systems when doing races and Stanley Express runs.
• Fix some missing shadows

Elder Scrolls Skyrim

• Improves performance 2-7% on single GPU configurations
• Resolve corruption seen when enabling Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing on the AMD Radeon HD 6970 Series
• Disables CrossFireX (to resolve negative scaling and image quality issues seen when CrossFireX is enabled)
• AMD is continuing to work on a CrossFireX solution for Skyrim – as soon as it’s ready we’ll make it publicly available

Battlefield 3

• Resolves intermittent corruption seen when playing the game at specific camera angles

Please post impressions if you try them out!

Here's the leaked 12.1 (Catalyst 8.93)

No release notes, but the updated CCC includes custom profiles, among other new features!

Pics:

 

Nice! Hope I'll see these minor changes while I'm playing Skyrim and BF3.

 

I haven't even gotten around to installing the last update! I'll just go for 12.1 then.

 

The only thing is, there's no way to confirm that the leaked 12.1 has the performance fixes of the 11.11a driver.

 

Still no Dx11 Multithreading according to this post at the guru3D forums..

and AFAIK, the title of 12.1 is purely speculative, no info on when these drivers might show up for official release

EDIT: if anyone tries out the leaked 8.93 (aka 12.1) and has LA Noire installed please post results with new drivers.. Thanks.

 

Any word on a fix for dynamic graphic switching and OpenGL programs?

 

Alright, I've removed the bit about DX11. Someone said a string about the .exe was included with the package.

Also, I only called it 12.1 because the one who leaked it says that's what it is. He has been leaking drivers for a while, and is usually accurate.

Personally, I'm not going to bother with the leak yet. The official release from AMD is good enough for me. Well, unless someone says it improves Skyrim even more....

 

I'll wait for more information then on 12.1. 11.11a doesn't look like it will benefit me for the time it takes to install it, and 11.10 is working fine.

 

Got excited for this but got BSOD again with 11.11a.

 

Does not seem to make the green flashes go away in BF3

 

11.7 currently, hopefully 11.11a will give a decent performance boost in Skyrim.

 

Tried both drivers..tested only on the games i was currently playing.. Skyrim and LA noire

12.1 - brings in the application profiles manager into CCC
- Marginal(if any) increase in skyrim and LA noire(maybe 1-2 fps boost in some areas)
- video panel was missing from CCC for me

11.11a - same as 11.11

 

Getting around 1 to 2 fps more in Skyrim?
Sorry but not worth my time. xD

Still rocking 11.10 WHQL since its working and thats actually good enough for me.

 

Thanks for the heads-up Kevin.

Unfortunately this driver doesn't fix my issue with low gpu-usage in towns
I guess this was the price to pay for switching to the red team...

 

No dice on an OpenGL fix for switchable graphics with the 11.11a. I'm going to install the 12.1 beta later. Perhaps the custom profiles is the workaround we've been waiting for. I won't hold my breath, but you never know.

 

It would be nice to get a fix for it. I don't particularly mind having to use fixed mode, but I feel like AMD is shortchanging me, and other users aren't so fortunate as to have a BIOS fix from the vendor.

 

Nvidia users have the same low GPU loads. It's a Skyrim issue, not a vender one.

Supposedly Bethesda will be trying to fix it in the next patch.

 

I've referenced an article on Anandtech that says AMD is allegedly working on a software fix, which would be ideal. Outside of this OpenGL problem, I've had remarkably good luck with AMD's automatic switching. It's actually worked better than previous Optimus notebooks I've owned. In the end, this problem is not the end of the world as the OpenGL games I do play are quite old and run absolutely flawlessly on my Asus' integrated 6520G. Still, that's not an excuse for this not to be functional. NVIDIA made it work with Optimus, why can't AMD?

 

Well, you have to consider that Nvidia did have a whole year head start before AMD did theirs.

Plus Nvidia had access to some of Intel designs before the fallout.

Also, of course AMD to AMD would work better (eventually and quickly) than Nvidia to Intel.

AMD have access to both and can change both hardware and software if needed. While Nvidia can do it only to theirs.

 

We are talking about AMD/ATI to Intel Switchable. Obviously AMD to AMD is going to work in their best form. AMD/ATI to Intel Switchable is better in practical operations than nVidia to Intel via Optimus.

 

It is, the fixed mode for their mindfully aware users.

Not so much on their dynamic mode. Poor AMD goof that up pretty good.

As much I love Nvidia's Optimus over AMD Switchable's, if an computer literate ask me about which one I would recommend.
I would answer neither of them and recommend to avoid them.

 

Agreed. This is why the m17x-R3 in my opinion is its Achille's Heel. The drivers are just a pain to upgrade with the damn thing in mind.