Windows 7 - ATI Video Driver Question?

In your opinion is it better to just use the Windows 7 built in ATI video driver or should I upgrade them?

Here's my Dilemma:

1) Catalyst Control Panel is useless as most games have those choices such as AA and AF built into their games.

2) I use a 4670 card and that's what's displayed in device manager. When I used the latest ATI driver from their website it the description changed in device manager to 4600 series. Am I making a big deal about that?

3) I've always been of the impression if it works out of the box and it's stable it's best to leave things alone. Am I wrong with this thinking?

 

2) The 4670 is part of the 4600 series, so if it shows that its not a problem

3) Not entirely, newer drivers often improve performance, so updating them would be a good idea. If for whatever reason the new driver isn't stable, you can always roll back

 

Thanks so should I use the newer ATI driver part of Windows update or should I install it from ATI's website?

edit: Is CCC a waste or is it needed? Like I said most games allow you to adjust features on the card like AAx and AFx

 

Get them from ATI themselves because Windows will often not have the latest drivers anyways

 

Thanks again is Catalyst Control Center a waste IYO?

 

Personally I never found too much use for CCC, just a bunch of functions that I hardly use (I never installed it on my desktops). And in the case of games yeah just stick with having the games adjust AA and AF

 

Thanks again, should I just install the new drivers over the old or should I use a driver cleaner including booting into safe mode?

 

use a driver cleaner but you don't need to go into safe mode (unless something messes up, which shouldn't because you nuked the old drivers already)

 

Wrong!

Don't download a driver from ATI website for a MOBILITY RADEON!!!!
You'll have to deal with v ideo drivers from your Laptops' manufacturer OR look at this site:

http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php

Quoted from DRIVERHEAVEN:

Same to be said from other laptop's manufacturers using ATI Mobility chips.

 

Sorry for the confusion excercise I forgot to mention my ATI 4670 is in my desktop gaming rig.

 

Read your sig before I posted and knew you were probably talking about a desktop rig (hence my comparison to my own desktop rigs )

 

I know that crossed my mind.

Again sorry for not mentioning that.

 

hope im not too late to say, DONT uninstall the built in drivers, install over them,

 

No your not late as opinions are never closed my friend.

So are you of the consensus of using Windows Update or ATI drivers?

 

That is true if the machine is pre-built.

So now, without going on any further (with the possibility of me giving you the wrong advice)

Is your rig custom built (aka parts that you bought and assembled yourself) or one of those pre-built stuff like a Dell?

 

It's custom built i.e. I built it myself.

 

Then there is no problem with you nuking your old drivers. Installing newer Catalyst drivers over the old ones tend to lead to problems. A fresh install is always the best option

 

Thanks to all. I want to ask if my steps for updating the ATI video drivers are correct?

1) Fresh install
2) Install Windows Updates
3) Install driver sweeper
4) Run driver sweeper
5) Select ATI drivers
6) Reboot
7) Check device manager
8) Caution symbol by ATI Radeon 4670
9) Install ATI Radeon driver 4600 series.

Am I missing anything?

*Oh wrt the ATI caution symbol. Do I leave it as is and just install the correct drivers?

 

For my desktop, I just download the latest Catalysts and install them straight-up. Never had any issues. I do this with 3 different desktops that use ATI cards (Two Vista, one 7).

On your point one, CCC is mostly useless, but there are some games with either no AA control, or broken AA control, in which case you'll need to force it using the CCC.

 

I asked this same question in the desktop forums and Sprint (Mod) enlightened me that most current drivers ATI for sure he said, uninstalls the old drivers first then installs the newer driver after wards, pretty cool.

And wrt CCC yes there are a few older games I have that don't have the option to set AA or AF within the game. I decided I need CCC after all.