Current Most Stable/Safe Release for 7970Ms?

Hi,

I purchased my Sager NP9150 with an AMD 7970M back in June of last year (when the 7970Ms first came out). Since then (10 months back), I have not bothered to update ANY sort of drivers or anything related because I wanted to avoid the nightmare stories that people have with AMD drivers (everything is working fine as it is). However, I now realize that I am probably incredibly far behind software wise, and realize that I really need to go ahead and update them. So, my question is: what is currently the most stable release? I am not very experienced when it comes to this kind of stuff, so if something goes wrong I probably won't know how to fix it. I have browsed around a bit and it seems that 13.1 is currently the best option - is this correct? I also read a few guides on how to exactly update them, but they all seem to have slight variations in regards to the order in which you uninstall, reboot, etc. So, a link to a guide or somewhere with more information on how to update them would be most helpful. Thanks, I appreciate the help.

Edit: Also, should I try using AMD's Driver Verification Tool here? Or should I just uninstall/reinstall everything manually?

 

If you are not getting BSODs with the stock driver, you will be fine with it. If you want to update, definitely update to the AMD Catalyst Mobility 13.1 WHQL driver package. I've been with it since it came out and have had zero issues in terms of system stability. While performance is not yet as consistent as it should be, it is still much better than what you get with the stock driver package. The download link is at the bottom of this page: AMD Catalyst 13.1 WHQL Download

This is how I install new packages:

First, make sure that you have an Intel GPU driver package installed. Since you are on the stock package, which includes both the Intel and AMD drivers, you have it installed already and should be good to go.
1. Uninstall AMD drivers through the AMD Catalyst Install Manager located in the uninstall section of the control panel. Restart.
2. Install new AMD package. Restart

AMD's Driver Verification Tool will tell you that your GPU is not compatible and and as a result not allow you to download the mobility driver. That is likely because AMD has not listed Clevo under the supported list of laptop manufacturers. The mobility driver linked on the Guru3D page will still work fine with no issues.

 

Thanks! So I don't need to uninstall and reinstall anything Intel related? I know I have that package already, but has that updated as well? A couple of guides on here said you had to uninstall/reinstall Intel drivers, and linked to an (apparently) updated version for all things Intel related (found it here). It seems everyone has a slightly different method for updating, not really sure which one I should follow.

 

Yep Intel hd4000 drivers have been updated several times since last June. Do Not use the latest version, it doesn't work with enduro. Use the previous release (don't have the number on me)

In terms of amd driver I've been using 13. beta 3 since its release with no dramas.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

We don't know the advantages and/or disadvantages of upgrading the Intel driver. Just make sure that the Intel driver you install was released before February, which I believe is around the time the bad driver was released.

 

Ok, thanks for the tip. So one thing for clarification: I can keep my current Intel drivers (if I choose to) and just upgrade the AMD ones, yes? Will this cause any sort of compatibility issues or will I be ok?

 

Yes, you will be able to upgrade the AMD driver without touching Intel and have no compatibility issues. It may be smart to upgrade to a more recent driver just in case, though. My Intel driver version is from late 2012 and it works fine with the AMD drivers.

 

On a separate but related note: update your Intel RST driver if applicable as well. Though it's recommended you do update the Intel HD graphics driver, I'm not aware of any known issues with previous versions. But if you're taking advantage of the Rapid Storage Technology, version 11.5 has known problems that have been resolved with 11.6.

 

What kind of issues? I'm on the latest version from Sager, which is 11.0. It is enabled but I never use it, so should I just not worry about it?

 

There were some I/O problems and bad memory leaks with the IAStorDataMgrSvc.exe in 11.5. Nothing to brick your system, of course, but some users saw upwards of 1 GB of RAM being dedicated to it over extended use for no good reason. Your fine with the version you have though.

 

BTW, I installed the WHQL 3.1 overtop of the stock drivers without uninstalling the previous version or touching the Intel drivers and it's worked like a dream. I'd give that a shot first.

 

IMO it would be the 12.11 Enduro Performance, but that's not a great driver either. Intel 2932 are the last drivers from Intel that work right. The newer ones, AMD broke. Nvidia got it right though, don't see why AMD is always 3 months to 3 years behind Nvidia for mobile. POS.