excellent interview with ATI Catalyst maker

Nedjo · 11-25-2009, 02:18 AM

http://www.insidehw.com/Editorials/I...Interview.html

Quote:

InsideHW: "When do you stop developing drivers for the older cards? Are newer driver versions that still support older models, but are actually the same as previous ones, meaning that you stopped improving them"?

Terry Makedon: "We stop developing when we see that sales have slowed down a lot AND we feel that the code is very stable, and that there are no more bugs being reported on those products. Right now, our older products (pre R600) get quarterly Catalyst updates while the newer products get monthly updates. There are simply not that many bugs to fix anymore and all the optimizations have been squeezed out of the cards."

XS2K · 11-25-2009, 03:17 AM

They should concentrate on updating drivers for their mobile division GPU's,I have a X2300 and support for it has stopped since early 2007,only the manufacturers like Asus/MSI etc... offer support for the GPU and needless to say it sucks b@lls,I don't have scaling options on the driver and can't use 1:1 pixel mapping without big black bars,stupid motherf*ckers!You need to use things like mobility modder for new drivers to work,without them most notebook users with X2k and X1k series GPU wouldn't have had support for win7 etc...
Nvidia gets a big point in the driver department for their support of mobile GPU's.

madcho · 11-25-2009, 03:31 AM

we need Eyefinity multi gpu update, and openCL.

Repliquant67 · 11-25-2009, 03:35 AM

+1
I have a 4850 m and they release only 1 driver for this card in 6 months for vista (not present on the amd web site). This driver crash quite often

SubZero.it · 11-25-2009, 04:31 AM

I think they don't do that also for latest cards and drivers. Hasn't been able to install 9.11 on Win7 64bit with a 5870.Error with installation of the main driver!While the remaining of the package installs perfectly. COME ON ATI GUYS, YOU MADE REAL MONEY WITH LAST TWO GENERATIONS....NOW SPEND SOME MONEY IN PROGRAMMERS AND START MOVING TO C AND STOP WITH THAT F*****G .NET THAT IS ABLE ALSO A F*****G NOOB LIKE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

initialised · 11-25-2009, 05:13 AM

What? No question about when we'll get user customisable CF profiles. I guess that dead horse has been flogged for long enough.

SKYMTL · 11-25-2009, 06:43 AM

Good interview but some of the tough questions were missing:

- lack of regular FireGL updates
- the widely reported issues with driver installation many of which center around the .net framework
- why the internally Crossfired HD 5970 has Eyefinity support but Crossfired HD5800 / HD5700 cards get left in the cold
- the challenges of writing drivers for unreleased games
- the pressure on him to release monthly driver updates

BenchZowner · 11-25-2009, 06:48 AM

I don't want to sound rude or like a hater but they need to finally get a decent driver out for the 5850/5870/5970 [ and the cat9.11's is clearly not the case ], release more drivers even plain nonWHQLd betas, and finally allow us to disable the anisotropic filtering optimizations alone, not with a hundred more stuff by the silly "Catalyst AI" slider.

Final8ty · 11-25-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

I don't want to sound rude or like a hater but they need to finally get a decent driver out for the 5850/5870/5970 [ and the cat9.11's is clearly not the case ], release more drivers even plain nonWHQLd betas, and finally allow us to disable the anisotropic filtering optimizations alone, not with a hundred more stuff by the silly "Catalyst AI" slider.

Nah really

You make it sound like the 5s have had 5 official drivers out that are still not up to scratch.

trinibwoy · 11-25-2009, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

finally allow us to disable the anisotropic filtering optimizations alone

Why would they do that? Nobody batted an eye even after the video evidence showed the underfiltering. If it was Nvidia that video would have been linked in every second post

BenchZowner · 11-25-2009, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Final8ty

Nah really

You make it sound like the 5s have had 5 official drivers out that are still not up to scratch.

Waiting for 5 official drivers with ATi = 5 months.

At least release a beta or sth.
But no... we have to wait until Mid Dec for the 9.12s [ hoping that they'll be good, at least better than the wreckage called 9.11 ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trinibwoy

Why would they do that? Nobody batted an eye even after the video evidence showed the underfiltering. If it was Nvidia that video would have been linked in every second post

Haha

Technology raises its hands up in the air saying "I give up"

Final8ty · 11-25-2009, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

Waiting for 5 official drivers with ATi = 5 months.

At least release a beta or sth.
But no... we have to wait until Mid Dec for the 9.12s [ hoping that they'll be good, at least better than the wreckage called 9.11 ]

Mid DEC Which is far closer than 5 month so what's the problem.
Everyone should love the first official drivers to be perfect but most people know better than to expect it.

SKYMTL · 11-25-2009, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Final8ty

Mid DEC Which is far closer than 5 month so what's the problem.
Everyone should love the first official drivers to be perfect but most people know better than to expect it.

Considering many of the performance issues are in games that have ben out for months if not more than a year, we should definitely expect more than that...even from drivers released early in a product's lifespan.

Nedjo · 11-25-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

Good interview but some of the tough questions were missing:

- lack of regular FireGL updates
- the widely reported issues with driver installation many of which center around the .net framework
- why the internally Crossfired HD 5970 has Eyefinity support but Crossfired HD5800 / HD5700 cards get left in the cold
- the challenges of writing drivers for unreleased games
- the pressure on him to release monthly driver updates

well I don't see what's stopping you to ask him that... hell you can take bus and go ask him in person!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

Considering many of the performance issues are in games that have ben out for months if not more than a year, we should definitely expect more than that...even from drivers released early in a product's lifespan.

what old games are running slow on Evergreen based cards?

BenchZowner · 11-25-2009, 10:54 AM

The Witcher for instance.... isn't running at all to begin with ( and no, I didn't figure that out on my own, a friend of mine told me, and I verified it a few mins ago ).

Glow9 · 11-25-2009, 11:25 AM

The one reason I moved to Nvidia after 5 ATI cards was the fact that I hated ATI drivers and their ATI Catalyst control center. I doubt I'm alone when I saw I really can't wait to go back to ATI buy the drivers are kinda making me reluctant. Plus I still really really really hate Catalyst control center maybe I'm the only one?

zanzabar · 11-25-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glow9

The one reason I moved to Nvidia after 5 ATI cards was the fact that I hated ATI drivers and their ATI Catalyst control center. I doubt I'm alone when I saw I really can't wait to go back to ATI buy the drivers are kinda making me reluctant. Plus I still really really really hate Catalyst control center maybe I'm the only one?

i liked the 1st CCC then they kept making it worse and worse untill now when u have a drop down menu, its just stupidity on the devs or whoever told them to do that, luckily though u only to use CCC in win7 to change the overdrive settings. the drivers ive never had problems with, but i also dont use xfire

SamHughe · 11-25-2009, 11:43 AM

So, this is the summa

responsible from those messed up drivers.

Zaskar · 11-25-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XS2K

They should concentrate on updating drivers for their mobile division GPU's,I have a X2300 and support for it has stopped since early 2007,only the manufacturers like Asus/MSI etc... offer support for the GPU and needless to say it sucks b@lls,I don't have scaling options on the driver and can't use 1:1 pixel mapping without big black bars,stupid motherf*ckers!You need to use things like mobility modder for new drivers to work,without them most notebook users with X2k and X1k series GPU wouldn't have had support for win7 etc...
Nvidia gets a big point in the driver department for their support of mobile GPU's.

Have to agree with that, for laptops Nvidias mobile chips are covered under their unified driver, but the Mobile ATI chips still usually use a propitiatory one.

SKYMTL · 11-25-2009, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nedjo

well I don't see what's stopping you to ask him that... hell you can take bus and go ask him in person!

Good idea!

Quote:

what old games are running slow on Evergreen based cards?

Crysis: Warhead at some resolutions

HawX DX10.1 w/AA enabled

Dawn of War II: Zero scaling in Crossfire

CoD: WaW

Those are just I few I remember seeing issues with. Those are pretty old games...

Eastcoasthandle · 11-25-2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SKYMTL

Good idea!

Crysis: Warhead at some resolutions

HawX DX10.1 w/AA enabled

Dawn of War II: Zero scaling in Crossfire

CoD: WaW

Those are just I few I remember seeing issues with. Those are pretty old games...

Crysis: Warhead
Hawx DX10.1 using AA
COD: WAW
have not provided me any driver related problems on a 4800 series card. Therefore, cannot agree with your opinion as to why it would all of sudden be a problem on the 5800 series card. That doesn't make any sense.

BenchZowner · 11-25-2009, 12:34 PM

Try them with a 5870 then and come again

p.s. Need For Speed: Shift is another game that is... worth adding to the list.
I heard about an upcoming patch to... patch things up, but that's from EA, lord knows what can happen

Eastcoasthandle · 11-25-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

Try them with a 5870 then and come again

p.s. Need For Speed: Shift is another game that is... worth adding to the list.
I heard about an upcoming patch to... patch things up, but that's from EA, lord knows what can happen

Don't need to, someone I know plays those games and are not having a problem. Furthermore, your attempt to add Shift makes your claim specious. The issue was fixed from the developer which will be released in a patch Dec. 1st 2009.

Expat GriZ · 11-25-2009, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

Try them with a 5870 then and come again

p.s. Need For Speed: Shift is another game that is... worth adding to the list.
I heard about an upcoming patch to... patch things up, but that's from EA, lord knows what can happen

+1 This^

AndrewZorn · 11-25-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Repliquant67

+1
I have a 4850 m and they release only 1 driver for this card in 6 months for vista (not present on the amd web site). This driver crash quite often

especially now that mobility modder works for the 4850m, theres no reason to not be using modified desktop drivers. i update the same time everyone else does.