Radeon Mobility 9600 and Video Playback, what driver to use?

Wild Maiden · Mar 19, 2006, 04:58 AM

I've searched this forum and other sources for about a week, and I have yet to find an answer to this question: What are the most updated drivers that work properly with a mobility 9600 card?

I hear the following in response all the time:
1) Use DH Mod tool V3 to modify Radeon drivers to work with Mobility Radeon
2) Download Omega's Drivers
3) The New Catalyst Drivers work
4) Get them from your computer manufacturer or just use the ones that came with it.

DH Mod tool V3 doesn't seem to work for me... I download the drivers from ATI (not mobility, the regular ones) and begin to "install them". All the files are then extracted and I cancel the installation, go to the mod tool, browse to where they are, "mod" them, click install, and I get the same error message about using normal VGA mode I get with the regular Catalyst Drivers for Mobility.

Omega's drivers work perfectly EXCEPT when it comes to video playback. As I understand it, newer versions of the Catalyst driver (which Omegas are obviously based on), create problems with video playback on 9600 Mobility cards. Naturally, I thought maybe it would work then to install old ones. I hear some people say to use 5.4 or lower, I also hear 4.2 or 4.1, I've tried all sorts of them, and none seem to work. The problem is that playing a video takes up about 80% of my 2.8ghz CPU, when with the drivers that came with my computer, it uses at most 15%.

In response to the people who say "the new drivers should work"... They absolutely do not. Period.

The problem with the drivers that came with my notebook is that they are over 2 years old. They "work", but lots of features don't. For example, while playing Counter Strike Source, Night vision doesn't work and flash bangs only make the screen go white instead of all trippy. With Omega's newest driver, night vision works just fine and flash bangs do what they're supposed to, which leads me to believe that the reason those things weren't working is because of the "oldness" of the original driver. Hypersonic has not updated the driver on their website, they continue to allow me to download the one that shipped with my notebook, which is probably because they have yet to find one that works right.

The "read this first" sticky says to always post system specs, so here they are:
OS: Windows XP Professional (SP2)
RAM: 2GB
CPU: Intell Pentium 4 - 2.8gHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon Mobility 9600
Hard drive: 60gb 7200rpm

Ok, now let me get to my question. What is the most up to date driver that will work properly with a Radeon Mobility 9600? Or what should I do to get updated drivers that work?

Thank you for your time, and I apologize for the length of this post, but I want to get this issue cleared up. I know there are lots of people wondering this, and probably just as many who have figured it out. Again, thank you for your time.

Wild Maiden · Mar 21, 2006, 11:53 PM

Does anybody know if Omega is planning to do a softmodded version for 9600's to get videos to play back correctly?

I think he did for the 9700's

Rasta Monsta · Mar 22, 2006, 12:15 AM

Moved to Mobility forum.

Randomness · Mar 23, 2006, 02:35 AM

Hello:

With regards to using Patje's Mobility modder:
In some cases you will need to manually install them through the device manager in windows XP.
Start--->run--> "compmgmt.msc"; goto device manager ---> expand display adapters, right click the mobility 9600, and click update. Use the advanced option, Use the "Don't search, I will choose the driver to install"....browse, etc and so forth.

With regards to playback : if it is in regards to DVD or MPEG2 playback, i would strongly recommend using a decorder that doesn't extensively rely on DX9 acceleration. I have had luck using PowerDVD and Cineplayer plugins.
There have been reports that disabling the use of overlays also helps with most...but not all, dvd players.
I have also heard that adjusting the acceleration slider in the advanced display settings can sometimes help with playback, but that in itself can turn into an annoyance, as you need to set it back to full acceleration for gaming.

I would also suggest looking into any possible BIOS updates. You did not post your system model, so i cannot point you in a specific direction, but most manufactures make it easy to find such updates.
If your system qualifies, Catalyst Mobility will support the ATi Mobility 9600, however it generally only installs on specific laptops, but its still worth a try.

Alexl55 posted this driver mobility file version 5.13 on my thread, and many people have had luck with it also. Surprizingly it is WHQL certified. Here is the file link:
http://www.station-drivers.com/telec...-2kxp-whql.exe (hopefully it will work) ; Otherwise go to this website, and try to download it (beware of popups):http://www.station-drivers.com/page/...v mobility.htm

Anyway, gotta run. Hope this is helpful. Any additional information might help be narrow down the cause of your problem in future posts. Take care, and good luck.

- Randomness

Wild Maiden · Mar 23, 2006, 07:47 AM

Thank you for the information, I'm going to download the 5.13 you linked to and give it a shot.

I have a Hypersonic Aviator GX6, and I'll check for bios updates. Again, thanks.

Wild Maiden · Mar 28, 2006, 08:38 AM

Does anybody know of a place where I can download old versions of ATI's drivers? I read that the video playback issue on the 9600's began with version 4.2, so I would like a version of 4.1, but I can't find one anywhere.

Oplock · Mar 28, 2006, 08:41 PM

I've got an Aviator Gx6 as well and had a hell of a time with the video playback using the Omega Drivers (You get the first frame of video and it freezes while continuing to play audio, right?). You need to update your BIOS; give Hypersonic a call since they take forever to answer email and they'll send you to tech support and email you a copy of thier latest BIOS. They'll say that there hasnt been any recent BIOS upgrades but get them to send you the latest BIOS upgrade for your laptop anyway.

To get it installed you'll need to burn the contents of the ZIP to a bootable CDROM (use NERO or something). Then from the command prompt you'll run the PHLASH.EXE and upgrade the BIOS.

Since I've done this I've had everything run smoothly (except for some issues with EQ2).

Wild Maiden · Mar 29, 2006, 09:20 AM

I actually can play the whole video, but it is REALLY laggy and the audio doesn't sync up at all. The biggest problem though is that it eats up about 80% of my CPU usage, and with a 2.8ghz CPU, playing a video shouldn't be a problem.

I was going to try and update the bios, but they don't have any versions to download on their website under the bios and drivers section (which doesn't surprise me :/).

I'll definitely give them a call, thanks for the advice

alexl55 · Mar 30, 2006, 07:10 PM

A video playback solution was posted on page 5 of the sticky about IGP320m. I'm not sure if this solution is unique to the IGP 320m/340m, but it's worth a try. Basically, you first install the drivers that give good game performance (ie. 6.3 or 5.13 or whatever you find works best). You then reboot into safe mofe and replace the video playback dll in the windows system32 folder, with a good one (ie. the one from the manufacturer drivers). This way you get good game performance and good video performance. This solution works great on my IGP320m, hopes it works on your 9600.

Wild Maiden · Apr 2, 2006, 03:04 AM

I can't seem to find the thread you're talking about, and I have a few questions about how that would work. First, I have no clue which dll handles video playback. Second, how do you replace a single dll from the driver?

Randomness · Apr 3, 2006, 09:42 PM

Hello:
The thread Alexl55 is refering too is here :
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/mobility-radeon-drivers-support/96497-epic-legacy-radeon-igp-320m-340m-345m-related-chips-out-there.html
The ATI Catalyst Customer Care Archive is Here:
https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...ge&folderID=27

The dll in question is called ativaxx.dll and is located in the windows\system32 directory. Please note that i suspect this solution may be specific to the software DVD decoder installed on the system in question. So far we have found that PowerDVD works best with this solution.

Good Luck, and take care

Mar 19, 2006, 04:58 AM	#1
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Radeon Mobility 9600 and Video Playback, what driver to use? I've searched this forum and other sources for about a week, and I have yet to find an answer to this question: What are the most updated drivers that work properly with a mobility 9600 card? I hear the following in response all the time: 1) Use DH Mod tool V3 to modify Radeon drivers to work with Mobility Radeon 2) Download Omega's Drivers 3) The New Catalyst Drivers work 4) Get them from your computer manufacturer or just use the ones that came with it. DH Mod tool V3 doesn't seem to work for me... I download the drivers from ATI (not mobility, the regular ones) and begin to "install them". All the files are then extracted and I cancel the installation, go to the mod tool, browse to where they are, "mod" them, click install, and I get the same error message about using normal VGA mode I get with the regular Catalyst Drivers for Mobility. Omega's drivers work perfectly EXCEPT when it comes to video playback. As I understand it, newer versions of the Catalyst driver (which Omegas are obviously based on), create problems with video playback on 9600 Mobility cards. Naturally, I thought maybe it would work then to install old ones. I hear some people say to use 5.4 or lower, I also hear 4.2 or 4.1, I've tried all sorts of them, and none seem to work. The problem is that playing a video takes up about 80% of my 2.8ghz CPU, when with the drivers that came with my computer, it uses at most 15%. In response to the people who say "the new drivers should work"... They absolutely do not. Period. The problem with the drivers that came with my notebook is that they are over 2 years old. They "work", but lots of features don't. For example, while playing Counter Strike Source, Night vision doesn't work and flash bangs only make the screen go white instead of all trippy. With Omega's newest driver, night vision works just fine and flash bangs do what they're supposed to, which leads me to believe that the reason those things weren't working is because of the "oldness" of the original driver. Hypersonic has not updated the driver on their website, they continue to allow me to download the one that shipped with my notebook, which is probably because they have yet to find one that works right. The "read this first" sticky says to always post system specs, so here they are: OS: Windows XP Professional (SP2) RAM: 2GB CPU: Intell Pentium 4 - 2.8gHz Video Card: ATI Radeon Mobility 9600 Hard drive: 60gb 7200rpm Ok, now let me get to my question. What is the most up to date driver that will work properly with a Radeon Mobility 9600? Or what should I do to get updated drivers that work? Thank you for your time, and I apologize for the length of this post, but I want to get this issue cleared up. I know there are lots of people wondering this, and probably just as many who have figured it out. Again, thank you for your time.

Mar 23, 2006, 02:35 AM	#4
Randomness in a state of flux Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 366 Rep Power: 39 System Specs	Mildly random, but hopefully useful advice Hello: With regards to using Patje's Mobility modder: In some cases you will need to manually install them through the device manager in windows XP. Start--->run--> "compmgmt.msc"; goto device manager ---> expand display adapters, right click the mobility 9600, and click update. Use the advanced option, Use the "Don't search, I will choose the driver to install"....browse, etc and so forth. With regards to playback : if it is in regards to DVD or MPEG2 playback, i would strongly recommend using a decorder that doesn't extensively rely on DX9 acceleration. I have had luck using PowerDVD and Cineplayer plugins. There have been reports that disabling the use of overlays also helps with most...but not all, dvd players. I have also heard that adjusting the acceleration slider in the advanced display settings can sometimes help with playback, but that in itself can turn into an annoyance, as you need to set it back to full acceleration for gaming. I would also suggest looking into any possible BIOS updates. You did not post your system model, so i cannot point you in a specific direction, but most manufactures make it easy to find such updates. If your system qualifies, Catalyst Mobility will support the ATi Mobility 9600, however it generally only installs on specific laptops, but its still worth a try. Alexl55 posted this driver mobility file version 5.13 on my thread, and many people have had luck with it also. Surprizingly it is WHQL certified. Here is the file link: http://www.station-drivers.com/telec...-2kxp-whql.exe (hopefully it will work) ; Otherwise go to this website, and try to download it (beware of popups):http://www.station-drivers.com/page/...v mobility.htm Anyway, gotta run. Hope this is helpful. Any additional information might help be narrow down the cause of your problem in future posts. Take care, and good luck. - Randomness

Mar 30, 2006, 07:10 PM	#9
alexl55 Ninja of the Net Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 21 Rep Power: 0	A video playback solution was posted on page 5 of the sticky about IGP320m. I'm not sure if this solution is unique to the IGP 320m/340m, but it's worth a try. Basically, you first install the drivers that give good game performance (ie. 6.3 or 5.13 or whatever you find works best). You then reboot into safe mofe and replace the video playback dll in the windows system32 folder, with a good one (ie. the one from the manufacturer drivers). This way you get good game performance and good video performance. This solution works great on my IGP320m, hopes it works on your 9600. __________________ Laptop ~~~~~ Compaq Presario 2100 series AMD mobile Athlon XP 2200+ @1.8GHz Infineon 2x256MB PC2100 2.5-3-3-? @ 133MHz ATI Radeon IGP 320m w/ 32MB Shared ram Laptop LCD @ 1024 x 768 Hitachi 5400rpm 80GB HDD Windows XP Home SP2 Desktop ~~~~~ AMD Opteron 146 @ 2.80GHz (10x280MHz) + Zalman CNPS7700-Cu CPU Cooler OCZ Gold 2x512MB PC3200 2-2-2-7 1T @ 233MHz 5/6 divider DFI Lanparty-uT nF4 Ultra-D 256MB X800GTO@12p PCI-E Flash modded to X800XT@16p 540/560 + ATI Silencer 5 VGA Cooler Dell 2001 FP @ 1600 x 1200 x 32bit @ 60Hz Thermaltake Sviking Chassis + Antec Smartpower 500W 250GB Hitachi T7K500 SATA300 + 320GB Seagate 7200.10 SATA300 + 200GB Maxtor IDE NEC ND-3240A DVD Burner WIndows XP Pro SP2 + Mac OSX 10.4.7 JaS install (99% working)

Mar 21, 2006, 11:53 PM	Thread Starter #2
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Does anybody know if Omega is planning to do a softmodded version for 9600's to get videos to play back correctly? I think he did for the 9700's

Mar 23, 2006, 07:47 AM	Thread Starter #5
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Thank you for the information, I'm going to download the 5.13 you linked to and give it a shot. I have a Hypersonic Aviator GX6, and I'll check for bios updates. Again, thanks.

Mar 28, 2006, 08:38 AM	Thread Starter #6
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Does anybody know of a place where I can download old versions of ATI's drivers? I read that the video playback issue on the 9600's began with version 4.2, so I would like a version of 4.1, but I can't find one anywhere.

Mar 28, 2006, 08:41 PM	#7
Oplock DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	I've got an Aviator Gx6 as well and had a hell of a time with the video playback using the Omega Drivers (You get the first frame of video and it freezes while continuing to play audio, right?). You need to update your BIOS; give Hypersonic a call since they take forever to answer email and they'll send you to tech support and email you a copy of thier latest BIOS. They'll say that there hasnt been any recent BIOS upgrades but get them to send you the latest BIOS upgrade for your laptop anyway. To get it installed you'll need to burn the contents of the ZIP to a bootable CDROM (use NERO or something). Then from the command prompt you'll run the PHLASH.EXE and upgrade the BIOS. Since I've done this I've had everything run smoothly (except for some issues with EQ2).

Mar 29, 2006, 09:20 AM	Thread Starter #8
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	I actually can play the whole video, but it is REALLY laggy and the audio doesn't sync up at all. The biggest problem though is that it eats up about 80% of my CPU usage, and with a 2.8ghz CPU, playing a video shouldn't be a problem. I was going to try and update the bios, but they don't have any versions to download on their website under the bios and drivers section (which doesn't surprise me :/). I'll definitely give them a call, thanks for the advice

Apr 2, 2006, 03:04 AM	Thread Starter #10
Wild Maiden DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	I can't seem to find the thread you're talking about, and I have a few questions about how that would work. First, I have no clue which dll handles video playback. Second, how do you replace a single dll from the driver?

Apr 3, 2006, 09:42 PM	#11
Randomness in a state of flux Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 366 Rep Power: 39 System Specs	Hello: The thread Alexl55 is refering too is here : http://www.hardwareheaven.com/mobility-radeon-drivers-support/96497-epic-legacy-radeon-igp-320m-340m-345m-related-chips-out-there.html The ATI Catalyst Customer Care Archive is Here: https://support.ati.com/ics/support/...ge&folderID=27 The dll in question is called ativaxx.dll and is located in the windows\system32 directory. Please note that i suspect this solution may be specific to the software DVD decoder installed on the system in question. So far we have found that PowerDVD works best with this solution. Good Luck, and take care