Ev!L-aLphA

With the release of the new X1K series of cards from ATI this month, it is no surprise that we have seen the release of the October 2005 Catalyst 5.10 driver slightly earlier then we expected. Hopefully ATI go back into the trend of releasing their drivers in the first half of the month as it gives all ATI owners something to get excited about.

We did intend on comparing ATI’s X1300, X1600 and X1800 with the new drivers compared to the drivers which shipped to reviewers, although the latest drivers this month don’t support the new X1K series. We’ll just assume ATI will start including support for the new series next month in the Catalyst 5.11 driver.

We will be following our normal pattern, so let’s not delay and have a look at what ATI have fixed this time around and then move into what you came here to see, the all important benchmarks.

It seems that ATI are going to become very aggressive on the driver front over the next few months thanks to the release of their new baby. It is nice to see a driver release which brings with it some more performance. We saw large performance increases with 5.9 over 5.8 and we are pleased to see even more boosts in performance this month.

We understand that ATI do release drivers monthly and it is hard to get an increase every month but we have now seen two months in a row with an increase in speed especially for people who are utilizing cards from the X700PRO and above. Let’s just see if ATI can keep it up, after all – it’s free performance gains for you all.

If you didn’t update to the Catalyst 5.9 drivers and you have a higher end ATI Radeon graphics card, we would definitely recommend that you take the jump this time around, not only do we have another pile of bug fixes but some new performance to boot.

check out some benchmarks over at Tweaktown

__________________

R.I.P
8/8/04
4/21/08

BWX

Why is he using SP1? Also wonder why 90% of the benchmarks were w/o AA and AF.. I wonder what in-game settings he was using, etc... but, whatever..
I'd like a little more info. Performance looks good in that very limited test though, I wonder how it carries down to x800 series.

__________________

Alistair

It doesn't use AA or AF because believe it or not many of us don't bother to use those settings. None of my friends have ever even touched the control panel for their video cards. They actually hardly ever update their drivers unless I tell them it includes fixes for bugs they noticed or a performance increase for their card. Personally I don't bother reading reviews when I notice they won't do a normal benchmark without AA or AF.

__________________
- Alistair

ViRuS2k

that figures.

OK GUYS WOOOOHOOOO ATI ARE RELEASEING 5.11 NEXT MONTH WITH SUPER PERFORMANCE GAINS

ATI < LET GET SOME MORE MONEY GUYS

CUSTOMERS < WOOOHOOO LETS BUY THE LATEST ATI CARD X1K

ATI < HEHE MONEY MONEY MONEY.

seems like a reasonable thing to expect and think now doesnt it.
we will see ati working on the new cards now screw the people that just bought X850`s and below.

BWX

Umm, well... They shouldn't be wasting their money on high end video cards then. "More money than brains", have you ever heard that expression?

Is that why? People buy high end card and run 0AA and 0AF? Why buy a high end card?

__________________

BWX

Man, you have been so anti ATI lately.. like they killed your first born or something.. What gives?

__________________

ViRuS2k

m8 im just getting sick of the way there treating there customers.
someone has to speak up.

and untill ati change there ways i will always bash them becuse this shit isnt right.
ati has to change the way they go about things.

Sandok

Well you are a sad sad man... I got no probs with ati.

BWX

Damn. Is it a full moon today or something?

__________________

ViRuS2k

like im going to listen to you.
from the posts you make around here you seem to be a ati fanboy....
but hell me on the other hand im unbias.
i have to admit though i use to be a ati fanboy untill they started treating there customers like shit.
Nvidia use to be like that untill they changed there ways and started listning to there customers, now look where they are TOP OF THE GRAPHICS LEADER BOARD AGAIN...

hell ati cant even seem to release graphics cards on time lol
and when they do release there is always shortages.....

you need to take a hardlook at who you are defending
and untill they change i wont change.

wiskerbizkit

Hey man, I completely see where you're coming from. I went through the same thing when the X800 series came out. I had recently saved enough for a 9800pro. those "preffered card of Half Life 2" stickers transferred onto the X800 boxes nicely. needless to say I've had my X800XL for about 2 1/2 months now lol

Sandok

according to you i'm a ati fanboi and according to zardon i'm a nvidia fanboi!!! OMG

But according to everyone, ur a whininy nvdia fanboi

ViRuS2k

hehe i guess we both cant be wrong can we

your just a middle ages grotbag LOL or was that teenage dirtbag

jasonbourne

lol.im sorry guys but i`ll have to agree with virussk2,ati cards r such a rip off!!

__________________
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...asonBourne.jpg

Prince_Link

some guy at guru3d has a x1800,.. ima try and mod the 5.10 inf to support it

__________________

BWX

Now you sound exactly like BILL O'REILLY!!!

LOL... I bet you shudder to hear that. Bwuuuhahahah....

__________________

Zardon

Well if you want to just "bash" ati in every thread possible find another forum virus, your posting recently has been foul mouthed and hardly constructive on any level.

ViRuS2k

Foul mouthed ?
its not like i have been going over the top....
im just trying to get ATI to see my points, they dont seem to be listning to us.

you have to agree some of my points have be valid.
some people are agreeing with me...

and also when was it that ati ever sold any highend card more priceyer than Nvidia`s high end cards. ?

£460+ for ATI
when did Nvidia sell there highend cards for more than that ?

imho its daylight robery.

pr0digal jenius

For the love of all that's holy.

I swear, if I started a blank thread and titled it "ATi" and put nothing but a smiley face in the thread, it'd go to hell in half an hour.


Anyways, I personally am very interested in thsi new programmable memory, and am a firm believer that you have to push new technology, and while you don't want to drop support for older tech, there's no point in buying the new stuff if the company is gunna pussy foot around and keep the code low-tech enough to support all features across 3 years worth of video cards.

Zardon

This has absolutely nothing to do with your opinion but how you are expressing your opinion, you are more than welcome to express your feelings and viewpoints in the forum but try and get the point across without sounding like some ranting zealot. ATI read the forums yes, but would you reply to someone shouting profanities at you? I doubt it. The same applies for everyone regardless of the company you are expressing an opinion about.

lets get this thread back on track, thanks.

Sandok

I think the drivers are what makes ATI soo good. It's the reason I'm still with them and all. The only thing I wish would be, well nothing! Terry and his team do wonders and I can only express my gratitude to em.

The_Neon_Cowboy

Well there are massive capabilities the X1xxx series brings, the
Programmability mean they can do at a lot of tweaking at a very
low level on the cards them self’s. So it only makes since that they
will see mores boosts.

The drivers will contenu to inprove as always, but the top cards have
along ways to go intill th drivers considerd mature. Where as with the
X50 and below its beating a dead horse. They've already squeezed
most of the perfrormance out them.

You knew the speed and capabilities before you bught your
card...anything abouve should be looked at as a "free bonus".
The drivers will improve by 1Xxxx series stand the most to gain.
Not to mention there maybe stuff for those cards "in the works"
like the talk of PPU's etc...

You want wht they new cards get? get a new card

You mean treating us good is bad? Delay are delays but tell
you what they came exactly when I expected them. As they arrived
the SAME time last year didn't they? Other then being a little optimistic
with the releae dates and then running in MFG problems. hey "Shit happens"
little late to do anything about it now...

Last year yead there was plenty to comaplain about but non the less
even with the short avilabilty if you where willing to pay extra finding a card
took but a few seconds. You should Quit being such a pessamist about
everything, you migt find you self a bit more happier with your life.

Nvidia still no where near ATI in that regards. ATI is more out in
the community and listening. But you need to relize a busness is
a bussiness. There is more then just "ViRuS2k" forum wishes and
demands

Do us all a favor sell you card, by and nvidia card like you
said already if your so unhappy, or get over it and move on.
Then we will let nv users have the headaches as you will be
contueinging your complaining but about NV maybe then you
wake up an see both comanys have thier pit falls, pluses and
minues..

__________________

ViRuS2k

ok i understand and i will try to express my viewpoints in future in a more constructive manner... your right though i have been going about it in kind of the wrong manner lol

sorry about that.

ViRuS2k

ok i guess if you like a slow control pannel that takes anywhere from 5 seconds - 15 seconds to load
not only that the amound of Memory this CCC takes up is a lot for someone with 512/1gig ddr

then again you have 2gig of ddr so i guess that doesnt bother you but it would bother a lot of other people that only have 512/1gig ddr.

dont get me wrong the CCC pannel is great and the only complaints i have towards it is 1: slow loading 2: memory sucker

if those 2 things where fixed then i would be happy and so would a lot of other people that have been posting about the CCC becuse it only gets its low rateings becuse of those 2 massive problems...

Prince_Link

ccc can't be fixed.. its the foundation its coded on thats the problem

now stop arguing like little runts

__________________

SFOSOK

Wait....



No wait a second....



I got it....

Crap there it goes.....


I was goin to say something smart but then I realized I was not smart enough to create that idea.


Edit: Ahhh found it, no one is unbiased, even if it may be slightly leaning towards one way or thinking about one thing more than another. No one can be completely unbiased.

__________________
*Warning* - Explicit Content Preceeding



METAL!!

BWX

It's a .net thang. Seems like they could give "advanced users" the ability to completely turn off all the video previews and eye candy support (themes) in the CCC and not even load them for general every day use. Not even into the VM. Maybe that would help?


Then again, something that comes to mind-
I still don't completely understand why they couldn't put controls for AI and geometry instancing in the regular CP and make everyone happy. Maybe I just haven't researched it enough, or maybe I didn't happen to read the right article at the right time. Maybe I heard the reason and forgot.

Is there a reason why they cannot put the controls for the CAT AI and Geometry instancing in the regular CP? Is it a programming time thing? Is there some limitation to the CP that they cannot get around? Is it just because there will be options in future driver sets that it will take too long to program the CP to do, so they are phasing it out for that reason?

Is it because doing a quality driver EVERY month and programming them for the CP with the future features would mean that they would no longer be able to put out a driver as often? Are any of those reasons valid or is it just because they feel the CCC is better in some other way?

Maybe there is a compromise they have to make to get us new spiffy drivers every month and they weighed out the options and felt the CCC was the only viable option? Maybe if the people that were really irritated with the CCC knew the answers to these questions it would make more sense? Does Crossfire have anything to do with it?

There must be a reason.. but if all the CCC is is a glorified registry editor, maybe the people that really hate the CCC to the point of not buying ATI cards anymore would feel better if they knew why the CCC is the only solution in the future. Maybe this post would be better suited in the CCC voting thread, but since there is so much discussion about this subject everywhere, seems as good a place as any to ask.

__________________

Prince_Link

CCC is alot more stable on .net 2.0

__________________

wiskerbizkit

Dude.... BWX, breathe man

Pluvious

If ATI Tool can do it without .net then ATI should figure it out.

__________________