Can Cat 4.3 drivers be too much?

Polock · Mar 14, 2004, 11:47 PM

Gots to call on those with the knowledge as I try to assemble a PC for my daughter from various parts so she can take it off to college next fall. The biggie is whether the new Cat 4.3 drivers are a bit too much for the Radeon 7500 64MB video card I got.

The mobo is an Asus A7V -133 Rev. 4 (or so it says) with 768 MB of PC133 RAM which a friend gave to me. Actually, that's where the parts come from...he says Ill get hooked if I do it myself. About all I seem to do is read which is OK...just can't remember half of it.

If I can furnish any more info to get help with this, just throw a rock or something to wake me up

This 7500 card has never been used, so it's new. I've downloaded the Cat 4.3, but thought I should check first.

WARNING: More questions may follow

Polock

mkk · Mar 15, 2004, 12:38 AM

To disarm most instantly concocted further questions, I say try the latest and see if you seem to run into any difficulties.

It might well be that the most performance might be gotten of an older set, but on the other hand there may be improvements in the latest just as well, by means of specific game fixes and what ever else. So at least give the latest drivers a shot first. The final answer may be decided by what applications you run, so trying is seeing.

Polock · Mar 15, 2004, 02:13 AM

Thanks for the head start mkk.

My concern was taht maybe the Cat 4.3 drivers were too new. I'm not really worried about game performance, just a basic PC for the college dorm. Knowing my daughter, I'll need to add a harddrive just for her music

I'll give the new ones a shot and hope for the best

Polock

DosCervezas · Mar 15, 2004, 02:16 AM

I say go with the 4.2's. They seem to have gotten better reviews than the 4.3's and in my experience the 4.2's have been the best drivers put our by ATI in a very, very long time.

Polock · Mar 15, 2004, 02:36 AM

I've been reading around the other threads that the Cat 4.3 wasn't much of an improvement DosC, but like I say...stability is my concern cause I'm no brain surgeon with this stuff. Just gettin' my feet wet you might say.

If the Cat 4.2 are more tested and true, I'm willing. I think I foung the right drivers at ATI (CATALYST™ 4.2
Driver Build 6.14.10.64227-981-040127m-013420c). In other words, I need these: Display Driver, Control Panel,
and WDM Capture driver.

Would I just download to a folder and install?

Easy would be good

Polock

Judas · Mar 15, 2004, 04:32 AM

On a radeon 7000 and 7500 i got here.... the new cats DO improve in lots of areas.... load em up... if you end up with weird problems during use... try uninstalling and reinstall... or backing down to the 4.2's....

**G.I.BRO** · Mar 15, 2004, 07:29 AM

Indeed... The 4.3's are great with these. Other than this set, i had best luck with the Cat 3.4's with my R100 (7200) 32meg DDR.

Cheers'

swimtech · Mar 15, 2004, 06:30 PM

I'm running the 4.2's on the Home unit below with no problems (including having the ATI TV Wonder PCI stuff running...). In gameplay, I've noticed little difference in performance over the last couple updates I've done.

What may be more important, for your daughter off at school, is that the latest drivers incorporate fixes for particular games and other issues. She should be able to run the latest software with more stable results with the latest Catalyst driver version.

The_Neon_Cowboy · Mar 15, 2004, 07:11 PM

go with the 4.3's!

Polock · Mar 16, 2004, 02:34 AM

With the votes all in ...

looks like we should go with the new kid on the block.

CAT 4.3 in a landslide

Thank you gents. I need all the help I can get.

Esppecially glad that it does show improvement in the old 7500.

Polock

Almost forgot...do I just install the drivers from the Cat 4.3 for the 7500 64MB board? I don't need the capture drivers cause it's not an AIW...correct?

edperks · Mar 16, 2004, 02:43 AM

you wont need the capture but dont foget to unistall the old and run drivercleaner and cab cleaner!!

swimtech · Mar 16, 2004, 02:47 AM

BTW, I think it's great you're taking the time to build a 'puter for your daughter - hope all works out OK!

Polock · Mar 16, 2004, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by swimtech
BTW, I think it's great you're taking the time to build a 'puter for your daughter - hope all works out OK!

Thanks swimtech...

she'll need a better PC than the 450 Mhz Gateway she has now. Plus, I get to learn a little. It's certainly fun and a shi- load of reading

Her birthday is next month and I've been saving for one of those new LCD type monitors. I'm zeroed in on the Samsung 173T.

Daughter #2 (7th grade) then gets the Gateway to replace her Compaq Presario 850 (83 Mhz)

Gotta keep the ladies happy...RULE #1

Polock

Judas · Mar 16, 2004, 03:39 AM

lol... nice rule... i may just follow that someday....but i doubt it... good luck....btw... you keeping the compaq?

Polock · Mar 17, 2004, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by edperks
you wont need the capture but dont foget to unistall the old and run drivercleaner and cab cleaner!!

I plan to install a fresh XP Pro install, so is there anything to remove?

Been reading in the Sticky about how to uninstall a previous version and install a new. I figured with a fresh, clean install I wouldn't have to worry about "other drivers". Would I still use these to apps?

Sure is a lot for a novice to absorb ...makes me thirsty

Polock

Polock · Mar 17, 2004, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
lol... nice rule... i may just follow that someday....but i doubt it... good luck....btw... you keeping the compaq?

It's been around so long, I don't know what I would do without it. Then again, it's maxed out at 64 MB of RAM and an 83 Mhz CPU

My youngest sure puts it to work with her instant messaging. I wish I could find a good use for it....

any idea?

Polock

Judas · Mar 17, 2004, 01:03 AM

actually... yeah... you could actually most like upgrade it possibly.... if you can find a place that has the older cpu's.... and if you pull out the (if i know the board correctly)... the 8mb simms.. you could probably push out a rather healthy 128mb ram total.... upgrade the HD... a few things for about $25 and turn it into a machine used for old games... or e-mailing/browsing.... a gift..... (recommended minium from me to run windows XP PRO on it is 75mhz/2gb of hd space/64mb of ram).... most likely.. you could put a p1 200mhz in there and be able to run it at 166 (if there isn't any jumpers that allow 200)... you'd be surprised how these old compaqs can be used for some good stuff.... i just recently sold my 90mhz 70mb of ram 7.5gb hardrive with a 4x cd rom for the price of a Daytek 77a 17 inch monitor (not great.. but still gives a picture) and a computer case along with a 32x liteon cd-rw and a few other goodies...

Polock · Mar 17, 2004, 02:55 AM

Judas, you have one thing going for you that I don't...knowledge. I have a hard time keeping up with the speed at which everything gets improved.

I'd rather put my time into something like this Asus A7V133 mobo so I can try to put the pieces together. It has been fun finding solutions to get it upgraded for a few bucks. A friend gave me most of the stuff and said figure it out. That SOB has got me hooked on how everything works

Once again...he knew more than me

Do you suppose that old Compaq would take a Linux distro?

Polock

Polock · Mar 20, 2004, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by edperks
you wont need the capture but dont foget to unistall the old and run drivercleaner and cab cleaner!!

Didn't know if I should start another thread or not, so I thought I'd save space and tack it on here...

hope that's the correct way.

With the Radeon 7500 64MB card and the Cat 4.3 drivers, is it better to install from the Cat 4.3 group or install the separate Cat 4.3 Driver (v6.14.10.6430) and Control Panel (v6.14.10.5090) downloads ?

Or does it make a difference?

Polock

swimtech · Mar 20, 2004, 01:22 AM

The package will install the WDM as I remember. Installing just the driver and control panel will give your Windows less overhead to deal with.

nuG · Mar 20, 2004, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Do you suppose that old Compaq would take a Linux distro?

a low tech linux system should run fine on it. I think the minimum for linux pcs is below the compaqs specs....although im still trying to get linux and winxp running for dual boot capabilities. its pissing me off

Polock · Mar 20, 2004, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nuG
a low tech linux system should run fine on it. I think the minimum for linux pcs is below the compaqs specs....although im still trying to get linux and winxp running for dual boot capabilities. its pissing me off

Which distro are you trying to double up with?

I've been playing with some of those distros on a CD...pretty cool. Almost makes you wonder why we even install it to our harddrive

Although, the DX2 doesn't have the umpf to do it from CD

Polock

Whoops again...

is there a guide floating in one of the forums about the drivercleaner and cab cleaner and how it's used? Just dawned on me that when I do a clean install, XP Pro will probably install their drivers in the install process.

Polock · Apr 12, 2004, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Polock
I plan to install a fresh XP Pro install, so is there anything to remove?

Been reading in the Sticky about how to uninstall a previous version and install a new. I figured with a fresh, clean install I wouldn't have to worry about "other drivers". Would I still use these to apps?

Polock

Being retired does have advantages

While in the process of building my daughters new college rig, the mobo in my main PC does a "pop goes the weasel". So...rather than lose my cool I spent awhile in sunny Florida. The wife and kids thought I was treating them...ha...ha.

Hope it'd ok to re-start the ol' thread...if not, please let me know.

All I've got done is XP Pro installed on an Asus A7V-133 mobo and booted up without incident. Think there's a phrase for that called "the dumber, the luckier". Checked the Device Manager to find Radeon 7500 (Microsoft) showing under the Display Adapter. Ran through Genius' guide a few times and found the following on my system:

Under system32, I only had ati2mtag.sys and found nothing with ati under the system file.
Under the Windows inf folder, I had the same 16 files as in The Guide, but no oemxx>inf files pertaining to ati.

Would my next step be to use the new Driver Cleaner or remove the files per The Guide even though I have never installed any ATI drivers, software, etc.? Then install the Cat 4.3 drivers and Control Panel?

This install is fresh and clean except for sitting on ice while I was on an R & R event

Polock

Judas · Apr 12, 2004, 06:34 AM

by default... Windows XP PRO will recognize the 7500 and install it's own drivers..... The Catalyst set will install perfectly even with the MS drivers installed.... you shouldn't have a problem just installing the package....

Polock · Apr 12, 2004, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
by default... Windows XP PRO will recognize the 7500 and install it's own drivers..... The Catalyst set will install perfectly even with the MS drivers installed.... you shouldn't have a problem just installing the package....

10-4 Judas...gotcha

Seems as though ATI is really listening to it's users. I played with the 8500DV about a year ago and it wasn't as easy. Thought I'd double check how things go now-a-days compared to then.

Sounds like I just need to run the Cat 4.3 package, but select only the drivers and Control Panel.

Will it matter if I'm using the XP Pro Via chipset drivers right now vs the Via 4 in 1's?

Just trying to fit all the pieces together

Polock

Mar 15, 2004, 02:16 AM	#4
DosCervezas DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 229 Rep Power: 0	I say go with the 4.2's. They seem to have gotten better reviews than the 4.3's and in my experience the 4.2's have been the best drivers put our by ATI in a very, very long time. __________________ *"Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience".*

Mar 15, 2004, 06:30 PM	#8
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	I'm running the 4.2's on the Home unit below with no problems (including having the ATI TV Wonder PCI stuff running...). In gameplay, I've noticed little difference in performance over the last couple updates I've done. What may be more important, for your daughter off at school, is that the latest drivers incorporate fixes for particular games and other issues. She should be able to run the latest software with more stable results with the latest Catalyst driver version. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Mar 15, 2004, 07:11 PM	#9
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	go with the 4.3's! __________________

Mar 16, 2004, 02:47 AM	#12
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	BTW, I think it's great you're taking the time to build a 'puter for your daughter - hope all works out OK! __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Mar 20, 2004, 01:22 AM	#20
swimtech HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,040 Rep Power: 124 System Specs	The package will install the WDM as I remember. Installing just the driver and control panel will give your Windows less overhead to deal with. __________________ It's not so much getting your way that matters or not - what matters is how you go about getting it.

Mar 14, 2004, 11:47 PM	#1
Polock DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Byron, IL. Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	Can Cat 4.3 drivers be too much? Gots to call on those with the knowledge as I try to assemble a PC for my daughter from various parts so she can take it off to college next fall. The biggie is whether the new Cat 4.3 drivers are a bit too much for the Radeon 7500 64MB video card I got. The mobo is an Asus A7V -133 Rev. 4 (or so it says) with 768 MB of PC133 RAM which a friend gave to me. Actually, that's where the parts come from...he says Ill get hooked if I do it myself. About all I seem to do is read which is OK...just can't remember half of it. If I can furnish any more info to get help with this, just throw a rock or something to wake me up This 7500 card has never been used, so it's new. I've downloaded the Cat 4.3, but thought I should check first. WARNING: More questions may follow Polock

Mar 15, 2004, 12:38 AM	#2
mkk Cthulhu/Dagon 2012 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Gefle, Sweden Posts: 4,495 Rep Power: 132 System Specs	To disarm most instantly concocted further questions, I say try the latest and see if you seem to run into any difficulties. It might well be that the most performance might be gotten of an older set, but on the other hand there may be improvements in the latest just as well, by means of specific game fixes and what ever else. So at least give the latest drivers a shot first. The final answer may be decided by what applications you run, so trying is seeing.

Mar 15, 2004, 02:13 AM	Thread Starter #3
Polock DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Byron, IL. Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the head start mkk. My concern was taht maybe the Cat 4.3 drivers were too new. I'm not really worried about game performance, just a basic PC for the college dorm. Knowing my daughter, I'll need to add a harddrive just for her music I'll give the new ones a shot and hope for the best Polock

Mar 15, 2004, 02:36 AM	Thread Starter #5
Polock DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Byron, IL. Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	I've been reading around the other threads that the Cat 4.3 wasn't much of an improvement DosC, but like I say...stability is my concern cause I'm no brain surgeon with this stuff. Just gettin' my feet wet you might say. If the Cat 4.2 are more tested and true, I'm willing. I think I foung the right drivers at ATI (CATALYST™ 4.2 Driver Build 6.14.10.64227-981-040127m-013420c). In other words, I need these: Display Driver, Control Panel, and WDM Capture driver. Would I just download to a folder and install? Easy would be good Polock

Mar 15, 2004, 07:29 AM	#7
G.I.BRO To Have and to Hold Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ontario Posts: 527 Rep Power: 0	Indeed... The 4.3's are great with these. Other than this set, i had best luck with the Cat 3.4's with my R100 (7200) 32meg DDR. Cheers'

Mar 16, 2004, 02:34 AM	Thread Starter #10
Polock DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Byron, IL. Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	With the votes all in ... looks like we should go with the new kid on the block. CAT 4.3 in a landslide Thank you gents. I need all the help I can get. Esppecially glad that it does show improvement in the old 7500. Polock Almost forgot...do I just install the drivers from the Cat 4.3 for the 7500 64MB board? I don't need the capture drivers cause it's not an AIW...correct?

Mar 16, 2004, 02:43 AM	#11
edperks HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 780 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	you wont need the capture but dont foget to unistall the old and run drivercleaner and cab cleaner!!

Mar 17, 2004, 02:55 AM	Thread Starter #18
Polock DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Byron, IL. Posts: 46 Rep Power: 0	Judas, you have one thing going for you that I don't...knowledge. I have a hard time keeping up with the speed at which everything gets improved. I'd rather put my time into something like this Asus A7V133 mobo so I can try to put the pieces together. It has been fun finding solutions to get it upgraded for a few bucks. A friend gave me most of the stuff and said figure it out. That SOB has got me hooked on how everything works Once again...he knew more than me Do you suppose that old Compaq would take a Linux distro? Polock