Introduction

Since the 3D-Grafikkarten-Markt is a tough competition between ATi and NVIDIA, it is no longer done with the development of the graphics card as well as the unique programming of the driver. Now the manufacturer over a longer period on a regular basis of new driver for a graphics chip must develop and maintain. It is sometimes even necessary to match a driver for a single game for the game at best, a little faster, but sometimes also only run. For us reason enough to undergo a periodic test the new driver on a Radeon HD 5870.

The latest driver from the ATi House is the catalyst of 10.8. In our test the catalyst drivers 10.4. 10.6 and 10.7 for comparison purposes also, 10.5,

ATi catalyst 10.8

It has become late with the August version of the latest ATi driver. However, has succeeded yet on time the catalyst 10.8 at the start. As was usually the catalyst of 10.8 at Microsoft certified and bears a WHQL seal accordingly.

The software is available for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 both in a 32-bit and a 64 bit version. For Windows Vista and Windows 7 brings 74 MB download weigh. The catalyst 10.8 on 3 August was completed and is thus not quite a month old. The internal label is “8.762 100803a”.

According to the officially released release notes, some major changes have been with the catalyst of 10.8. So, can the driver handle now 2.0 ES OpenGL and supported there including accelerated graphics inside a Web browser using the free API. Apart from this, the chip specialist has made some changes to the video options.

There are now two new menu items in the “video” tab, where the video quality better adaptable to the own needs. So the three points came “Color vibrance”, “Flesh tone correction” and “Brighter whites” in the menu “Advanced Color” and the points of “Edge enhancement”, “De-noise”, “Mosquito Noise Reduction” and “De-blocking” in the menu “Advanced Quality” newly or have been enhanced.

Also on the speed something is to have happened according to ATi. So far cry 2 for some graphics cards by two to eight percent to run faster, left 4 dead 2 on CrossFire systems with Radeon HD 5800- or Radeon HD 5700 cards by three to five percent and performance in Stormrise by five to ten per cent to a Radeon HD 5600- or Radeon HD 5500 card increase.

The speed in the Quad-CrossFire mode with four GPUs is expected to rise even clearly in Eyefinity operation with ATi, but mentions no figures. Also newly added to come is the support of the anti-aliasing in StarCraft 2, which was not yet possible with the catalyst 10.7 – a hot fix driver has fixed this shortcoming but already for some time.

Finally, there are still new “catalyst application profiles”, where the manufacturer of this time logged details of the changes. So there are new CrossFire profiles for the games of Aliens vs. Predator, Lord of the Rings Online, mafia 2, singularity, as well as for the external benchmark of final fantasy XIV. In addition, the driver reveals the code names of several future ATi GPUs. But remained an annoying bug: when an ATi card with the catalyst 10.8 is overclocked, the accelerator switches properly download to the 2D mode, but only partially reduces the frequencies. So you must use a higher power consumption and higher temperatures (and thus perhaps a higher volume) live. Annoying!

If you would like to know more detailed information on the catalyst 10.8, we recommend a look at the release notes. As usual, the driver can be downloaded from our download archive download.

Test system

Test system:

• Processor
  • Intel Core i7 965 extreme Edition (overclocked by multiplier to 3.87 GHz, quad-core)
• CPU cooler
  • Noctua NH-U12P
• Motherboard
  • ASUS rampage 2 extreme (Intel X 58, BIOS version: 1639)
• Memory
  • 3 x 2,048 MB Corsair DDR3-1600 (8-8-8-24)
• Graphics cards
  • ATi Radeon HD 5870 (850 / 2,400), 1,024 MB
• Power supply
  • M850 Coolermaster real power Pro modular (850 Watts)
• Peripherals
  • Pioneer BDC-202BK SATA Blu-ray drive
  • Western Digital caviar black and 1,000 GB 32 MB cache
• Housing
  • Corsair Obsidian 800dx
• Driver versions
  • ATi catalyst 10.4
  • ATi catalyst 10.5
  • ATi catalyst 10.6
  • ATi catalyst 10.7
  • ATi catalyst 10.8
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows 7 x 64
  • Microsoft DirectX 9.0 c
  • Microsoft DirectX 10
  • Microsoft DirectX 11

Benchmarks

The following benchmarks were used during our test:

• Synthetic benchmarks:
  • 3DMark Vantage
• Game benchmarks:
  • Anno 1404, full version, version 1.2
  • Batman: Arkham asylum, full version, version 1.1
  • Battlefield: Bad company 2, full version, version 529842
  • Battleforge, full version, version x (forcibly updates)
  • Call of duty: Modern warfare 2, full version
  • Colin McRae: Dirt 2, full version, version 1.1
  • Crysis warhead, full version, version 1.1
  • Mass effect 2, full version, version 1.02
  • Metro 2033, full version
  • Risen, full version, version 1.1
  • Splinter Cell: Conviction, full version, version 1.03
  • Stalker – call of Pripyat, full version, version 1.602

After careful consideration and multiple analysis of even recorded game sequences, we have come to the conclusion that the quality of texture filtering on current ATi-and NVIDIA graphics cards in the standard setting are comparable. At NVIDIA, we change any settings and we leave in the ATi driver the a.i.-function on “Standard”.

Driver settings: ATi video cards (RV8x0)

• Catalyst a.i.: Standard
• Mipmap detail level: high quality
• Wait for vertical refresh: always off
• AA mode: 1xAA, 4xAA, 8xAA
• Adaptive anti-aliasing: off (only RV7x0)
• Anti-aliasing mode: Multi-sampling (only RV8x0)

Synthetic benchmarks

3DMark Vantage

After some years on the knob has the long-serving 3DMark06 and affects not only the graphic now somewhat dusty, but in addition, the CPU limit for fast graphics cards is always fierce, it was high time for a successor. Accordingly the Finnish manufacturer Futuremark has brought the 3DMark Vantage on the market after a long wait, who is from the outset been programmed for the Direct3D 10 API. Graphically, the two game tests accordingly much for the eye, and in particular the second test can set highlights offer. FP16 HDR, depth of field, Parallax Occlusion Mapping, a physical simulation on the GPU, various Shadereffekten, and much more, 3DMark Vantage easily brings the 3D hardware to the performance limit. We test the program (if the video cards allow it) in the performance, high and extreme preset. There are more details about this program in our detailed article.

DirectX 9 benchmark

Call of duty: MW2

And every day a new call-of-duty part – greets almost at least. With modern warfare 2 moves the action number after a visit to the past again in the future and does the craft as usual very well. But not only playful white to like the first-person shooter, technically making used a small step forward – and that, although it always still same graphics engine as in call of duty 2. Visually call of duty MW2 is however a completely different level: send shader and an intelligent use of Parallax mapping cover up the partly somewhat weak textures. Nevertheless, the graphic is now somewhat dusty.

Mass effect 2

With mass effect 2, a role-playing game has now again found their way in our test course that is playfully at a high level and also therefore comes with a very good story. Technically it is used again Unreal engine 3, where it has been updated slightly compared to the first part. A DirectX 10 support is still missing. Graphically the game rips out although no trees, white but still to convince. Since the implementation chosen by BioWare support no native anti-aliasing, we need to impose anti-aliasing on ATi-as well as on NVIDIA products by means of the driver menu, what but easily work in both cases.

Risen

After the developers around Piranha technically have delivered a great disaster bytes with the game Gothic 3, we wanted to do better under the name risen: and that is has also managed programming team, since it not only playful been progress, but especially technically continued. Because in contrast to its predecessor, risen is mature to worlds. But the game has become not only finished, the computer is also considered cute. While the graphics engine is no new records, can be seen but quite as successful. Nice effects, a chic landscape and some attention to detail, risen offers much for the eye. Only anti-aliasing 3 must be omitted as in Gothic unfortunately. Game sequence we use as a 60 seconds long away through a dense forest.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

Sam Fisher is back on the road, although the main protagonist of the “Splinter Cell” series has become not only a new employer, but also visually so slowly comes in the year. This is true but fortunately only for the main protagonist, because the game looks unreal graphically while not perfect, but still very confidently engine 2 (which but no longer has in common with the original developed specially by the developer Ubisoft as lead) thanks to the. Fancy light effects as well as the use of ambient occlusion with are among the highlights of the engine. As the API, the DirectX 9 standard is used. The test sequence is an intro scene from the beginning of the game.

DirectX 10 benchmarks

Anno 1404

Anno 1404 is the latest addition of the Anno series, which has a big task ahead of them: to beat the three very successful predecessor. Seems you loose to can meet this purely technical, since anno 1404 probably the most visually beautiful game is currently without a doubt – and that perhaps by far. So the title offers even a Direct3D 10 support, what has still rarity in strategy games. The eye notes this in any case like to, since anno 1404 not only a beautiful water display offers, but also knows about, consistently to please. The game does not have a real graphical weakness.

Crysis warhead

Although the game Crysis warhead of the Frankfurt-based developer Crytek has now already more than just a year on the back, there is still hardly ever a game that is as far as technically advanced. Compared to the original title, the textures were improved in the Add-On, just as the explosions. Especially in the representation of the faces you have been to much trouble, that now by more wrinkles, skin pigments and various other little things look more realistic as ever in an other PC game previously. The Direct3D 10 support is remained in Crysis warhead, the remaining technology as well. Primarily, it was trimmed in the addon on a better performance. We test the game with a 60-second long scene, we adjust each time exactly. You can find more details of the test method in our match report to Crysis warhead. Only the quality settings deviate from this, because we consistently use the enthusiast setting.

DirectX 11 benchmark

Battlefield: Bad company 2

Battlefield has more or less the multiplayer genre reinvented and raised as a real “boom” as far as concerned the point collection with human opponents on the Internet. And since I only slightly surprised that with battlefield: bad company 2 is released a new game, what is already great popular. Technically, the Development Studio DICE with the hotel’s own frostbite 1.5 engine is an advanced way, because it supports the new DirectX 11 API. This, the look is enhanced somewhat as amongst the shadows look nicer now. Tessellation is, however, not used. We use the beginning of the third mission, which plays in a jungle section, and accordingly has water, many trees, but just as building as test sequence.

Battleforge

The strategy game Battleforge was developed by EA Phenomic and makes quite a bit different from similar titles. So, it puts together the own units on the basis of a “decks” itself before game start, that you “can put in the course of the game”. Not only playful, also graphically the Battleforge engine makes a good figure. The game offers the support of DirectX 11 (which we use including the setting of SSAO very high), send textures, as well as elaborate effects, so that the game world looks refreshingly modern. But this is also a noticeable performance hunger resulted, which heavily impacted the graphics card and the CPU. We use a built-in function as a benchmark, so that the process for all test candidates is always the same.

Colin McRae: Dirt 2

And it is dirty. But so true! Even if the game Colin McRae: dirt 2 has been modified some of the actual intentions of the predecessor and is no longer “only” a rally game, so the developer for Codemasters which did neustens probably a very good job addition. She knows above all technically used to please graphics engine that tries to please the eye of the player, which also manages dirt 2 with various effects in dirt 2. For the PC version, the look was revised further because the title can now do something with DirectX 11. So the developers put on high definition ambient occlusion, to improve the lighting. Continue to the shader model 5.0, as well as tessellation is used, whereby the flags, the spectators and the water effects can be implemented better. Thus becoming to Colin McRae: dirt 2 not only to the most beautiful game, but perhaps also the most beautiful game at all. We use the built-in benchmark with Malaysia to test as a line. DirectX 11 including tessellation are enabled for the tests.

Metro 2033

Metro 2033 – how surprising – will the players in the Russian Metro in the year 2033, because there is the only place where people can still survive. Because like in the novel has in the game of 4A-Games a nuclear war there, which completely eliminates that until now known life. Metro 2033 is because with a specially developed engine which probably currently technically is best on the market. Thus the DirectX 11 API including tessellation may not be missing. The same applies to high-resolution textures, as well as shadow maps, Parallax Occlusion Mapping, screen-space ambient occlusion, sub surface scattering and much more. We use a 60 seconds-long drive by the Metro, one of the most challenging locations in the game as a test sequence. We have enabling tessellation, while we have turned off the “depth of field” due to a too high hardware requirement but.

Stalker – call of Pripyat

Nuclear reactor, the third parties. Stalker – call of Pripyat takes the player for the third time to the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, where the second Add-On takes the way of the main program and thus the exploration of the area in the main stands. Apart from thus the latest part of stalker with a revised graphics engine, which now DirectX-11-supports, making the game a better performance or receives a higher image quality. For the Benchmarkparcour we use the DirectX 11 API including tessellation. We use a 25-second long way through a stalker quarter as test sequence.

Performance rating

Conclusion

The catalyst 10.8 brings although no great new features with it, but some little things did nevertheless. Highlight positive is the now better given way to customize the video mouldings easily according to the own needs, for to be able to achieve the best quality to their own ideas and depending on the source. We would like to continue to positively mention the ability to enable anti-aliasing in StarCraft 2. However this is in our view still in the driver just in time for the launch of the game, even without hot-fix.

In terms of performance 5870 has been on balance not much with the catalyst 10.8 under 1920 x 1200 on a Radeon HD. Without anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering, it is equally fast as the catalyst of 10.7 in the area of the measurement uncertainty, while we can see an advantage of a tight percent compared to its predecessor with the two quality-enhancing features.

There are some exceptions, both positive and negative. So can the driver in call of duty: MW2 three percent when enabled anti-aliasing and to put two percent in mass effect 2 under the same conditions. Risen to slower in contrast to two percent without anti-aliasing, the same goes for Colin McRae dirt 2. For Metro runs five percent 2033 active aliased faster.

Overall we could recommend the installation of catalyst 10.8 thus, but once again point out, that the power consumption under 2D for overclocked graphics cards rises, since the driver no longer correctly enters power save mode!