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, so that a little faster, but sometimes also only runs games at best.

Operating system is make matters worse to come with the introduction of Windows Vista the factor. Windows XP had already several years on the back and the driver programmer could gain sufficient experience with this version of Windows. Windows Vista has introduced not only a new driver model, which provides the developers with new challenges. Above it, even the new API, Direct3D 10 comes to all Cap. Thus, it is no wonder that both ATi and NVIDIA provide monthly at least a new driver for the public, which is to increase the performance, improve compatibility, or add new features.

This article deals with the new ATi driver catalyst 7.10, which has seen the light of the world a few days ago. The catalyst of 7.5, the catalyst 7.6, the catalyst 7.7, the catalyst 7.8 and the catalyst 7.9 are also included in the driver. As graphics card a Radeon HD is XT 2900 used, while we have selected Windows Vista as the operating system.

ATi catalyst 7.10

Progress

The progress that has made ATi with the catalyst 7.10, are to a large extent of performance of technical nature. Speed increases by up to 70 percent, as they were already extensively discussed in our messages, have the driver with the name “shoot em up” given. This article is to show how much behind the full-bodied announcements is. Because often the performance increases only in a handful game sequences under certain conditions (System, resolution, AA mode, etc.) provided by the graphics card manufacturers in view can be reached.

Especially for Windows Vista, the catalyst 7.10 also brings a whole latte at bug fixes with it. Look V and Chonicles of Riddick must approach the owners of call of Juarez, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter Drudge so far may be from suffering, GTA San Andreas, heroes of might and magic. A lot has been done on the video playback pages. And the DreamScene Windows Vista Ultimate extra is supposed to work from now on in the video preview without image. A complete list of the extensive bug fixes found in the release notes for Windows Vista.

Fixes on Windows XP affect mainly the playback of video material (VC-1, H. 264, HD-DVD or Blu-ray). Also there is to be in Colin McRae dirt using CrossFire rather than an error message at program startup. A complete list of bug fixes found in the release notes for Windows XP.

For the first time the so-called Software CrossFire on Radeon HD 2400 is made possible with the catalyst 7.10 in addition- and Radeon-HD 2600 cards, which was already possible with the X 1000 series (computer base short test). A CrossFire composite of two cards of the referred to middle-class models is thus now be set up immediately without a physical connection of the CrossFire bridge. The release notes also reveal that there may be on a CrossFire rake of two Radeon-HD 2600 cards under Vista in some applications currently output slumps.

A glance in the Catalyst Control Center shows also a new feature for the Adaptive anti-aliasing (anti-aliasing of Alpha test textures). Already with the catalyst 7.8, ATi has the Adaptive anti-aliasing on a Radeon HD 2000 model fundamentally changed. * now you introduced a further menu item with the catalyst 7.10, called “Multi Sampling”. In this, it is possible to add a slider in four steps of “Smooth” after “Sharp”. According to ATi, you can easily modify as the mode of action of Adaptive anti-aliasing according to the own needs. We doubt, however, that this already actually works in the catalyst 7.10, because it is not only visually any differences apparent also the speed always remains at the same level. We do not know why, ATi claimed that works with the catalyst 7.10 the Adaptive anti-aliasing from now on also on maps of the X 1000 series, on the other hand. Already for the introduction of the X 1800 had ATi so advertised.

* While consuming the performance, high but best Super sampling variant was used in previous versions of the driver, the so-called “EATM” is since the catalyst 7.8 used. EATM uses no Super-sampling-AA more, but relies on the efficient multi sampling AA. EATM is similar but not with the transparency MSAA on a GeForce card for ATis variant creates the visually better. The slump in performance compared to the SSAA version is noticeably lower, while the loss of quality within the holding. Depending on the gaming scene EATM may even better look.

Regressions

Even if the long list of improvements of catalyst 7.10 sounds quite impressive, so some new bugs in the driver have slipped yet again. A bug that bears the number “737 30090″ internally at ATi, has affected us directly during the test and that test procedure not only significantly slows, but sometimes even impossible. So were we missing in BioShock, lost planet, and world in conflict (only the Direct3D 10 version is affected) almost all resolutions. Only 1280 x 800 or 2560 x 1600 us were the games to choose from, the rest had disappeared without a trace.

The error occurs in connection with a Radeon HD 2000 graphics and Windows Vista when certain dual link displays (such as, for example, the Dell monitor used by us in the 30-inch variant) are used. ATi, the problem shall occur not at all monitors of this kind. We could improve this situation at least in part, by we modified the resolution directly in the configuration file of the game. Lost Planet remained this approach but without success. This error should be fixed in the next catalyst driver.

Other known problems on Windows XP or Windows Vista relate among other things the games city of heroes, Doom 3, enemy territory: Quake Wars, Fable, lost planet, Rainbow Six Vegas, serious Sam, Star Wars Battlefront 2 and Unreal Tournament 2004, acceleration, and correct representation of video content in certain applications, and under certain conditions, as well as errors of all kinds. In short: the list of known issues is, especially on Windows Vista, still wool.

Test system

Test system:

• Processor
  • Intel Core 2 Extreme X 6800 (overclocked to 3.46 GHz, dual-core)
• Motherboard
  • Asus Striker extreme (NVIDIA nForce 680i) main test Board and for SLI Systems
• Memory
  • 2 x 1024 MB Corsair CM2X1024-6400 (4-4-4-15)
• Graphics cards
  • ATi Radeon HD 2900 XT (742 / 828), 512 MB
• Peripherals
  • Toshiba SD-H802A HD-DVD drive
  • Samsung SATA2 HDD with 500 GB 16 MB cache
• Driver versions
  • ATi catalyst 7.5
  • ATi catalyst 7.6
  • ATi catalyst 7.7
  • ATi catalyst 7.8 (Bioshock hot fix driver)
  • ATi catalyst 7.9
  • ATi catalyst 7.10
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows Vista x 86 build 6000
  • Microsoft DirectX 9.0 c
  • Microsoft Direct3D 10

Benchmarks

The following benchmarks were used during our test:

• Synthetic benchmarks:
  • 3DMark06 version 1.0.2
• Game benchmarks:
  • Anno 1701 demo
  • Bioshock
  • Call of Juarez D3D10-benchmark demo
  • Clive Barker’s Jericho
  • Colin McRae dirt demo
  • Company of heroes
  • Company of Heroes D3D10
  • F.E.A.R.
  • Gothic 3
  • Lost planet D3D10 demo patch for D3D10 optimization
  • Oblivion
  • Prey
  • Rainbow Six Vegas
  • Stalker
  • World in conflict

Driver settings: ATi video cards (R(V)6×0)

• Catalyst a.i.: Standard
• Mipmap detail level: high quality
• Wait for vertical refresh: always off
• AA mode: 1xAA, 4xAA
• Adaptive anti-aliasing: off

Synthetic benchmarks

3DMark06

The well-known series of benchmark from Futuremark is now published in version 2006 and consequently listens to the name “3DMark06″. Measure the performance of the graphics card four sequences of the six test scenes and show a graphic splendour, that their same looks. To achieve that the Finns set which is why not only massively the shader model 3.0 is used, extremely elaborate textures, spectacular particle effects, complex shadow computations to cutting-edge 3D technology, and as another highlight “High Dynamic Range Rendering” – short HDRR – are used. While Futuremark opts for FP16 HDR, which currently provides the best possible image quality, but is also expensive to calculate. Thus graphics cards without FP16 blending units, including the X to 0 series from ATi, two test scenes not run 8 x, which is why the number of points of these GPUs generally low fails. In addition, only graphics cards, can the MSAA to a FP16 Rendertarget can run, calculate the HDRR sequences with anti-aliasing. Graphics cards without this ability produce no score in use of anti-aliasing, and are therefore not included. There are more details about this program in our detailed article.

Game benchmarks

Anno 1701

Although usually first-person shooter with amazing graphics can shine, so it has to anno 1701 does not take the German team of game needs to anno 1602 and anno also a graphics engine equip with 1503 successor of the legendary games, not to hide that from the entire competition. Will the eye get virtually everything, what is currently possible with modern hardware. Detailed textures, nice-looking landscapes, nice shader, such as, for example, the appearance of water including the refraction of waves and much more make anno 1701 a true feast for the eyes. Therefore, the strategy game, as one of the few of its kind, to participate in a graphics card review, is suitable as the GPU has to charge much. On modern FP16 HDRR refrain from anno 1701, however, instead only a simple bloom filter is used.

Clive Barker’s Jericho

Playful or technically remarkable games usually quickly got the attention of the press and are most eagerly expected by players. This was different curiously at “Clive Barker” Jericho “, whose demo more or less from the nothing has surfaced. Playful, the full version is indeed still prove must, whether Jericho in the long term can convince, technically the demo makes it clear but one: the graphics engine is on the amount of time and need to hide before any other competitors. Not just the technology itself can say the artistic design with high-quality textures, various shader, also the Grafikcontent itself as well as particle effects and FP16 high dynamic-range rendering points, is evidence of originality. Since the GeForce 7 series of NVIDIA can apply to a FP16 Rendertarget Länder no multi-sampling-anti-aliasing, the old generation of graphics cards from California when the quality settings must remain outside.

Colin McRae dirt

The Colin McRae series was always a highlight for all racing game fans, where it could be also something dirty. In the series of rally driving nunmals no means always on asphalt. After the series is flattened something high in recent years, has the developer code master with Colin McRae dirt pulled the handbrake and found to old virtues – and added many new features. Impress can also the newly developed graphics engine, which no doubt their peers in the racing scene looks at the current time. While dirt waives FP16 HDRR, can convince detailed textures, beautiful landscapes, a great foresight and good successful particle effects, but with some (if also übertriebenen) send light effects. This has its price but also: the hardware requirements are extremely high and pose problems for most PCs. Reason enough for us, Colin McRae dirt in the course of the benchmark to include.

Company of heroes

No matter where you look, there is games, in which the scenario is in the period of the second world war, at the latest after the successful language “Call of Duty” like sand on the sea. While some of these games know to fallen quite, others are only a true copy to the wave of success with to swimming. The strategy game “Company of Heroes”, which probably developed in 2006 to a small tip is undoubtedly to the former genus. One reason for this is a very good graphic engine, which men also heaviest guns, so that the titles of the competition have looking up. “Operation succeeded!”, is the only thing you can say in this respect for company of heroes. The game offers a lot for the eye and above all in the battle scenes it often happens that one forgets to give commands the troops, and admired the gameplay instead. When use benchmark we inserted the test sequence.

F.E.A.R.

Doom 3 gets competitive – and what for one! The programmers of new Gruselshooters f.e.a.r.seem to Doom 3 as a great model to have selected, which you seem to do better but almost everything. Among other things, the very oppressive atmosphere by a graphics quality is achieved, that of their peers is looking for. Shader in masses, wonderful bump-mapping, shadows very spectacular, detailed textures, as well as pretty-looking particle effects and much more Gets the player to face why f.e.a.r. already mandatory for a good benchmark course has become. We now use the full version, which has a built-in function of the benchmark for these purposes. That shows a battle and a larger explosion, has been introduced by a freely moving camera. The details are, set, the soft shadows with exception to the maximum.

Gothic 3

Probably no doubt, the most awaited computer in 2006 listens to the name “Gothic 3″, which originated with the two popular predecessors. Even if the game is still very buggy even after some patches, so it enjoys a large popularity in Germany, as can be seen well on the sales. But in addition to the actual content of the game Gothic 3 can score also with the graphics engine, which is very well managed developers. So, not only the foresight is impressive, the small lovely details on figures and objects make the graphic into something special. That the engine so that not only looks, but also very Hardwareintensiv, was already from the outset clear. However, the graphics basic framework provides a decisive disadvantage: Sun currently no anti-aliasing can be applied, which is why the feature in the quality setting is not active; There is only the anisotropic filter in use.

Oblivion

Already, the predecessor of “Morrorwind” caused a real enthusiasm in many gaming enthusiasts and with the successor of “Oblivion”, this appears to be no different. Hardly a game can be found currently more discussions on the Internet. But not only playful, also graphically persuades oblivion and drives, to achieve this goal, heavy guns. Never before HDRR with dynamic tone mapping was used so realistic. In addition, the game with nice textures shadow effects as well as in places highly unbecoming and particle effects can shine. Accordingly, oblivion is ideal for a good benchmark course. The used scene shows not only an elaborate lighting, also several shrubs and trees to see that are extremely strong burden on especially the GPU. Since the generation of GeForce 7 graphics cards can apply to a FP16 Rendertarget not a multi-sampling anti-aliasing, we have not shown the corresponding models in the quality benchmarks, to maintain with each other the comparisons of the accelerator.

Prey

Children at a young age dress up for Carnival like as Indians. Many older brethren, however, would rather play the first-person shooter prey and the somewhat grumpy Indian hero Tommy helps save the world from an alien power. Tommy does this not only with found or accounted for alien weapons, but in addition with the traditional Doom 3-engine, which is been improved however vigorously for prey. In other words: The graphics are difficult to recognize. High resolution textures, chic shader effects, elaborate shadow calculations, and much more make the game a true feast for the eyes. The even recorded Timedemo shows both a section inside and outside a building and as a whole covers a large part of the game scene. Not missing weapons fire, many opponents and Tommy’s ability to move outside of his own body.

Rainbow Six Vegas

The “Rainbow Six” series contains already many titles and is one of the largest series of PC games in the world. The latest creation listens to the simple name “Vegas”, which already shows, where the special forces at this time is in use. And that the city of Vegas can be counted to the Andalusí cities at all, doubt probably few. The graphics engine of Vegas, which is not any but a very well known at the same time is accordingly colorful, but also very detailed: the Unreal engine 3, which this year also in “Unreal Tournament 3″ is used. Although the version in Vegas is the lagging in UT3 a lot afterwards, so the graphics know to convince. Shows very many details that one could detect in any game so far. The many colours, as well as the detailed animations round off the result. However, the Unreal engine 3 has one big disadvantage: Sun comes “Deferred Shading” (the Unreal engine 3 in itself is not a pure Deffered renderer, only the shadow part has a special algorithm) used, that with a brisk shadow and lighting offers some advantages, but in the Direct3D 9 API anti-aliasing avoided. Only with Direct3D 10, deferred shading and anti-aliasing is possible. Because in our selected benchmark scene, the anisotropic filter does not affect the speed, we can be that this outside in chart view.

Stalker

“Stalker” – in addition to Duke Nukem Forever probably the epitome of waiting. After a long time, has managed the Ukrainian first-person shooter, but it in the shelves and know to please despite the seemingly eternal development time. Not only spielerich scores the game with some nice ideas, the atmosphere can be seen or felt. In addition, the graphics engine that used a “Deffered shadow” algorithm, succeeded well. The game mainly with send weather effects and can have detailed textures. Shader model 3.0 effects are used, as well as high-quality FP16 HDR rendering, which ensures a close-to-reality spectrum. A further highlight is the numerous high-quality light and shadow effects, one yet to see scored in this form until now. This is the advantage of Deffered shadowing, because the light and shadow calculations can be performed very quickly. A major drawback, however, is that Direct3D 9 Accelerator can therefore perform no multi-sampling-anti-aliasing. It requires not only a D3D10 graphics card, the game must be equipped with the new API.

Direct3D 10 benchmarks

Bioshock

“Bioshock”, more or less the unofficial successor of “System Shock 2″, it had with emergence of truly not easy. Expectations were so high that it seemed almost impossible to meet them all. In advance, you already spoke of “the best game of all time”. Now, Bioshock is out there. Whether it is actually the best game of all time, you can probably still forever discussing. One is however unique: technically, Bioshock is ahead not only very well forward, but probably currently all other titles. Reason for this is that Unreal engine 3, the developers have modified to adapt them to the own needs. The result is a Direct3D 10 renderer that can score with hitherto unprecedented water effects. So the water interacts physically correct on the player, if it is running, for example, through a flooded room. In addition, Bioshock offers many more optical delicacies. Chic particle effects, spectacular display of fire, realistic shadows, beautiful surface, physics interactions with the opponents as well as the environment and much more make graphically Bioshock a tidbit. Under the Direct3D 10 API has no anti-aliasing works, because this is not requested by the application (technically but at least in theory be possible should). We do so without anti-aliasing in the quality settings.

Call of Juarez

Test sequence in the Direct3D 10 benchmark for call of Juarez is a special flyby scene used showing various new technical capabilities of the Direct3D 10 API. In the new version of the game is 30% denser vegetation, there are 30 percent more particle effects, a sight increased by 25 percent, higher resolution textures, higher resolution Shadowmaps, relief mapping is used, and much more. The Geometryshader is in the benchmark sequence of course as well little. As you already noticed, has continued the request to the graphics card a good deal, and that, although the game from the ground up actually made for the older Direct3D 9 interface has been. Nevertheless, it has the benchmark with a problem to fight. So parts of vegetation are represented incorrectly, which is located at the Alpha-to-coverage process according to Techland. From the catalyst 7.8 ATi has strongly screwed the image quality on a Radeon HD-2000 card in the amount, which now even better than on the GeForce-8 x 00 cards from NVIDIA is. So the shadows are better than filtered on a G8x, for example on the ATi models what creates a significantly quieter image in movement. Currently so limited comparability between ATi-and nvidia cards.

Company of heroes

Certainly many players waited on the patch of 1.70 of company of heroes, because as the current version of the title of the strategy does not bring only a few more bug fixes with it, but introduces support for Direct3D 10. You can select the new API in an appropriate graphics card in the game menu and already appear all levels in new splendour. In addition you can screw now a level higher the terrain details on “Ultra”, which adds some details of the soil and visibly improves the textures. The Direct3D 10 version gives the player a pixel-perfect lighting, percentage closer filtering for the soft shadows on all D3D10 accelerators, more beautiful particle effects and Alpha to coverage for all trees and shrubs, that recorded and edited also by conventional MSAA. We use the built-in benchmark as a sequence of benchmark in the Direct3D 9-version of company of heroes.

Lost planet

The action game “Lost Planet” is available in two versions: A Direct3D 9 and a Direct3D 10 version; the latter has succeeded in our course. The game can shine technically not only by the D3D 10 extension and thus 4 including new geometry shader using the shader model, away from the API white lost planet to please. With soft shadows (they are linked in lost planet though to the D3D10 version, this shadow variant has however nothing to do with Direct3D 10), detailed FP16-high-dynamic-range-rendering, textures, lot more technically advanced is particle effects and much a real feast for the eyes; the lost planet, this one much fun could be called almost incidental. The demo version of the game conveniently offers a built-in benchmarking sequence that shows a camera fly from the perspective of the player through two different levels. For reasons unknown to us, no anti-aliasing works with the latest catalyst drivers on an ATi graphics card.

World in conflict

Meanwhile strategy games look significantly better than some years ago, really succeed it wants the programs but rarely in the premier class, which is occupied mostly by first person shooters advance. The developers of world in conflict seems not to have served this and developed a graphics engine that needs to hide itself from any other game. World in Conflicht support the Direct3D 10 API and has no difficulty to apply anti-aliasing on the new platform. Chic shader adorn the game (for example, beams of light through the clouds, which illuminate the surroundings so throws the Sun), as well as detailed textures and a realistic representation of the shadow. The animations of the characters are well managed, what be in combination with a cinematic cut order film atmosphere in the cutscenes. As the test sequence, we use not the built-in benchmark function, because it behaves rather strangely. Instead, we use the cinematic intro to the first campaign of the demo.

Performance rating

Now finally we come to the performance rating. This is to be facilitated it, to get together all results at a glance. Because the synthetic benchmarks in the test course (i.e. the 3DMark06) have no game engine and thus do not reflect realistic statements about the speed in 3D-Titeln, we have removed from the rating of these applications.

Us to do so, we decided the performance rating in this driver comparison now only in the Klapptext issue, to draw attention to an important point in order to:Due to the fact that virtually every driver in at least a test could achieve no result and as a result of a power of 0 is received percent in this part in the performance rating, the services so popular in our graphics card articles is severely limited. Unlike in the tests of graphics cards the performance rating in the driver article therefore to serve as from now on as a complement, but not as all-embracing speed conclusion.

&Lt; div > < div > performance rating Catalyst driver comparison (catalyst 7.5-7.10)

Conclusion

A total of catalyst 7.10 of the benchmark course across convinced us. Up on lost planet (Direct3D 10), the driver completed all obstacles without any problems, even if we ourselves a little tricks had to serve in the BioShock and world in conflict, to operate the video card in the desired resolution on our dual-link display. Of the huge performance gains, as she had provided ATi (of course with limitations) in Vista, nothing appeared about the test across despite performance increases, however.

The driver, oblivion graduated from the DirectX 9 benchmark (6% slower with 1xAA, 1xAF, one percent faster with 4xAA, 16xAF) other than usual. Direct3D 10 however about six percent were under more performance in BioShock, up to Fourteen percent more in call of Jarez, up to 11 percent more in company of heroes and up to thirteen more percent in world in conflict on paper – anyway! We have not seen a loss to image quality.

In terms of driver error, the catalyst 7.10 represents a clear improvement compared to its predecessor, even if the list of known problems (not least because of new errors), especially on Windows Vista is still long. Pleasing: The Radeon X 1950 Pro AGP works with the driver again.