AMD Catalyst 14.6 Beta Available

[DarkKnightDude]

Seems to be on guru3d only atm.

http://www.guru3d.com/files_details/amd_catalyst_14_6_beta_download.html

Watch Dogs:

AMD Radeon R9 290X - 1920x1080 4xMSAA – improves up to 25%
AMD Radeon R9 290X - 2560x1600 4xMSAA – improves up to 28%
AMD Radeon R9 290X CrossFire configuration (3840x2160 Ultra settings, MSAA = 4X) - 92% scaling

Murdered: Soul Suspect:

AMD Radeon R9 290X – 2560x1600 4xMSAA – improves up to 16%
AMD Radeon R9 290X CrossFire configuration (3840x2160 Ultra settings, MSAA = 4X) - 93% scaling
AMD Eyefinity Verbesserungen:

Mixed Resolution Support

A new architecture providing brand new capabilities
Display groups can be created with monitors of different resolution (including difference sizes and shapes)
Users have a choice of how surface is created over the display group
Fill – legacy mode, best for identical monitors
Fit – create the Eyefinity surface using best available rectangular area with attached displays.
Expand – create a virtual Eyefinity surface using desktops as viewports onto the surface.
Eyefinity Display Alignment
Enables control over alignment between adjacent monitors
One-Click Setup
Driver detects layout of extended desktops
Can create Eyefinity display group using this layout in one click!
New user controls for video color and display settings

Greater control over Video Color Management:

Controls have been expanded from a single slider for controlling Boost and Hue to per color axis
Color depth control for Digital Flat Panels (available on supported HDMI and DP displays)
Allows users to select different color depths per resolution and display

AMD Mantle enhancements

Mantle now supports AMD Mobile products with Enduro technologyEnables support for Multi-GPU configurations with Thief (requires the latest Thief update).
Battlefield 4: AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1366x768; high settings) – 21% gain
Thief: AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1920x1080; high settings) – 14% gain
Star Swarm: AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1920x1080; medium settings) – 274% gain

AMD AM1 JPEG decoding acceleration

JPEG decoding acceleration was first enabled on the A10 APU Series in AMD Catalyst 14.1 beta, and has now been extended to the AMD AM1 Platform
Provides fast JPEG decompression
Provides Power Efficiency for JPEG decompression

 

[sze5003]

I think these are suppose to optimize things for Watchdogs.

 

[mindbomb]

Apparently, these give you the ability to output 6 bit to tn monitors to disable monitor dithering. I was looking for a way to do that.

 

[TerryMathews]

Apparently, these give you the ability to output 6 bit to tn monitors to disable monitor dithering. I was looking for a way to do that.

That's a really innovative feature. Props to AMD.

A quick Google search indicates this should probably be called "18-bit color".

 

[psolord]

thanks

 

[TeknoBug]

I'm going back to 14.4, getting unacceptable amount of frame freezing in some games, it's super annoying in Planetside 2 especially.

 

[Attic]

I'm not seeing them at AMD's website. I don't know why AMD would release these to reviewers and tech sites but not have them available though their driver download page. I can get them from Guru3D, but given watchdogs is now out, and these drivers are for watchdogs, I don't think it's much to ask that AMD gets these drivers on their website under betas (currently betas are 14.4 dated 4/20/14).

 

[Cadarin]

That site always gets the driver release about a day before it goes on AMD's site. There's an internal approval process it has to go through before they officially release it.

 

[f1sherman]

That's a really innovative feature. Props to AMD.

A quick Google search indicates this should probably be called "18-bit color".

woot TN monitors without gradient banding, thats pretty crazy if working as intended :ninja:

 

[TeknoBug]

I'm using a TN panel, I didn't see any option anywhere?

 

[f1sherman]

In case you don't get proper driver version number under CCC Software, and you think everything is fine - think again.
In my case 14.4 installs fine, but with 14.6 I can not even select Display Driver package. See:


14.4

14.6

Had to manually install the driver itself.

unreal...

 

[f1sherman]

This is how "Software" should look:

Mine is close enough LOL :

 

[Bateluer]

In case you don't get proper driver version number under CCC Software, and you think everything is fine - think again.
In my case 14.4 installs fine, but with 14.6 I can not even select Display Driver package. See:


14.4

14.6

Had to manually install the driver itself.

unreal...

Uncheck the Gaming Evolved bloatware.

 

[TeknoBug]

uncheck the gaming evolved bloatware.

^ +100000000

 

[f1sherman]

Yeah but that's inconsequential. Is that Raptr?
What's ACP?

THE MAIN THING IS MOFO DRIVER DOES NOT EVEN WANT TO CONSIDER INSTALLING ITSELF. Unless I force it through device manager. HELLO 1998.
Makes me wonder just how many ppl walk around with ancient Catalyst thinking they have the latest

" Note! This driver is provided "AS IS" and under the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement provided therewithin."

You can say that again ^%^
My games work fine, but Cata installations...

 

[Phynaz]

Yeah but that's inconsequential. Is that Raptr?
What's ACP?

THE MAIN THING IS MOFO DRIVER DOES NOT EVEN WANT TO CONSIDER INSTALLING ITSELF. Unless I force it through device manager. HELLO 1998.
Makes me wonder just how many ppl walk around with ancient Catalyst thinking they have the latest

" Note! This driver is provided "AS IS" and under the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement provided therewithin."

You can say that again ^%^
My games work fine, but Cata installations...

Dude, it's a Beta, and not even from AMD.

 

[f1sherman]

Dude, it's a Beta, and not even from AMD.

Oh it's from AMD all right.
http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/latest-catalyst-windows-beta.aspx

If you have that other version, keep in mind they're not the same LOL

pastebin.com/znz81iRN

 

[mindbomb]

woot TN monitors without gradient banding, thats pretty crazy if working as intended :ninja:

well, it would still have the same image quality problems, my thinking was that if you do the dithering on the cpu or graphics card rather than the monitor, you could reduce input lag.

 

[f1sherman]

well, it would still have the same image quality problems, my thinking was that if you do the dithering on the cpu or graphics card rather than the monitor, you could reduce input lag.

yes, but I was thinking there could be an intelligent transformation filter to avoid banding all together. Oh well, I'll be happy with decent WHQL

input lag... spatial dithering is a simple addition.
I am guessing it doesn't add significant value to input lag

 

[Kenmitch]

This is how "Software" should look:

Mine is close enough LOL :

I had one little hiccup with mine. Used add and remove to delete drivers and rebooted. On reboot the desktop looked as if the drivers were still installed....As if still in 1080p. Looked in add and remove again and there was a CCC2 listed? I removed CCC2 and deleted the AMD folder in my c drive along with a AMD folder in my programs. Rebooted, used the AMD driver cleaner app and rebooted.

Installed the drivers without any issue. Tested a quick Dirt3 benchmark to see if any issues.

Only thing I see compared to your image is my AMD sound driver is a different version. Guru3d drivers is what I used. I found the 14.6 on AMD site but it kept giving the page not found.

My Audio driver looks to be different than your image. Newer version?

 

[Kenmitch]

I'm using a TN panel, I didn't see any option anywhere?

It's here

Won't let me change it tho. Not sure why? Monitor isn't a TN I think its a A-MVA panel if I remember correctly.

 

[mindbomb]

i don't have the option at all, but I think it's probably because I use dvi and not hdmi or displayport.

 

[mindbomb]

yes, but I was thinking there could be an intelligent transformation filter to avoid banding all together. Oh well, I'll be happy with decent WHQL

input lag... spatial dithering is a simple addition.
I am guessing it doesn't add significant value to input lag

Also, there are some image/video programs that are already dithering down to 8 bit, and then the monitor is dithering that down to 6 bit. Having a 6 bit option would potentially allow you to do just one dither down to 6 bit, which should be higher quality.

 

[Skurge]

It's here

Won't let me change it tho. Not sure why? Monitor isn't a TN I think its a A-MVA panel if I remember correctly.

It lets me choose between 6, 8 and 10bpc

 

[Kristijonas]

Can't install on windows 8.0. Just as expected.

Unfortunately, can't upgrade to Windows 8.1.

Well played, Microsoft, <3