Zardon

Ben has done another interview over at Hothardware.com following on from ours several weeks ago.

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How much more "headroom" do you think there is left in the RADEON 9XXX drivers? Do you think there is much more performance to be gained in future releases.

[Ben] Good question. We are always looking for new ways to improve the performance, stability and features of our drivers. In fact, we have a very talented team engaged in making our performance better, and we definitely plan to demonstrate better performance with each new release of CATALYST. Believe me when I say this – if there is room for improvement, we will find it. We never hold back.

The quality of ATI's drivers has steadily improved over the past year, and you've been releasing drivers more frequently. What tools or techniques were used to make these strides, and is there still room for improvement? Or was it sheer engineering effort and resources that helped bear these fruits?

[Ben] Our entire approach to software development has changed for the better over the last 18 months. First, we have a process to control, plan, prioritize and implement new features (software modifications). We also now have a Unified Development Process that permits us to seamlessly integrate software work done in various places in the world, into one complete and fully-tested release. Finally, we have invested heavily in setting up and staffing an efficient, independent and competent Software Quality Assurance organization. This has already reduced the level of "escapes" (i.e., bugs detected in the field) by about 50%. These new processes permit our engineers to spend more time creating and carefully testing new features and less time fixing "escapes".

Is there still room for improvement? Absolutely. We have only begun. While we know that we already offer the most stable 3D-enabled driver in the industry, we are committed to leading the way and continuously improving stability, performance and features.

Full interview here