Poll: Rate Catalyst 4.2

toddsmack2k · Feb 12, 2004, 02:01 PM

Okay guys we need your input again. Please rate how good you think the new 4.2 ATI Catalyst drivers are. With 10 being excellent and with 1 being horrible.

germanjulian · Feb 12, 2004, 02:23 PM

again slower then the 3 series. but I like changing my d3d and opengl settinsg without the monitor going black

super 8 from me

kelticknight · Feb 12, 2004, 04:01 PM

super drivers,improvement in nfs and cod

SkyBum · Feb 12, 2004, 04:20 PM

I feel like my AIW 8500DV is alive and kicking again. NSFU is finally playable at very high settings and the pauses are gone (that was a huge issue for me because the pauses were adding to my lap times).

10+ from me.

drakesteakn · Feb 12, 2004, 04:34 PM

very awsome drivers!!!! get a 10 from me.

Ev!L-aLphA · Feb 12, 2004, 07:56 PM

no dx9 performance increase

these rock!

Chaos · Feb 12, 2004, 08:07 PM

well i gave them an 8 when i voted but after playing COD for an hour lockup free I'm wishin it was a 9

~~Optimummind~~ · Feb 12, 2004, 08:20 PM

For the first time, I believe, I give ATI drivers a 9.

Faster performance improvement and good stability. Good job and plz keep up the same standard. Keeping up is always the harder thing to do than releasing hits few times a year.

~~wk357mag~~ · Feb 12, 2004, 08:32 PM

I give it a 10, but really 9.5. Cant wait for Omega's!

Widkidone · Feb 12, 2004, 08:53 PM

I give them a 9.5 now i am just awaiting for the Omega Drivers.

~~wk357mag~~ · Feb 12, 2004, 09:34 PM

copy cat :P

germanjulian · Feb 13, 2004, 04:35 AM

ahh sorry didnt know they fixed my nfsu issues. so take one 8 away and put a 9 in. but I dont notice any perforamce increases. maybe cause i used the 3.10 before or is it 3.1 mhh

ColtIce · Feb 13, 2004, 07:27 AM

I don't post here much but I give them a 9.but then again I must be a freak or something because I have never had a problem with any of the drivers yet.2 rigs, one with a 9800pro and one with a 9500pro.

Below 30 · Feb 13, 2004, 10:46 AM

An 8.

ATI went after the HDTV/dongle issue and now the resolutions sync-up nicely with the dongle. Now we just need screen sizing tools and the same fixes for the DVI output and that will be an era.

Trilogy · Feb 13, 2004, 11:45 AM

I give them 9 instead of usual 8.

No system crashes so far (BF 1942 mod Desert Combat crashed to desktop after hour of gameplay) but Vice City worked fine, except the invisible glass-bug is still there. I wonder why can't it be fixed after all this. Not a bit thing but very annoying when car comes to your way then you drive through the palm tree leaves.

COD seemed to work fine as it should but I didn't see any noticeable differences in NFSU. I don't like that 2 sec pause at the start of the race. Any solution to fix it or is it made to be there?

The thing I mostly liked was the thing, that screen doesn't flash anymore when you are changing setting on ATI control panel. I still like the old style in the control panel, so that OpenGL and D3D are on seperate tabs as before. Omega, come and save the Control panel.

Dyre Straits · Feb 13, 2004, 11:47 AM

Once installed, they've performed quite well so far. However, because of the install problem I had with the XP version, I have to give them a 7.5. Otherwise it would have been 8.5 - 9.

Super Cheetah · Feb 13, 2004, 01:01 PM

These are the best set of Cat drivers yet. Thank you ATI for all your hard work, us gamers really appreciate it.

Hkhalid · Feb 13, 2004, 01:51 PM

I'm finally happy as all the older drivers were not giving me any display when my system booted on XP i.e it was re-starting the machine but since i've installed Windows2000 + SP4 and updated to 4.2 i'm finally getting display on Radeon 8500, although i dont know if it will work on XP, what kind of problem this is when u dont get a display when the OS is about to bring in the GUI ??

some · Feb 13, 2004, 05:33 PM

I gave again 9.
Two things better:
First, when you change your d3d settings, monitor didn't flicker like crazy anymore. And second, refreshrate locking was fixed in CS, when you go to windows and back to game.
But there came one less good, I use gamma panel to increase gamme in game, it doesn't work in windows anymore. And now when I visit in windows while playing, gamma locks up to windows value and you can't increase gamma anymore in game either.
And one old problem is still bugging me, the frame rates in CS! People says that Catalyst3.6 is the best set for CS, it don't work for me because 3.6 doesn't recognize XT series.
Otherwise this version continues the reliable and good line of Catalyst series.

JLP · Feb 13, 2004, 07:29 PM

I give them 8.
I like it very much that the Celestia is finaly fixed. Also nice to see some speedups on Radeon 8500 in UT2003.
What I don't like is that there are no 64-bit drivers and that NFSU is a lot slower.

DosCervezas · Feb 13, 2004, 08:21 PM

Best in a long time. Great work Cat team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Markius · Feb 13, 2004, 11:05 PM

so far so good...these are the 3rd ever cats ive used and they seem great!
(ive used 3.9 3.10 & 4.2)

RIV@NVX · Feb 14, 2004, 06:39 AM

I give them 9, because of the improvements for DX8 series of cards, and because of improved (intentional or not, but it is there) support for Windows Server 2003. They are getting better with every release.

Negative Design · Feb 14, 2004, 05:27 PM

Great drivers...but my GTA:VC still doesnt work...thats the only thing that sux about these drivers!

thats I can find...now

only drivers that work with GTA:VC is 2460 and 2496A ...anyone know how to fix this or have the same problems?

Trilogy · Feb 14, 2004, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Negative Design
Great drivers...but my GTA:VC still doesnt work...thats the only thing that sux about these drivers! thats I can find...now

only drivers that work with GTA:VC is 2460 and 2496A ...anyone know how to fix this or have the same problems?

Works fine on me. You just have to delete gta_vc.set file from your My Documents/GTA Vice City User Files -folder. After that, you'll need to reconfigure your keyboard buttons for gta (if you altered any of the default keys), sounds, graphics and so on.

Negative Design · Feb 14, 2004, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Trilogy
Works fine on me. You just have to delete gta_vc.set file from your My Documents/GTA Vice City User Files -folder. After that, you'll need to reconfigure your keyboard buttons for gta (if you altered any of the default keys), sounds, graphics and so on.

Woot WOOOT! thanks trilogy! your the MAN! lol it made copies of my .set files jsut in case.Now i have to reconfigure my gamepad..no biggie

also my sound files arent working, no voice, no radio stations play...but I think it'll come back...soon..lol

thanks man I appreciate it

Jim

RebelWolf · Feb 17, 2004, 01:47 AM

I gave it an 8, since they seem just as stable and everything as the 4.1's did.

As to performance, I got a minor drop in Aquamark3 on my 9800SE versus the 4.1's (or they would have got a 9) but the biggest improvement from my point of view is that they nuked the screen flicker that was so annoying everytime you clicked apply.

As to fixes to DX8 hardware, and certain games, they haven't applied to me so far, so I can't rate them. Overall, I have no complaints with this driver version, and to me that's the important thing.

RebelWolf