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4870 Setup Questions

I

Infaustium

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
166
I finally snagged a Sapphire 4870, but I want to make sure of a few things upon receiving/setting it up (especially since my wife will be inheriting my 8800GTX).

Driver: Should I bother installing the driver off the disc, then installing the hotfix over that driver? Or simply install only the hotfix (8.6) driver?
Since I haven't used ATi in years and people have been talking about lack of drivers right now, want to make sure I do this right.

Fan Speed: Right now, the only way to really control the fan speed is creating a profile and editing the XML file of that profile, then loading it every time I boot. Is that correct?
From reading another post about fan speed control, I just wanted to be sure nothing has changed. Loading it every time you boot is a bit of an annoyance, but if that's what we have to do right now, I just wanted to confirm.

Settings: Not sure at all on this... so when setting IQ with the 4870 (or ATi in general), does setting the IQ bar to max effect in-game visuals even if setting AA and AF in-game?
Also, if setting AA or AF in the CCC, do you not set it in-game, as with Nvidia GPUs?

With Nvidia, it's one or the other, set in-game or use the CP. I completely forget what it is with ATi, but I think you at least set the general IQ with the slider bar (like with Nvidia) and just use in-game settings and that'll work fine.

OK, that's it ;)

Thanks in advance for your time and input!
 
Driver-

Always grab the latest and greatest driver/hot fix off the website....discs are usually manufactured way before release (3-5wks).

Fanspeed-
From what ive read that is correct.

Settings-
Not sure
 
Infaustium said:
I finally snagged a Sapphire 4870, but I want to make sure of a few things upon receiving/setting it up (especially since my wife will be inheriting my 8800GTX).
Click to expand...

Wuwu, congratulations. :)

Driver: Should I bother installing the driver off the disc, then installing the hotfix over that driver? Or simply install only the hotfix (8.6) driver?
Since I haven't used ATi in years and people have been talking about lack of drivers right now, want to make sure I do this right.
Click to expand...

Not sure, that is what I did. I took a peek at ati.com and as you may have already found, there's no obvious driver support. I installed the drivers on the disc, then the hotfix on top. No problems.

Fan Speed: Right now, the only way to really control the fan speed is creating a profile and editing the XML file of that profile, then loading it every time I boot. Is that correct?
From reading another post about fan speed control, I just wanted to be sure nothing has changed. Loading it every time you boot is a bit of an annoyance, but if that's what we have to do right now, I just wanted to confirm.
Click to expand...

I haven't been around the past two days so I'm still using the XML trick. It's not really an annoyance either. You can easily activate your profiles through the system tray icon. No need to load CCC every time.

Settings: Not sure at all on this... so when setting IQ with the 4870 (or ATi in general), does setting the IQ bar to max effect in-game visuals even if setting AA and AF in-game?
Also, if setting AA or AF in the CCC, do you not set it in-game, as with Nvidia GPUs?
Click to expand...

IIRC, there is an option to use game settings. Wish there were specific game profiles like in the Forceware drivers.
 
Thanks for the quick responses!

Do you know (I don't remember) if you set the AA and AF through the CCC, does that mean you shouldn't set it in-game? Or does it matter?

I usually just set the IQ bar, but then set AA, AF and everything else in-game.

Also, the CCC should load automatically on start-up, so I just right-click and "load profile" when I boot and that's it?

OK, so I'll just install the driver off the disc, then the hotfix on top, which is usually how a hotfix is supposed to work/be used, if I'm remembering right.

It's funny, but moving back to ATi after all this time (which I'm happy about) is making me feel "stupid", because I've gotten so used to how Nvidia is set up, lol.

Thanks again!
 
the hotfix is the(latest) acutal driver and the CCC. Its 44ish mb if i remember correctly.

Edit-

I was correct, do not install the driver taht came with the cd,

"Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix

The information in this article applies to the following configuration(s):

* Radeon™ HD 4870 series
* Radeon™ HD 4850 series

This Hotfix improves overall performance and stability. The Hotfix includes the Display Driver and Catalyst Control Center.

To download the Hotfix Driver, please click on the links below:

Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix for Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit included)
Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix for Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit included)"


From-

http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=35298
 
Spaxspore said:
the hotfix is the(latest) acutal driver and the CCC. Its 44ish mb if i remember correctly.

Edit-

I was correct, do not install the driver taht came with the cd,

"Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix

The information in this article applies to the following configuration(s):

* Radeon™ HD 4870 series
* Radeon™ HD 4850 series

This Hotfix improves overall performance and stability. The Hotfix includes the Display Driver and Catalyst Control Center.

To download the Hotfix Driver, please click on the links below:

Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix for Windows XP (32-bit and 64-bit included)
Radeon™ HD 4800 Series Hotfix for Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit included)"


From-

http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=35298
Click to expand...

OK, this is what I was originally thinking, but wasn't sure, so thought it might actually be installed on top of the other. I'll just install the hotfix driver then. Thanks for letting me know.

So, can anyone let me know if setting the AA and AF in the CCC overrides in-game settings and vice-versa? Or if one is "better" (offers better IQ) than the other?

I'm at a complete loss in remembering how it works with ATi anymore, and I've been brainwashed by Nvidia's "set one or the other, and they both make things look different" architecture, lol.

Man, I cant wait to finally make this move back to ATi. Always IQ better all-around with ATi as well.
 
The CCC remembers the previous profile you loaded, or at least it does for me. So I don't have to do anything and my overclock + fan speed is set on bootup. I just leave all graphics settings at default, so application determines AA/AF settings.
 
DusterAZ said:
The CCC remembers the previous profile you loaded, or at least it does for me. So I don't have to do anything and my overclock + fan speed is set on bootup. I just leave all graphics settings at default, so application determines AA/AF settings.
Click to expand...

Really? That's good to know, thanks. Hopefully it'll work the same for me, and load the profile with the previously set fan speed upon boot. That would certainly be convenient.
 
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