Windows 7 Vanilla Drivers versus ATI Catalyst

[monkeynetman]

Is it just me, but I feel the stock Windows 7 drivers perform just as good, if not better than the current ATI Catalyst drivers available? Though I am using an older card 4850.

I just want to know if others have similar experience or have different views.

 

[horrorshow]

I use the Catalyst Control Center allllllll the time to force AA/AF etc.

So yeah.... I use ATI.....

Also, they're more up-to-date.

I couldn't imagine using the generic Windows 7 driver....

 

[GotNoRice]

Well the drivers that come included with 7 are only about a year old at this point. I'd say you're probably no worse off than if you installed the drivers that came on disc with the card.

They don't just update drivers for fun, they do it to fix real problems with games, along with performance increases. You're missing out on all of that if you don't use the latest drivers.

If it's Catalyst Control Center you have a problem with you always have the option of downloading the bare drivers and just using those.

 

[PGHammer]

Well the drivers that come included with 7 are only about a year old at this point. I'd say you're probably no worse off than if you installed the drivers that came on disc with the card.

They don't just update drivers for fun, they do it to fix real problems with games, along with performance increases. You're missing out on all of that if you don't use the latest drivers.

If it's Catalyst Control Center you have a problem with you always have the option of downloading the bare drivers and just using those.

However, the Catalyst drivers are a must if you connect via something other than VGA or DVI (HDMI, for example). Also, the Catalyst drivers include the HDMI audio support (HD5xxx in particular needs this). Because my HD5450 is fanless, I use CCC very little; it's the things I do use CCC for (mostly adjustments in AF) that keep me doing a full install.

 

[Dillirium]

Sorry I have to pipe in. Unless you play the games they increase performance in.. I don't see the point myself.

With stock win7 drivers I noticed my vid card didn't overheat and game ran perfectly fine. When I started upgrading the drivers my card started to overheat and in some cases if you don't uninstall / remove file manually or use a program.. They seem to leave some stuff behind that upgrading/rolling back etc will cause additional problems.

A good quote comes to mind: "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." This applies to computers big time.

Saying: OMG THEY"RE NEW THOGUH!@)#(Z!!!

That's BS.

If the updated drivers fix something for you or increase performance on a game you care about... Then by all means GL. That's just the way I see it.

Oh and P.S. My card is still overheating unless I set the fan manually which I have.

 

[GotNoRice]

However, the Catalyst drivers are a must if you connect via something other than VGA or DVI (HDMI, for example). Also, the Catalyst drivers include the HDMI audio support (HD5xxx in particular needs this). Because my HD5450 is fanless, I use CCC very little; it's the things I do use CCC for (mostly adjustments in AF) that keep me doing a full install.

There are numerous 3rd party tools that replicate the functionality of the Catalyst Control Center.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I always install the drivers, because they are newer and feature complete, but at the same time, Vista and Windows 7 give you drivers that are good enough for most 2D things, such as web-browsing...and that's by design. Gone are the days of booting up a PC with an expensive video card, and only running in 800x600 with 8 bit color until you loaded the actual manufacturer's drivers.