No more monthly WHQL drivers?

asder00

Taken from R3D forum:

There should be a public announcement today, but I have been allowed to share this info right now:

- AMD will end monthly Catalyst driver releases starting with Catalyst 12.5 (which won't exist). They have decided to focus harder on quality and improvements vs regular updates which may not bring many new things. This way there will be no need for two separate driver development paths every month: one to get the official WHQL driver and another that keeps doing the regular driver development.
- We should expect more "hot fixes" and "preview drivers" when new games are released or urgent fixes are required.
- There is a beta driver we are testing right now that fixes the Eyefinity tearing on the third monitor when mixing outputs. I have verified that it works with Souther Islands based cards, so I don't know if it will work with previous cards. Anyway, if no major issues are found, this driver should be publicly available next week.

HonoredShadow · 05-31-2012, 12:07 | posts: 2,410 | Location: Shropshire, UK

I think this is a very good idea and long overdue.

Since I got my 670 a few weeks ago, I miss coming into the AMD section to look for latest info and drivers.

Had the same cards as you asder00.

BenchAndGames · 05-31-2012, 12:16 | posts: 151 | Location: Madrid

This noticed from Noticias3D of Spain !!

http://foro.noticias3d.com/vbulletin...d.php?t=391920

Rich_Guy · 05-31-2012, 13:01 | posts: 6,742 | Location: UK

Well its about time, ive always said they should scrap the monthly WHQL's, as its never worked, so good to hear, instead of having to rush through the drivers to get them finished by a certain time, so as to get them to MS for signing and back for release, they'll be able to take their time on them like Nvidia

Those drivers will be next week then, and not this week as CatCreator said ?

mR Yellow · 05-31-2012, 13:20 | posts: 496 | Location: South Africa

Just leak beta builds to keep the driver whores happy.

The Goose · 05-31-2012, 13:22 | posts: 1,294 | Location: shropshire,UK

good idea to concentrate on quality but they obviously dont want the regular customer feedback to find out what problems if any we the customers actually have,what about the cap updates

Huigie · 05-31-2012, 13:26 | posts: 42 | Location: The Netherlands

Quote:

Originally Posted by mR Yellow

Just leak beta builds to keep the driver whores happy.

ipredator · 05-31-2012, 13:29 | posts: 494

Quote:

Originally Posted by mR Yellow

Just leak beta builds to keep the driver whores happy.

I'm a driver whore and I find this about time.

MerolaC · 05-31-2012, 13:49 | posts: 1,991 | Location: Argentina

Fck Yeah!!!!!!
Finally!

TheOriginalTO · 05-31-2012, 13:54 | posts: 263

Could this lead to more problems though as well since they will be trying to put them out quicker / when needed?

BenchAndGames · 05-31-2012, 14:03 | posts: 151 | Location: Madrid

Why you think is best kept out every month with certified drivers?

Why they think that now going to be better without WHQL?

TorrentG · 05-31-2012, 14:15 | posts: 85 | Location: LI, NY

I think they're doing this because Microsoft is going crazy. They are strong arming everyone.

Examples:

1) Putting Metro kiddie screen on a desktop platform.
2) Making Store so many people purchase apps which Microsoft makes money on
3) Taking away ability for developers to make desktop apps with free version of Visual Studio Express: http://arstechnica.com/information-t...-on-windows-8/
4) Making Metro kiddie screen appear at boot
5) Taking away Windows 7 Start menu and not leaving any choice to go back without 3rd party tools.
6) Removal of WMC and DVD playback to save licensing costs. Then they're gonna sell 8 for same as 7 or more. Then, you can purchase an additional add-on pack if you want to install for the functionality. (For DVD, obviously can use any free app instead, but the point is they're charging extra now: https://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/...edirected=true)

Lots of other crazy thinking at MS.

We should all congratulate AMD for doing their own thing away from MS, or away to a stronger degree than it is now.

V1tol · 05-31-2012, 14:19 | posts: 274 | Location: Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine

Woohooo! My yesterday post has been heared

http://forums.guru3d.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=372
Nice one AMD, but i wanna my beta driver

TorrentG · 05-31-2012, 14:21 | posts: 85 | Location: LI, NY

They are also removing Aero glass and making it look like Windows 95 for the 8 RTM. I'm not kidding either. (It's for all those craplets and portable devices, so they save power. They're messing up desktop experience for their own greed and nonsense thinking.)

http://www.*********.com/news/24195/..._ui/index.html

Rich_Guy · 05-31-2012, 14:24 | posts: 6,742 | Location: UK

Wonder if they'll change the numbering as well, as month/year is not needed now.

NiColaoS · *Last edited by NiColaoS; 05-31-2012 at 15:04.*

I strongly agree with. Also, it's a huge psychological plus if they won't have in their mind that in a specific timeline they've to release anything. Well done, and let's wait for quality drivers.

But... Sometimes, you know... This might not mean we would certainly start getting quality drivers or it would be 100% wise desicion. The slower proccess might be the sign for worse support. Just saying, although I'm pretty sure it will go better.

Redemption80 · 05-31-2012, 14:55 | posts: 13,534 | Location: Glasgow

Amusing that someone is having their own little off topic, and one way moan about W8.

This is a good move by AMD in my opinion, the whole WHQL process just slows things down, and there is usually a newer and better beta one by the time the certification has been done.

Not that things have massively improved for us Nvidia users since they started doing this, but it is much more efficient to do this rather than release a safe, but probably not the best driver every month.

TorrentG · 05-31-2012, 15:04 | posts: 85 | Location: LI, NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redemption80

Amusing that someone is having their own little off topic, and one way moan about W8.

Crawl back to the nvidia cave, troll.

Redemption80 · 05-31-2012, 15:31 | posts: 13,534 | Location: Glasgow

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorrentG

Crawl back to the nvidia cave, troll.

What has Nvidia go to do with anything?

Seriously, this has nothing to do with W8, not even sure how you could come up with such an idea, and why are AMD forums so hostile these days?

I was offering my opinion of why this was a good idea, while also pointing out your comments were off-topic, so you seriously need to check out the definition of troll.

The Mac · *Last edited by The Mac; 05-31-2012 at 15:37.*

Quote:

Originally Posted by TorrentG

Crawl back to the nvidia cave, troll.

why are you posting Asder00's text from another thread?

if you are gonna ramble OT and insult people, at least be original.

TorrentG · 05-31-2012, 15:38 | posts: 85 | Location: LI, NY

Oh so you did see what I did.

Olvik · **Catalyst WHQL -** 05-31-2012, 15:40 | posts: 139 | Location: Spain

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchAndGames

This noticed from Noticias3D of Spain !!

http://foro.noticias3d.com/vbulletin...d.php?t=391920

The important thing is quality, not quantity ...

Let's hope so.

A greeting.

tb77 · 05-31-2012, 15:46 | posts: 40

Good decision and finally AMD has understand the reasons why NVIDIA does what they do in terms of driver development.

ipredator · 05-31-2012, 15:53 | posts: 494

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redemption80

Seriously, this has nothing to do with W8, not even sure how you could come up with such an idea

Microsoft
- sucks at WHQL certificates
- sucks at developing W8

See the liaison?

BenchAndGames · 05-31-2012, 16:17 | posts: 151 | Location: Madrid

And I repeat again, why is better stop relase montly WHQL drivers?
Maybe this way, we will not have fixed when necessary, because there is no commitment.