Win 7 and GPU Drivers: Vista Redux or Smooth Sailing?

***Lupine*** · Mar 24, 2009, 03:40 PM

We've published a new article previewing Windows 7 GPU performance. Check it out!

After a few days playing around with “the industry's first unified driver to support both Windows Vista and Windows 7”, we're ready to pull back the curtains and share a glimpse of what can be expected when GPUs and Windows 7 collide.

Rage3D Preview: Win 7 and GPU Drivers: Vista Redux or Smooth Sailing?

nsgua · Mar 24, 2009, 03:53 PM

very nice

thanks!

Sound_Card · Mar 24, 2009, 03:55 PM

Not done reading... though...

Quote:

we are going to look how ATI and nVidia are handling the preparations for its expected 2008 release.

2009.

Sound_Card · Mar 24, 2009, 04:12 PM

Interesting review/preview. Considering W7 is not even in RC status yet, it's bringing some nice results. Probably what Vista should of been.

Sound_Card · Mar 24, 2009, 04:15 PM

Also, great job Alex and Lupine. As always.

Jokerzwild · Mar 24, 2009, 04:16 PM

Let me say, this was an excellent read. I don't gush like this usually, but the premise was one that I haven't seen before, and is very interesting.

Very good work Alex+Co., this is the type of article that gets linked and brings traffic

.

Oh! There was one unfortunate disappointment... no pics of half naked girls kissing?? Come on guys, we're not living up to expectations here

.

***Lupine*** · Mar 24, 2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sound_Card

2009.

Fixed. Thanks SC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jokerzwild

no pics of half naked girls kissing??

HonestJohn · Mar 24, 2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jokerzwild

Let me say, this was an excellent read. I don't gush like this usually, but the premise was one that I haven't seen before, and is very interesting.

Very good work Alex+Co., this is the type of article that gets linked and brings traffic

.

Oh! There was one unfortunate disappointment... no pics of half naked girls kissing?? Come on guys, we're not living up to expectations here

.

Everything Jokerz said and double it ....

Nice job guyz.

I'll be back with the pics of the half naked girls kissing.

Kidding

erple2 · Mar 24, 2009, 06:53 PM

The performance comparison page is off - you're showing two instances of the 2 4870x2's graphs, rather than the 2 4870x2 and the single 4870 512MB card. Other than that, very interesting results.

I suppose I could weasel around and ask how those numbers compare to WinXP, though I don't know too many people (other than myself) that are still running WinXP...

I also understand that the Vista performance gap vs. XP has been more or lessed filled, so can I extrapolate that Vista ~= XP?

***Lupine*** · Mar 24, 2009, 07:37 PM

Editors these days ... sheesh.

fixed

alpha_omega · Mar 25, 2009, 04:10 AM

Why were the 8.12 CATs used for the benchmarks?

AlexV · Mar 25, 2009, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

Why were the 8.12 CATs used for the benchmarks?

The picture with the specs is wrong in that regard, sorry bout that. We'll update it ASAP.

alpha_omega · Mar 25, 2009, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexV

The picture with the specs is wrong in that regard, sorry bout that. We'll update it ASAP.

Understood. Cool review, by the way!

moshpit · Mar 25, 2009, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

Why were the 8.12 CATs used for the benchmarks?

I just noticed that. Indeed, the first page gushes about Cat 9.3 and then all the benchmarks are done with 8.12? Other then that though, excellent article! Made for good lunchtime reading yesterday.

Rad2owns · Mar 25, 2009, 11:46 PM

For some strange reason I cant load the review page.
http://www.rage3d.com/articles/catalyst/cat93
It just sits there with just the top intro.
Ill try tomorrow.

Forget it, works now.

***Lupine*** · Mar 26, 2009, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moshpit

I just noticed that. Indeed, the first page gushes about Cat 9.3 and then all the benchmarks are done with 8.12? Other then that though, excellent article! Made for good lunchtime reading yesterday.

Please see above - Cat 9.3 was used for all ATi tests. Specs updated.

Cartel · Mar 26, 2009, 10:05 PM

"maligned Vista"

Windows 7 is Vista.

Only diffence is, things that you had to "tweak" yourself, are already tweaked.

I see no difference from the 2 OS, besides the task bar.
If you ask me, it is Vista but not the "rushed out the door" version.

Never the less, I'lll buy it.

Also ATI removed the ability to install the AGP Hotfix on Windows 7 from 9.3.
Hope they realease a Windows 7 AGP hotfix, or I'll be stuck at 9.2.......but that's ok cause I got a 4870 comming.

AlexV · Mar 27, 2009, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartel

Windows 7 is Vista.

Yes, very much so.

**pahncrd** · Mar 29, 2009, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cartel

"maligned Vista"

Windows 7 is Vista.

Only diffence is, things that you had to "tweak" yourself, are already tweaked.

I see no difference from the 2 OS, besides the task bar.
If you ask me, it is Vista but not the "rushed out the door" version.

Never the less, I'lll buy it.

Also ATI removed the ability to install the AGP Hotfix on Windows 7 from 9.3.
Hope they realease a Windows 7 AGP hotfix, or I'll be stuck at 9.2.......but that's ok cause I got a 4870 comming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexV

Yes, very much so.

The biggest change that I like about W7 is the OSX type taskbar. I always liked in OSX how the links could be at the bottom and program status could be viewed by looking at the link instead of needing a whole other tab. For example, if you are copying a large file, you can easily see the file progress just by glancing at the link at the bottom. It is pretty great, and one of the biggest things I missed from Leopard.

Mar 24, 2009, 03:40 PM	#1	Advertisement (Guests Only) Login or Register to remove this ad
*Lupine* Administrator Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Graham, WA Posts: 25,399	Win 7 and GPU Drivers: Vista Redux or Smooth Sailing? We've published a new article previewing Windows 7 GPU performance. Check it out! After a few days playing around with “the industry's first unified driver to support both Windows Vista and Windows 7”, we're ready to pull back the curtains and share a glimpse of what can be expected when GPUs and Windows 7 collide. Rage3D Preview: Win 7 and GPU Drivers: Vista Redux or Smooth Sailing? __________________ In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. - John Adams Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done ~ not because of what I've done, but because of who You are. - Casting Crowns

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Mar 24, 2009, 03:53 PM	#2
nsgua Radeon HD 4850 Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 312	very nice thanks! __________________ Phenom II X3 720 BE ATI Radeon 4870 1GB 4GB Ram, X-fi, windows 7 x64

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Mar 24, 2009, 04:12 PM	#4
Sound_Card Rage3D Veteran Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: L2 Cache Posts: 9,729	Interesting review/preview. Considering W7 is not even in RC status yet, it's bringing some nice results. Probably what Vista should of been. __________________ "It is the Case that we put a bunch of die area into double precision floating point, a bunch of die area into ECC. And for gaming graphics applications, those give us less returns then they do for the scientific applications." -Bill Dally, Nvidia Corp. Chief Scientist. "Nvidia is a software company." -Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia Corp. CEO.

Mar 24, 2009, 04:15 PM	#5
Sound_Card Rage3D Veteran Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: L2 Cache Posts: 9,729	Also, great job Alex and Lupine. As always. __________________ "It is the Case that we put a bunch of die area into double precision floating point, a bunch of die area into ECC. And for gaming graphics applications, those give us less returns then they do for the scientific applications." -Bill Dally, Nvidia Corp. Chief Scientist. "Nvidia is a software company." -Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia Corp. CEO.

Mar 24, 2009, 04:16 PM	#6
Jokerzwild Rage3D Veteran Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 5,471	Let me say, this was an excellent read. I don't gush like this usually, but the premise was one that I haven't seen before, and is very interesting. Very good work Alex+Co., this is the type of article that gets linked and brings traffic . Oh! There was one unfortunate disappointment... no pics of half naked girls kissing?? Come on guys, we're not living up to expectations here . __________________ "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." - Oscar Wilde

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Mar 24, 2009, 06:53 PM	#9
erple2 vobadm Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 74	The performance comparison page is off - you're showing two instances of the 2 4870x2's graphs, rather than the 2 4870x2 and the single 4870 512MB card. Other than that, very interesting results. I suppose I could weasel around and ask how those numbers compare to WinXP, though I don't know too many people (other than myself) that are still running WinXP... I also understand that the Vista performance gap vs. XP has been more or lessed filled, so can I extrapolate that Vista ~= XP? __________________ Erple2

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Mar 24, 2009, 07:37 PM	#10
*Lupine* Administrator Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Graham, WA Posts: 25,399	Editors these days ... sheesh. fixed __________________ In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. - John Adams Not because of who I am, but because of what You've done ~ not because of what I've done, but because of who You are. - Casting Crowns

Mar 25, 2009, 04:10 AM	#11
alpha_omega Radeon HD 4830 Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 160	Why were the 8.12 CATs used for the benchmarks?

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Mar 25, 2009, 11:46 PM	#15
Rad2owns Rage3D Veteran Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: B.C Ca EH! Posts: 2,247	For some strange reason I cant load the review page. http://www.rage3d.com/articles/catalyst/cat93 It just sits there with just the top intro. Ill try tomorrow. Forget it, works now. __________________ This is about supporting Rage3D. You might even save a family member, close friend or yourself. We can all make a difference one CPU at a time. It dosnt HAVE to be on all the time, though that does help alot. Rage3D Folding@Home Forum If you Fold The Cure will Come!!!!! Fold On Forever!! http://folding.extremeoverclocking.c...00CC&c5=FFFFFF

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Mar 26, 2009, 10:05 PM	#17
Cartel Ford 289 4BBL Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 251	"maligned Vista" Windows 7 is Vista. Only diffence is, things that you had to "tweak" yourself, are already tweaked. I see no difference from the 2 OS, besides the task bar. If you ask me, it is Vista but not the "rushed out the door" version. Never the less, I'lll buy it. Also ATI removed the ability to install the AGP Hotfix on Windows 7 from 9.3. Hope they realease a Windows 7 AGP hotfix, or I'll be stuck at 9.2.......but that's ok cause I got a 4870 comming. __________________ ASUS M4A79-Deluxe AMD Phenom II 940 Zalman 9700NT OCZ PC8500 Platinum Edition 4GB Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 HT Omega Claro Windows 7 64bit ADSL 6Mbps APC Back UPS 900VA CPU validated GPU validated Last edited by Cartel : Mar 26, 2009 at 10:09 PM.

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