how bad are amd's driver support issues?

[HughofArc]

I'm trying to decide between the msi gx60 3be(8970m) and gt60 2oc(gtx 770m but $100 more). I've been reading about people's bad experiences with amd. I'd like to know if amd driver issues are frequent and how bad they can get?

 

[smeezekitty]

With $100 price gap the choice seems pretty obvious.
Especially since 8970M > 770M

 

[darkspartenwarrior]

Last time I had any sort of glitches at all was several months ago when I got driver BSODs and that was my own fault.

They work absolutely fine for me at least,

 

[bystander]

Only real issue with AMD drivers are with Crossfire cards but they've fixed it in the latest beta.

Not exact fixed, but they are working on it. Currently the new beta drivers with frame pacing only work with DX10 and DX11, but not DX9. It also does not work with Eyefinity or 4K monitors.

I've used a lot of cards from both companies, and while AMD drivers are passable for single cards, I would not use them for multiple cards. Ultimately, I've never been completely satisfied by one AMD/ATI card, much less two, but I have been a couple of times with Nvidia. It is just the little things that get on my nerves after a while. AMD's driver support is mostly good, but there is always something that just doesn't quite work right.

 

[smeezekitty]

I agree about dual cards is not quite there on AMD. But since this is a single GPU laptop, that doesn't matter.

 

[bystander]

I agree about dual cards is not quite there on AMD. But since this is a single GPU laptop, that doesn't matter.

Yah, but even in single cards, they aren't usually quite as good, though good enough for most. I just tend to get annoyed by them by the time I upgrade and always end up switching back. That said, AMD has made some improvements lately, but I've said that a few times before.

That said, mobile support for both companies suck. Which sucks more is a different conversation than with desktop graphics cards. AMD may have far superior mobile drivers as far as I know, but they may blow the big one too. Generally speaking, neither company gives hardly any support for their mobile cards.

 

[boboftw]

I agree about dual cards is not quite there on AMD. But since this is a single GPU laptop, that doesn't matter.

Oh I didn't realize that.

To OP, just get a cheap notebook/netbook and make a gaming pc yourself. if size concerns you, just use a mitx case. You'll get more bang for your buck. I have a Lenovo notebook with an AMD card in it and I'm stuck on the original Lenovo drivers b/c notebook drivers blow.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I have a single 7790 that gets random BSOD's and GSOD's and if you add the fact that it can't fold and run a flash video at the same time because the driver crashes then yes, AMD drivers are still rubbish and its only the fanATIc's that would say different.

Try right click a flash video and turn off hardware acceleration.

It doesn't make any difference, this card cannot fold and do video playback at the same time.

 

[Joeyy]

Sorry, but AMD is just a big Piece of Garbage. I have 2x AMD 6870 and they still don't work properly. On every Second Game, i face Huge Problems and I have to disable Crossfire (Big lags, strange Harddisc load, etc.). I tried every new Driver release and the Beta Drivers, and it's still Buggy as hell. The CCC is rubbish too, it's Buggy too and not well Programmed. I tried to Play COD Ghosts, and the AMD Drivers kept crashing, I tried one single Card and every possible fix but it didn't helped too (Ok, Cod Ghost is poorly programmed too). On my Research for the crashs, I found hundreds of Forum Answers with similar issues. I once was a big fan of ATi/AMD, because it supports 3 Monitors and even more in CF Mode, and the Performance is good, but the Driver and the Management Software is so poorly implemented, that I will Switch to Nvidia. And no, there wasn't a single Fix for my Problems in the last 3 Years, so don't tell People that AMD fix their bugs, it's just not true. Another Thing is, that you should never buy 2 or more GC, either CF nor SLI, it's just not worth it and you will loose a lot of time, Money and health by doing it. I tried to proof the opposit by using CF, but I failed. And until Today, there is no fix for the AMD Driver, it keeps crashing, and I did absolutely every tip i found in the net. I lost every trust in AMD Graphics and now I have two 200$ Graphic Cards laying around for nothing. I took an older Nvidia Card and had not a single Problem since then.

Fazit: There are heavy Problems witch AMD Cards, Drivers and Software. The chances are big that you will get Trouble if you buy one. This is at least my opinion.

 

[iam2thecrowe]

I have a single 7790 that gets random BSOD's and GSOD's and if you add the fact that it can't fold and run a flash video at the same time because the driver crashes then yes, AMD drivers are still rubbish and its only the fanATIc's that would say different.

Try right click a flash video and turn off hardware acceleration.

It doesn't make any difference, this card cannot fold and do video playback at the same time.

tried returning it for another card? tried running a clean os install with nothing but os and amd driver installed (nothing else running like antivirus etc), it could just be a software clash.

 

[Mousemonkey]

I have a single 7790 that gets random BSOD's and GSOD's and if you add the fact that it can't fold and run a flash video at the same time because the driver crashes then yes, AMD drivers are still rubbish and its only the fanATIc's that would say different.

Try right click a flash video and turn off hardware acceleration.

It doesn't make any difference, this card cannot fold and do video playback at the same time.

tried returning it for another card? tried running a clean os install with nothing but os and amd driver installed (nothing else running like antivirus etc), it could just be a software clash.

What makes you think that I haven't tried that?

 

[corvetteguy1994]

i have 2 7970's in my main rig at a 5870 in my lan rig. never had a driver issue.

 

[Mousemonkey]

i have 2 7970's in my main rig at a 5870 in my lan rig. never had a driver issue.

Lucky you! Unfortunatley their drivers and or cards do still have issues as can be seen if you read the release notes of the latest beta :-

Feature Highlights of The AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta9.4 Driver for Windows

May resolve intermittent black screens or display loss observed on some AMD Radeon R9 290X and AMD Radeon R9 290 graphics cards

Now that's looking like a description of what I was getting with the 7790 and is strangely similar to what's being talked about in this thread :- http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2322060

 

[iam2thecrowe]

i have 2 7970's in my main rig at a 5870 in my lan rig. never had a driver issue.

Lucky you! Unfortunatley their drivers and or cards do still have issues as can be seen if you read the release notes of the latest beta :-

Feature Highlights of The AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta9.4 Driver for Windows

May resolve intermittent black screens or display loss observed on some AMD Radeon R9 290X and AMD Radeon R9 290 graphics cards

Now that's looking like a description of what I was getting with the 7790 and is strangely similar to what's being talked about in this thread :- http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2322060

recently i had so many issues with my nvidia gtx660's i sold them and bought an amd card, and it does not crash to the desktop like my 660's did randomly (both cards individually as well as in sli), yet many people have had no issues with their 660's but some had the exact same issue as me. chances are it is a hardware clash with the specific hardware/software im running, if others dont have the problem. driver issues come from both sides, i can say that one is not worse than the other.

 

[Mousemonkey]

i have 2 7970's in my main rig at a 5870 in my lan rig. never had a driver issue.

Lucky you! Unfortunatley their drivers and or cards do still have issues as can be seen if you read the release notes of the latest beta :-

Feature Highlights of The AMD Catalyst 13.11 Beta9.4 Driver for Windows

May resolve intermittent black screens or display loss observed on some AMD Radeon R9 290X and AMD Radeon R9 290 graphics cards

Now that's looking like a description of what I was getting with the 7790 and is strangely similar to what's being talked about in this thread :- http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2322060

recently i had so many issues with my nvidia gtx660's i sold them and bought an amd card, and it does not crash to the desktop like my 660's did randomly (both cards individually as well as in sli), yet many people have had no issues with their 660's but some had the exact same issue as me. chances are it is a hardware clash with the specific hardware/software im running, if others dont have the problem. driver issues come from both sides, i can say that one is not worse than the other.

Yeah strange that, my 660Ti's have been stellar but the 7790 got replaced by the old 560Ti because it can fold and run TV software at the same time, I do like the way that the AMD drivers have a fix for a problem that is said not to exist though! :lol:

 

[smeezekitty]

New cards generally have some bugs. That is hardly a surprise and they fix them actively.
As always your mileage may vary and what works for one person might not work for another but blind fanboyism gets you nowhere.

 

[Mousemonkey]

New cards generally have some bugs. That is hardly a surprise and they fix them actively.
As always your mileage may vary and what works for one person might not work for another but blind fanboyism gets you nowhere.

Would that be the kind that prevents them from acknowledging an issue that has been AMD cards for some time now?

 

[hypergon]

Just saying, you do sound like a fanboy...

 

[Mousemonkey]

Just saying, you do sound like a fanboy...

I'm a fanboy of stuff that works, is that a problem for you?

 

[corvetteguy1994]

Just saying, you do sound like a fanboy...

I'm a fanboy of stuff that works, is that a problem for you?

my cards are working. have been for 1.5+yrs now lol

 

[Mousemonkey]

Just saying, you do sound like a fanboy...

I'm a fanboy of stuff that works, is that a problem for you?

my cards are working. have been for 1.5+yrs now lol

I'm happy for you.