Question Why are Asus' AMD graphics drivers provided with chipset drivers so different from AMD's?

[phdibart]

I have an Asus Prime X470-Pro motherboard and recently updated the chipset drivers to the most recent version, which is 18.50.16.01. The AMD chipset drivers that Asus provides install like the Adrenaline software, which is sort of confusing. Anyway, now the Radeon settings advise me that my current driver version is 18.50.16.01 and 19.1.1 is the recommended version. 19.1.1 is the version I had installed before doing the chipset driver update. When doing the update, if you hover your mouse over a particular driver option (e.g. VGA), it will tell you if you have a more recent version installed, or if the version you are currently installing is an update. So I went with the update (18.50.16.01), and my question is, why are the driver versions so different? I thought the 18.50.16.01 referred to the X470 chipset drivers, not the graphics drivers. And, regardless of what Radeon settings tell me, is 18.50.16.01 more recent than 19.1.1? I ask because the Radeon software has a known bug where it recommends older driver versions as updates. AMD have claimed to have fixed this in the past few updates, but even before the current version confusion I'm experiencing, Radeon incorrectly said an older version was available as an update for me...for the past three driver updates. Thanks in advance!

 

[Darkbreeze]

AMDs graphics drivers will always be newer than those found on the manufacturer websites because they do not update those chipset driver packages often, only when there is an imperative reason to do so. If you are using the integrated graphics I'd go back and install the latest graphics driver from the AMD website. Also, AMD and Intel pretty much ALWAYS have newer chipset drivers available than what you'll find on the motherboard manufacturers sites, so I generally try to go with what is available currently from AMD or Intel when updating graphics (integrated) or chipset drivers.

In some cases it might be important to also have the latest BIOS version for your motherboard installed BEFORE updating to the latest driver package.

 

[phdibart]

Darkbreeze, thanks for the reply. I should have noted that I'm running a discrete RX 580 card, not integrated graphics. You are correct, the reason I updated the chipset drivers in the first place is a Asus released a BIOS update, and it said to update the chipset before the BIOS. But what I don't get is, when I hovered my mouse over the graphics driver in the AMD setup, it said that the 18.50.16.01 version was newer than the 19.1.1 I already had installed, otherwise I wouldn't have checked it. AMD lists 18.10.1810 as the current X470 chipset driver, but I'm assuming that Asus has a newer version because I know mobo manufacturers sometimes release drivers to work with their specific hardware. The weird thing is I lost the Radeon overlay, so I'm thinking something is off with the drivers.

I'll try installing 19.1.1 tonight and see what it says.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, whichever version IS the newer version, that is what I install regardless of what the system says. Adrenaline has told me on many occasions that there was a newer version available but when I'd check there wasn't, I was already on the newest version, or occasionally the newer version was a Beta version which I don't do. I'm not an early adopter or test subject so unless I'm having issues that are supposed to be resolved by that Beta, I wait for stable versions.

If the ASUS chipset drivers are newer than what you see on the AMD website, then go with those. But don't go by the release numbers, go by the date.

 

[phdibart]

If the ASUS chipset drivers are newer than what you see on the AMD website, then go with those. But don't go by the release numbers, go by the date.

I guess this is the main question I have: with such different version nomenclature, e.g. AMD's 19.1.1 and Asus' 18.50.16.01, barring the release date, how would I determine which one is newer? I find it annoyingly confusing that the chipset drivers are bundled with GPU drivers and install via Radeon setup.

 

[Darkbreeze]

AMD has always done that. The 18.10.1810 seems to be the latest AMD version, dropped on 10-26-18 while the ASUS chipset driver was 18.50.16.01 and was released on 3-8-19. That is the driver package I'd be inclined to use as ASUS has likely tailored the AMD offering to be specific to their hardware, which is usually the case when it comes to the drivers offered on the manufacturers website. The chipset drivers offered by AMD and Intel are usually just for the chipset and do not include any tailored modifications to the drivers. I still usually use the ones offered by them, unless there is a newer one on the manufacturers website as there is in this case.

 

[phdibart]

OK, got it. That explains why the version numbers are completely different, as well. So as a follow up question, would you still install the latest AMD GPU drivers (i.e. the 19.1.1) and just make sure to install only those and not the chipset drivers? I'm like you, and do not install the beta or "optional" drivers unless I had a specific need, and 19.1.1 is the latest stable release. This is another point of confusion, as it seems from Radeon settings, that the chipset driver installation overwrote the previous GPU drivers, as well, and I have no clue what Asus included (because AMD doesn't post detailed release notes).

 

[Darkbreeze]

Usually, and it's been a while since I had to mess with the AMD chipset drivers so I can't say for certain that it is still true, but usually, when you are installing the AMD graphics driver package it gives you an option, if you don't choose the Express install, of which drivers you actually want to install. You used to be able to choose only the GPU card drivers and not update things like HDMI or chipset drivers, but I don't know if that still holds true because I only use the GPU card drivers and the chipset drivers don't apply to my platform like they used to back in the FX AM3+ days.

If in doubt, I'd say that if ASUS offers it's own drivers for you RX 580 that contains the chipset drivers, I'd just install those drivers and then go and install the chipset drivers, but I agree that they make it too confusing and need to separate these drivers out from each other, completely, or include them all together, completely, and all be on the same page from the board manufacturers to AMD on it's own website.