GPU maker AMD just released its latest set of beta graphics drivers, dubbed Catalyst 14.2. You can download them right now by clicking here.
Catalyst 14.2 beta includes several tweaks and changes, with its release coinciding with the launch of Thief today here in the states. Some of the graphics tweaks AMD-based Thief players can enjoy by installing Catalyst 14.2 beta include improve character geometry as a result of silhouette-enhancing tessellation. Catalyst 14.2 beta will also support complex shadowing systems, which is important in Thief considering you’re sneaking around throughout the game trying to avoid detection. You can also tick on SSAA to smooth out edges in-game. A patch will be issued sometime next month to add AMD Mantle and AMD TrueAudio support to Thief.
Mantle, AMD’s performance optimization tech, will also get a few tweaks in Catalyst 14.2 beta. AMD claims that by installing the beta driver, hanging and stuttering issues for the “Mantle codepath” are resolved in Battlefield 4. On top of that multiple-GPU frame pacing will be enabled in both Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 for non-XDMA systems running with resolutions greater than 1600p. AMD also notes that Catalyst 14.2 beta puts a stop to crashes and hangs in “3D applications,” but stops short of naming any specific programs that this fix applies to.
What do you think of the changes in AMD’s Catalyst 14.2 beta drivers? Sound off in the comments below.
