ATI drivers, reliable?

[arc@css]

i've had an nvidia card for a week and the drivers have given me more grief than the last 3 years of ati put together.

Just goes to show what a subjective thing it really is. I've had both gpu's over the last nine / ten years and am yet to have a detectable problem, this may be due to my low demand of use. Some folk use programs that I haven't heard of so the complexities must add up I guess, possible conflictions etc.

 

[arc@css]

The majority of people won't have any problems with either NVIDIA or ATI drivers. The people that complain that they're having problems with drivers will be in the minority. Though, it can give people the illusion that this isn't the case since they will make themselves vocally heard as a lot of people do if they're aren't happy with something. People don't tend to say much when they're happy with a particular piece of hardware and / or software but you will certainly hear from them if they're aren't happy. You also have to take into account that people that say they're having problems with drivers, the problem may not even be with the drivers itself but due to a conflict somewhere else in the system.

Very true, particularly the bit about people not saying much if all is well and then voicing concerns when something appears wrong. That applies to anything, like when I trade on the net (only second hand stuff) and hardly anyone leaves positive comments but I'm sure they would if something was up! Guess no news is good news

 

[marc2003]

Some folk use programs that I haven't heard of so the complexities must add up I guess, possible conflictions etc.

i'm only a casual gamer and play really mainstream titles. stuff like AA not working and graphical glitches in game are purely down to the driver and nothing else. especially when you google it and zillions of other people have the exact same issues. then you install another driver set to fix these glitches only to find it breaks something else at the same time.

 

[arc@css]

Yes, that does happen but issues are more likely if you game / work / editing / dual monitors etc etc than if you just install a game and check your emails / order online. I sympathise since you are obviously having problems when just trying to a bit of gaming, is there any other part of your system that could be the problem?

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Not had a single problem with either the Nvidia or ATI drivers I have had in the past. Unfortunately, forums are biased since people are much quicker to post when things go wrong.

 

[MR.B]

Had loads of problems when i had a X2 and 4870, on different setups with multiple driver versions. This was after release though to about 4 months later.
No idea what they're like now but at the time they were not as stable, BSOD, graphical glitches, hit and miss performance in games, and problems with CCC not saving stuff and working correctly. Even getting the drivers to install correctly proved to be trouble.
At the time NV's were vastly superior. Had a long thread back then on the BSOD i was having and others had it too, there was even a 50+ page thread on ATI's own forum about it which ATI just completely ignored... so i waited a few months, never got fixed, cards got sold.

Cant say about now though but i'd be quite surprised if they matched NV's, which may put me off getting a 58xx if it's any good.

 

[Fenris]

Cant say about now though but i'd be quite surprised if they matched NV's.

Well put on your suprised face, it looks like this if you aren't sure >



I've never had a problem with ATI's drivers, well I have 1 problem but it was my own stupid fault and I fixed it in a few minutes.