Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support => Topic started by: The E on May 18, 2011, 03:41:32 pm

Title: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: The E on May 18, 2011, 03:41:32 pm
In this thread, we will provide information about which GPU driver versions to avoid. Rules for posting are:

1. Always state what GPU you are using
2. Describe the issues encountered.
3. If there's a workaround, describe it.

Note that not every card/driver combo may be buggy, so stating which specific card you're using is a good idea.

That being said, let's get started.

=====================================================

AMD Catalyst 12.6: Does not use clip planes correctly (Meaning, duplicated models when ships blow up, ships do not disappear when travelling through a warp)

=====================================================

AMD Catalyst 11.5: Shows apparently random slowdowns. Confirmed on Radeon Mobile 5470, Crossfire'd 4870 (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=76316.msg1514053#msg1514053), 6850. Can be fixed by placing the atioglxx.dll from 11.4 in the FS2 directory.
 
=====================================================

AMD 4xxx Series cards: Post 10.9, OpenGL shader creation has issues. Use the Appropriate file (http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/Fury/atioglxx/10.9/) for your OS.

=====================================================

AMD 4890: Periodic BSODs with Catalyst 11.10. Can be fixed by placing the atioglxx.dll from 11.4 in the FS2 directory.

=====================================================

Thanks to Fury, we now have a repository of atioglxx dlls. You can find them here (http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/Fury/atioglxx/).

Quote from: Fury
1. Download atioglxx.7z of your choice.
2. Extract contents of atioglxx.7z to your FreeSpace2 folder. Eg. C:\Games\FreeSpace2.

Can't open 7z? Get 7-Zip from http://7-zip.org
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: The E on May 27, 2011, 08:35:08 am
Driver dll repo added.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Zacam on May 28, 2011, 07:52:27 pm
nVidia Post

8xxx Series Cards (Especially 8600->8200, but also includes 8800GT): driver versions- 257.21, 258.69 & 260.89.
Drivers of the above revisions do not appropriately handle the FSO OpenGL lighting syntax used in the shaders.

Update: 275.33 has installation issues on many systems. Performance on 8xxx series cards (if you can get them to install) is degraded versus 260.99.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Fury on May 29, 2011, 12:27:08 am
Is there a reason why nvoglnt.dll from olders drivers can't be used similarly to atioglxx.dll?
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Zacam on May 31, 2011, 05:19:00 pm

Cause nVidia doesn't roll that way?
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Gankenstein on July 31, 2011, 07:18:38 am
nVidia Post

...

Update: 257.33 has installation issues on many systems. Performance on 8xxx series cards (if you can get them to install) is degraded versus 260.99.
Do you mean 275.33 (not 257.33)? That is the current version NVidia suggests for my 7600GT. It was released on 20110106, ie just before the recentest edit of your post.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Zacam on August 02, 2011, 11:15:04 pm
Do you mean 275.33 (not 257.33)? That is the current version NVidia suggests for my 7600GT. It was released on 20110106, ie just before the recentest edit of your post.

I did indeed, thanks for spotting that. Post corrected.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: watchful on September 07, 2011, 10:50:10 pm
Nvidia Geforce GTS 450
280.26

Only upper left corner of the picture is visible. The remainder is off screen no matter what resolution I chose with FSO. Before upgrading the Nvidia video driver it was working fine with 275.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Sushi on November 13, 2011, 05:25:04 pm
AMD Catalyst 11.10: I was getting occasional BSODs on mission launch (at least with recent builds) until I switched back to 11.4.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Commander Zane on December 16, 2011, 11:53:01 am
Before I do go about with this update, has anyone had any issues with 11.12 using 5800-Series cards?
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: The E on December 16, 2011, 11:55:04 am
I haven't heard of any. While I am currently using the 11.12 drivers, I am on a Mobile 5470.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: LordMelvin on December 16, 2011, 12:06:18 pm
Before I do go about with this update, has anyone had any issues with 11.12 using 5800-Series cards?

Mine was working just fine - win7 5870 11.12. Haven't tested the linux 11.12s yet.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Reprobator on March 27, 2012, 11:05:11 am
catalyst 12.2 and 12.3 (win 7 64 bit) on a 6970 has nearly divided fps by ten for me.
(if someone had a link for a atioglxx 11.10 it would be great)

edith : http://www.fileserve.com/file/XWys9BP/atioglxx.zip

this one work great for me.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Zacam on May 07, 2012, 03:24:00 am
nVidia Beta 301.24 adds FXAA controls to the driver for 8xxx series cards and greater.

Only works for games though that don't already have FXAA, so I don't know if it would work in FSO if you ran with FXAA on the Drivers but not the Command Line.

Otherwise, performance in general is solid with these and the 296.10's.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Trivial Psychic on July 14, 2012, 08:45:10 am
ATI Cat 12.6 had some (what I believe are) z-buffer issues.  Ships warping out would remain visible after they passed through the portal, and when cap-ships blew, it would generate temporary duplicate main hulls.  I've reverted back to 12.4 so I'll have to test at some point to see if this fixed it.

BTW, I've got an HD5770.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: QuantumDelta on July 14, 2012, 11:02:32 am
Can't confirm this on Cat 12.6 with the HD5870, testing with the dimensional eclipse build(on DE and on BP2), hopefully I'll get the chance to do some more later.
What build were you using?
What mod were you using?
Debug log?
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Trivial Psychic on July 14, 2012, 11:56:51 am
I was doing Inferno stuff, using both RC4 and a build that Goober compiled recently that he described as a pre-RC7.  As for a debug log, I won't be able to provide you with one, as I've already changed back to 12.4.  All I can tell you is that these symptoms never materialized before I upgraded to 12.6.  The only alternative (driver-related) is that its possible that the 12.6s I got were somehow pre-release versions.  AMD's website was announcing the new drivers but all download links were dead.  I had to do some considerable hunting to track down a working download.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Rhys on August 02, 2012, 12:40:33 pm
I'm getting that clipping issue on my 7950 running the 12.7 drivers. Is there a way around this?
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: The E on August 02, 2012, 12:47:59 pm
Yes. There are three ways to deal with this:

1. Use an atioglxx.dll from an earlier driver (12.3 works correctly, IIRC)

2. Correct version: If you have downloaded external shaders (like those from the 3.6.14RC release thread), you need to open main-v.sdr in a text editor, remove the line that reads "#ifdef __GLSL_CG_DATA_TYPES", and the line that reads "#endif" that follows.

3. Should that not be the case, download this: http://blueplanet.fsmods.net/E/Shaders_for_3614_August_08th.7z

Unpack it, and place the data folder contained herein (with its contents) in your mediavps directory.

Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Rhys on August 03, 2012, 09:19:46 pm
I found a working link to that 12.3 atioglxx.dll file. Seems to work just fine for me.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26144715/atioglxx.zip
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: The E on August 10, 2012, 09:53:48 am
Do NOT, under any circumstances, trust dlls from sources you do not know. The dlls linked in the first post have been extracted from the official packs by Fury or me, and we guarantee their usability and malware-freeness.

However, even so, I would still recommend extracting the files yourself, because it is the safest way. I will post how to do this when I am not on my phone.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Eratharon on August 13, 2012, 08:09:34 am
I had a problem with catalyst driver 12.6 too about the warp out/in anomaly and the capship explosion cloning. First I downloaded that atioglxx file but I had no idea where to put it so I went with option 2. The E's advice on main-v.sdr worked like a charm so a really big thanks. (I was about to go Kayser on my PC)

Oh ya details:
1. My GPU is AMD Radeon HD 6670
2. The issue was with ALL ships not just capships
    Warp out: not disappearing until warp point isn't completely closed;
    Warp in: appearing completely before warp in complete
    Capships cloning full hull when dying 
3. As I wrote The E's shader file tinkering worked flawlessly.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Trivial Psychic on August 17, 2012, 04:54:43 pm
Cat 12.8 is out now.
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: Ahso on November 11, 2012, 08:46:30 pm
Hi everyone, I am new here and kinda a noob at this... I have a nvidia 9800GT card on my box... when I install FS1 and expansion I bought from GOG the text and HUD flashes like crazy... so I am going to try to use this to fix the problem.. I have FS1 & 2 and atm can't play either... I only hope there isn't an issue with my video card because I am lost here..ha ha ha... I really want to play this game... if it is anything like the Freelancer game I have it will b awesome... so if there are any issues with the nvidia GeForce 9800GT please let me know how to fix it... TY for puttin up with an old noob like me...(and I mean old, I'm 54..ha ha ha)...
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on November 12, 2012, 11:51:31 am
:welcome:

We recommend that you do NOT keep your seat belt fastened whenever seated, in case our resident Shivan Carl finds you. He comes out of the ventilation system whenever he's hungry; if you see him, throw him your lunch and back away slowly. In case of troll attacks, flamethrowers can be found under your seat. However, using them is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN under all circumstances.
Any mention of FS3 will trigger the station's self-defence system. You can try to use this to your advantage, but it has a nasty recoil. In case of an emergency, you should strictly follow the instructions of the site admins and moderators. Emergency exits can be found at the top of your browser window.
Now, please switch off all non-electronic devices, and enjoy your stay!

All kidding aside, you'll want to download FreeSpace Open (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=82648.0), which is much more compatible with modern hardware and throws some eyecandy on top. You may also want to check out the MediaVPs (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70736.0) for even more prettiness. Then, if the issue still persists, try getting the latest drivers for your card from the NVidia website, and if that doesn't work, get back here with an fs2_open.log (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=56279.msg1180359#msg1180359).
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: headdie on November 12, 2012, 05:02:53 pm
that needs to become the official HLP greeting for newbies
Title: Re: Known Drivers to avoid.
Post by: FreeSpaceFreak on November 13, 2012, 11:47:15 am
that needs to become the official HLP greeting for newbies

It used to be (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=39765.0) ;)