w500 with modern catalyst drivers for FireGL 5700

[meeotch]

Is anyone using the newest Catalyst drivers with their W500 (or other FireGL 5700 machine)? The newest version on the Lenovo site is 8.792.5.2 from 2012. I'm successfully running this version, but having hardware acceleration problems in Firefox. I'm sure there will be no help coming from the Firefox team unless I can tell them I have the "most up to date" drivers - but I'm loathe to install anything not directly from Lenovo. (And the Lenovo driver specifically says "switchable graphics", which makes me wonder if there's some secret sauce in there that's required to be able to swap between the FireGL and onboard Intel graphics, which I find very useful.)

Having lived with the fragility of Windows, and in particular graphics drivers over the years, I'm not psyched about just trying it out - even with restore points - unless someone out there has had a successful experience.

[600X]

(And the Lenovo driver specifically says "switchable graphics", which makes me wonder if there's some secret sauce in there that's required to be able to swap between the FireGL and onboard Intel graphics, which I find very useful.)

Your thoughts are correct, the lenovo driver is not simply the ATI driver by itself, but instead they offer a complete driver package which includes the ATI driver, the Intel graphics driver and the switchable graphics capability. Installing anything other than this driver package will not only result in loosing the ability to switch graphics conveniently under Windows, it may also cause a complete driver failure and overheating of the machine. Trust me, I've been there.

Trying alternate drivers was OK back in the old T60 days when you only had the ATI and no complicated switchable graphics, but those times are over. I'm not saying that it's impossible to find a way to install newer drivers and retain all features, but if it exists then I haven't found it yet. (and nor has anyone else for that matter)

[meeotch]

Thanks for the warning. I remember many an hour of installing, reinstalling, and re-reinstalling drivers even back in the "good old days". Not looking to go down that road again. Too bad, though, if I'm unable to use Firefox because of it. But I guess I can just switch to Chrome whenever I encounter a video that won't play with hardware acceleration on.

[RealBlackStuff]

Try Pale Moon instead of FF : http://www.palemoon.org/
See also why: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=114074

[meeotch]

If you mean the interface - i've actually already written myself a chrome look-alike mod for australis (FF's new interface). When I first saw the new FF, I freaked out like everyone else - until I thought about it, and realized that it was a chrome clone that had been poorly put together. A couple of tweaks, and it's nearly identical (in fact, better in a lot of ways).

I used to be a FF zealot, and didn't want to use chrome because of general distaste for google's big-brotherish ways. (The FF mod above came about when chrome introduced the "notification bell" that, when disabled, re-enables itself permanently if you visit Youtube.) But I've really gotten used to chrome. Mostly because it's wicked fast. I read a couple of reviews of Pale Moon that indicated it was slower - but I suppose I should try it and decide for myself.

Anyway, I'm wandering offtopic, so I won't start a browser war. I'll start a laptop war instead. ;-P The reason I still have a W500 is that the new keyboard looks like some sort of torture device, with its offset layout. I'm hoping the hue & cry from the userbase forces Lenovo to reconsider, 'cause I'm addicted to their pointing stick, and really have no other options when my W500 eventually kicks the bucket.

[precip9]

Modern Catalyst drivers are incompatible with the FireGl 5700. There was a change in the hardware technology after the HD4000 series. The ATI nomenclature is confusing, but the 5700 is actually part of the 4000 and earlier hardware sequence. See

http://support.amd.com/it-it/download/d ... ows+7+-+64

The last ATI version which supports the hardware layout is 13.9. However, on top of that, there is a switchable hardware requirement as well. I have successfully used the 13.3 switchable graphics version supplied by AMD:

http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-article ... s8faq.aspx

I did not stick with it, not because it didn't work, but out of anticipation of possible future problems. Give it a shot.

[meeotch]

Thanks, that's great info to have. I'll probably wait to see how much the FF hardware acceleration problem bothers me, now that I've started having flashbacks to maddening whole days spent wrestling with driver hell.

[precip9]

If the Firefox Gecko rendering is bothering you, there is a simple fix:

http://www.ghacks.net/2013/12/25/mozill ... amd-cards/

I applied it on an AMD desktop board with integrated graphics. I didn't apply it to the W500, because it supposedly slows down unaffected systems (ie., integrated intel graphics) a little.

[meeotch]

Thanks for the info. Skimming through that page, it looks like it's mostly related to text rendering inside of boxes. Anyway, I gave it a shot, but no luck.

Specifically, my problem is that an h.264 video (in mp4 container) will render once, but then no future h.264 video will render. Clearing the cache or restarting is the only workaround I've found. webm videos, for instance, don't display this behavior.

[precip9]

Link to sample?

[meeotch]

http://www.quirksmode.org/html5/tests/video.html

On my machine, the first video breaks if you play it, then refresh the page.

[precip9]

I just tried this on a desktop with an AMD 4600 adapter. This is the same base architecture as the W500. It passed.

I'll get a W500 out and try it.

[meeotch]

Thanks for the test. I should probably give this info as well: Firefox 30.0, Windows 7 SP1. FireGL 5700 driver as given above.

[precip9]

I can't reproduce it. Same software as yours. I took some system info screenshots for you to compare. See private message.

[RealBlackStuff]

All tests OK on my desktop (ASUS motherboard with onboard ATI/AMD Radeon HD4250).
Windows automatically installed a driver: ATI Technology (nameless) 8.710.0.0).
Can't get any official AMD driver to install and/or work???
I had that bad text problem, which went away when I junked FF and installed Pale Moon instead.
Browser Pale Moon 24.6.2 on W7-Pro/SP1 32-bit

[precip9]

Windows installs the wrong driver. It isn't noticeable until one looks for the color controls. For the 4000 boards, AMD recommended not going past a specific number in the 13.X series. It might be 13.3.


Edit: I checked a machine in which I have an ATI 4700x2. It was a while ago that I decided to install 12.4, but it is the best evidence I have that 12.4 is the driver of choice.

[precip9]

I had that bad text problem, which went away when I junked FF and installed Pale Moon instead.
Browser Pale Moon 24.6.2 on W7-Pro/SP1 32-bit

You'll see it again. By the author's own statement, since it uses the same Gecko rendering engine, rendering bugs are identical between the two browsers.

[meeotch]

I can't reproduce it. Same software as yours. I took some system info screenshots for you to compare. See private message.

Thanks for the screen caps. All of the settings appear to be identical, except that you're running 8.792.5.1, which is .1 older than mine (8.792.5.2). The changelog shows very minimal differences, though I suppose that could be the problem.

Is there an old driver archive for thinkpads anywhere? I was unable to google up a copy of 8.792.5.1. There's a version in C:/DRIVERS on an old system disk I had lying around, that might be 8.792.5.0, as I believe that was my last installed version - but it's all unpacked, and I'm not sure how to check the version without risking it going ahead and doing an install.

[precip9]

The Lenovo name of the install package does not indicate the version, but I would like to try to identify for you the version it contains. My habit is to keep an install package for the version I'm actually using on the laptop, in case repair is necessary. I've just checked it, and the Lenovo name is 7vd619ww.exe

located at http://download.lenovo.com/ibmdl/pub/pc ... d619ww.exe

This is the latest version, which, according to my habit, is what I would install.

If you did not install from that package, if you came by the driver by another route, I suggest you uninstall the driver, reboot, and install from the Lenovo package instead. If you uninstall from Device Manager, be sure to select the advanced option to delete the driver files.

If the package produces the same version as you currently have, it then becomes a mystery.

[meeotch]

Yep - that's what I've got installed. Same name, and same version # when I start the install: 8.792.5.2. I got mine from lenovo, and I keep the installed version around, too - but unfortunately, I haven't had a 5.1 or 5.0 installed in some time.

I'd roll back to the 5.1 version you have, or some earlier version if I could find it. The only previous version I have is in the 8.500.x.x range. I'd think that someone would maintain a cache of older versions, given how long the older Thinkpads seem to keep humming. I have a T42p that would still be useful if the CCFL wasn't shot.

[RealBlackStuff]

Finally managed to find the AMD Catalyst 12.4 at http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/Dr ... _Catalyst/
AMD are too stupid to host these files themselves!

Anyway, thanks for the tip!
It makes indeed one heck of a difference, check these pictures:
Before: with Micro$haft ATI Technology driver
After: with AMD Catalyst 12.4 driver

[precip9]

Yep - that's what I've got installed. Same name, and same version # when I start the install: 8.792.5.2. I got mine from lenovo, and I keep the installed version around, too - but unfortunately, I haven't had a 5.1 or 5.0 installed in some time.

I'd roll back to the 5.1 version you have, or some earlier version if I could find it. The only previous version I have is in the 8.500.x.x range. I'd think that someone would maintain a cache of older versions, given how long the older Thinkpads seem to keep humming. I have a T42p that would still be useful if the CCFL wasn't shot.

This might have happened:
1. You and I installed the same package.
2. But subsequently, unnoticed, your machine gulped a Microsoft update..

This is worth a try: rip that driver out by the roots. Make sure the driver files are gone. Reboot, then install the Lenovo package both of us have used.

[meeotch]

I can give that a shot. (Though I've always had updates turned off, and the driver version is showing up correctly in windows device manager.)

I'm still unclear how your copy of 8.792.5.2 package installed an 8.792.5.1 driver, though.

[Qing Dao]

I have a T500, not a W500, but it is identical. I have Catalyst 13.9 installed and the switchable graphics are fully functional.

First, have the latest Lenovo switchable graphics driver installed on my computer. Then, I go to the AMD website and download the graphics driver tool. I use the tool and it downloads and installs Catalyst 13.9 drivers for my laptop. It leaves switchable graphics entirely intact and gives you the latest drivers for the system.

[emeraldgirl08]

I have a T500, not a W500, but it is identical. I have Catalyst 13.9 installed and the switchable graphics are fully functional.

First, have the latest Lenovo switchable graphics driver installed on my computer. Then, I go to the AMD website and download the graphics driver tool. I use the tool and it downloads and installs Catalyst 13.9 drivers for my laptop. It leaves switchable graphics entirely intact and gives you the latest drivers for the system.

Just to a confirmation that this does work for the T500. I just got done giving this a go on my T500 and now Catalyst 13.9 drivers are installed on my T500. Thanks!

[rambo47]

Do these drivers have any effect on your Windows Experience Score?

[tudoranadi]

I did the same procedure. It installs the latest drivers but ATI FireGL V5700 is now ATI Mobility Radeon 3650.
The CCC is different too and it has more options.
I heard ATI HD 3000 series supports OpenCL but there is no driver support.

[Qing Dao]

I did the same procedure. It installs the latest drivers but ATI FireGL V5700 is now ATI Mobility Radeon 3650.
The CCC is different too and it has more options.
I heard ATI HD 3000 series supports OpenCL but there is no driver support.

According to this, Radeon cards below HD 4000 series do not support OpenCL. You would need the FireGL driver for the OpenCL driver.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_FireP ... adeon_Line

Did you install the FireGL drivers first and then the AMD driver tool installed the regular 13.9 Radeon drivers over it?

[tudoranadi]

You're right. It supports ATI Stream instead of OpenCL.
I did installed the driver from Lenovo site and then the driver from AMD site with Automatically Detect and Install tool.
Beware that it will turn the FireGL into a Radeon 3650.