Definitive answer on AMD X2 driver?

[Chum]

I've seen so many different answers when it comes to whether or not you need to install the AMD X2 Driver (for both the X2 and the Opteron) when using Win XP. Some claim that it's solely for the "Cool n' Quiet" functionality while others swear that you need to isntall the driver regardless of whether or not you intend on using that feature (i.e. even if it's disabled in the BIOS).

 

Anyone have the skinny on whether or not we should be installing this for our X2's and Opty's?

 

Additionally, some folks say they've resolved chopiness in certain games by applying a fix from Microsoft Q896256 . Anyone use this?

[ExtraPickles]

Don't fix it if it ain't broke...

 

-pickles

[colelt1]

It seems to be a case by case thing, the microsoft thing didnt fix my choppy games, but the x2 driver did.

 

Before I did the x2 driver CS:CZ would be really messed up, the game would like do this lag (air hump) thing like every 10 seconds, then after the microsoft fix, it would do it like every 30 seconds, not until I did the x2 driver did it go away. I even tried setting processor affinity before that and it really hurt performance, it would peg out 1 cpu to the max, while the other idled and my fps would drop. But after the x2 driver, it uses like 40% total (20% of each cpu).

[OatMan]

I know this has also been asked a million times, but I'm looking for some verification.

 

Is the AMD A64 X2 driver the same as the Opteron DC Driver? I can't find the Opteron one only the X2. But I recall them both being the same version 1.2.2.2 and well the Denmark Core and the Toledo core are the same thing (only cache differences depending on model)

 

TIA

[Strife101]

http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_ty...ties/amdcpu.exe

 

 

link for opteron driver

 

im not really sure if they are the same or not as the X2 driver

[Erasage]

So if everything runs fine, what would these drivers actually do? More performance, better compatibility for opterons?

 

Edit: Is this only relevant for dual core chips?

[hdtvrocks]

I'm curious about this as well. AMD mainly mentions throttling stuff in its description of the driver.

 

Is there a clean shell integrated affinity setting program? I wish I could just right click a executable and pin it to a cpu so that it always starts on that cpu. Is there any cmdline options?

[Laughing Man]

Yes, there is. I forget what it is, but I've seen it plenty of times on this board. It's added to the program's target.

[finagle69]

the Opteron DC and X2 driver's are the same, they're the same version number, because they're basically the same chip.

 

it is recommended to install both the driver and MS's hotfix. someone said "if it ain't broke don't fix it". while this is true, i had NO problems before, and NO problems after, but Benches and games have a little bit higher FPS. So it does help somewhat.

[LDog69]

I use a small utility appropriately called affinity off of this guy's utilities site (near bottom of page, use Find to search text affinity.zip if you're impatient)...

 

http://www.ex-parrot.com/~chris/software.html

 

With it, you can launch programs with affinity set to a specific core, or random. I use it to make Thunderbird work correctly and just use random to let Windows decide which core to give it to.

 

FWIW, I'm not using the AMD driver, and Thunderbird 1.5 is the only application of note I have come across problems with (and a few DOS legacy apps I tinker with, but they don't count). As far as games goes, I play CoD, CoD2, BF1942, Doom3, Halo, MS Flight Simulator 2004, and others without any problems whatsoever, without setting affinity.