14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier today, Andrew D, AMD Catalyst Creator, posted on his Twitter page that WHQL drivers would be pushed out later today and should be live tomorrow. However, Catalyst 13.2 beta has already been put through the paces.
The awaited release is said to be an update that helps Radeon users cut the frame times.
The guys at Tech Report managed to get their hands on the Catalyst 13.2 beta driver and ran thorough tests with it. Using an MSI Radeon HD 7950, they compared the results with the previous beta version, the 12.11 beta 8.
Skyrim, Borderlands 2 and Guild Wars 2 were used as a test suite, with the resulting graph showing that the 13.2 beta will not improve the framerate but the frame time. Hence: a smoother graphics experience.
Tests revealed that the average FPS was approximately the same between the 12.11 beta 8 and the 13.2.
The obvious performance increase (as much as 27%) can be noticed where frame time is concerned, which dropped from 25.6 milliseconds to 18.6 while playing Skyrim.
Borderlands 2 scored a 7ms fall in frame time. There is also a 1 FPS average dip which is barely noticeable.
The compromise AMD made with the beta driver is best noticed in the performance graph from the Guild Wars 2 gameplay. With the 12.11 beta 8 driver, the average FPS was at 66 and the frame time at 34.7 ms. The 13.2 beta cuts the framerate by 5 and the frame time by an amazing 10.1ms.
The GeForce GT660 Ti, Radeon HD 7950's equivalent from NVIDIA, averages 61 FPS and 24.9ms.
Admittedly, the Catalyst 13.2 beta is proof that AMD looked into the frame latency issues, as promised.