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| AMD Software | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original author | ATI Technologies |
| Developer | AMD |
| Initial release | 02.1 / June 13, 2002 (23 years ago) (2002-06-13)[1][2] |
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows Linux |
| Platform | x64 |
| Type | Device driver and management |
| License | Freeware |
| Website | www |
AMD Software (formerly known asRadeon Software) is adevice driver andutility software package forAMD'sRadeon graphics cards andAPUs. Itsgraphical user interface is built withQt[7] and is compatible with64-bitWindows andLinuxdistributions.
AMD Software includes the following feature set:
Radeon Anti-Lag reduces input latency. It helps when the GPU is bottlenecking the CPU[8] and is supported in DirectX 9, 11, and 12.[9] Radeon Super Resolution isimage upscaling technology similar toFidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR), but it does not have to be customized for specific games. It works on thousands of games, but AMD recommends using FSR when available.[10] Radeon Boost also uses image upscaling to increase performance, but unlike AMD's other technologies, it does this only at certain times, such as when rapidly moving the mouse. This is interpreted as an action-heavy scene where image quality can temporarily be decreased without much noticeable effect.[11] This only works in supported games.[8] AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 (AFMF2) generates additional frames using AI. It is a driver-level solution that works with all games.[12] HYPR-RX enables Radeon Anti-Lag, Boost, Super Resolution, and AFMF2. In supported games, this is done automatically according to a user's AMD Software settings; otherwise, it requires some configuration in-game. HYPR-RX requires anRDNA3 OR RDNA4 GPU.[13][12]
Radeon Chill lowers performance when the AMD drivers detect idle moments in games and can set frame rate caps.[8] Smart Access Memory enables potential performance boosts on systems that use both AMD Ryzen CPUs and Radeon video cards.[8] Radeon Enhanced Sync reducesscreen tearing like v-sync, but it avoids capping frame rates at the monitor's refresh rate. This can reduce the input lag associated with v-sync. This is limited to DirectX 9, 10, and 12.[14]
AMD Link allows users to stream content to mobile devices, compatibleSmart TVs,[c] and other PCs with Radeon video cards, enabling them to use their PC and game on them remotely. It can be used both locally as well as over the internet. Theclient requires a free app, which is available viaGoogle Play,Apple App Store, andAmazon Appstore.[16] Support for AMD Link has been axed in AMD Software releases from January 2024 onwards, citing the availability of alternatives and to focus driver development resources elsewhere.[17]
The software was previously known as AMD Radeon Software, AMD Catalyst, and ATI Catalyst. AMD ceased providing 32-bit versions in October 2018.
AMD Software is targeted to support all function blocks present on a GPU's or an APU'sdie. Besides instruction code targeted atrendering, this includesdisplay controllers as well as theirSIP blocks forvideo decoding (Unified Video Decoder [UVD]) and video encoding (Video Coding Engine [VCE]).
The device driver also supportsAMD TrueAudio, a SIP block to perform sound-related calculations.
AMD Software supports the followingAMD (and ATI-tradition) product lines targeted atrendering:
Starting in Catalyst 14.6 AMD has enabled mixed-resolution support, allowing for a singleEyefinity display group to be created where each monitor runs at a different resolution. The current version may, however, disable any additional display mode and change to a resolution in the one mode available. This feature is made possible through the addition of two new Eyefinity display modes, Fit and Expand, which join the traditional Fill mode. In both Fit and Expand modes, AMD is compensating for the mismatched resolutions by creating a virtual desktop that is of a different resolution from those of the monitors, and then either padding it out or cropping it as necessary.[18]
Before Eyefinity, there was the Windows-only software "HydraVision"[19] (originally acquired fromAppian Graphics complete with its development team), a desktop/screen management software mostly providingmulti-monitor and virtual-screen management. It has extensive hot-key support.[20]
Both of AMD'sSIP cores for video acceleration,Video Coding Engine as well asUnified Video Decoder, are supported by AMD Software.
Some AMD products containSIP cores for audio acceleration branded AMD TrueAudio. Support for this audio acceleration DSP co-processor is part of AMD Software.
Under Microsoft Windows the support for AMD TrueAudio is codenamed "ACP" (for audio co-processor) and implemented via"ACP user service" (amdacpusrsvc.exe), a background service that helps manage audio tasks in games.
Under Linux, AMD TrueAudio is codenamed "acp" as well: some code regarding this can be found in the /drivers/gpu/drm/radeon directory of the Linux kernel sources.
AMD Software includes support forAMD PowerPlay,AMD PowerTune andAMD ZeroCore Power, AMD's set of technologies to reduce energy consumption in their graphics products.[21]
The AMD Software device driver supports multiplerendering interfaces, all designed to give the user-space programs, such asvideo games orCAD software, access to the corresponding SIP blocks.
Direct3D 12 is available for GCN with version 15.7.1 or higher.[22]
Only the Radeon Software releases targetingMicrosoft Windows included support forMantle. In 2019 starting with version 19.5.1 it was officially discontinued, in favor of DirectX 12 and Vulkan (built upon Mantle) raise in popularity.[23] Windows users who still wish to use Mantle would have to use older version of drivers (prior to 19.5.1).[24]
OpenGL 4.5 is possible for TeraScale 2 and 3 with Radeon Software Crimson Edition Beta (driver version 15.30 or higher like Crimson Beta 16.2.1).[25][26]OpenCL support will be lost, but it can be recovered by copying the relevant files from a previous package like Radeon Software 15.11.1 Beta. Beta drivers do not supportHDCP.
OpenGL 4.5 is available for GCN with version 16.3 or higher.[27]
OpenGL 4.x compliance requires supporting FP64 shaders. These are implemented by emulation on some TeraScale GPUs.
OpenGL 4.6 is supported inAMD Adrenalin 18.4.1 Graphics Driver onWindows7SP1,10 version 1803 (April 2018 update) for AMD Radeon HD 7700+, HD 8500+ and newer. Released April 2018.[28][29]
Vulkan 1.0 is available with Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.3.2 or higher for GCN.[30]
Vulkan 1.1 with Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 18.3.3 or higher.[31]
Vulkan 1.2 with Adrenalin 20.1.2 or higher.[32]
Vulkan 1.3 with Adrenalin 22.1.2 or higher.[33]
Vulkan 1.4 with Adrenalin 25.5.1 or higher.[34]
The AMD Software device driver supports multiple interfaces, all designed to give user-space programs, such asGStreamer orHandBrake software, access to the corresponding SIP blocks.
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ROCm 6.0 was released on February 14, 2024, and supports the RX 7900 XTX, 7900 XT and 7900 GRE, alongsideRadeon Pro W7900 and W7800 graphics cards.Ubuntu 22.04 is natively supported.PyTorch andONNX Runtime can be used on ROCm 6.0.[35]
With Catalyst 9.12 support of OpenCL 1.0 was available.[36]
In Catalyst 10.10 OpenCL 1.1 was available.[37]
Catalyst 12.4 Supports OpenCL 1.2.[38]
OpenCL 2.0 driver works since 14.41 for GCN-based Models.[39] This also supports previous OpenCL versions.
TeraScale 2 and 3 chips can use Level 1.2.
Close to Metal was a low-level API by AMD which was abandoned in favor of OpenCL.
AMD HD3Dstereoscopic 3D API by AMD.
With Catalyst 14.1 HSA is possible.[40]AMD main Processor graphic Units and Radeon graphic Card Units work combined.
The main AMD GPU software stacks are fully supported on Linux:GPUOpen for graphics, andROCm for compute.GPUOpen is most often merely a supplement, for software utilities, to the freeMesa software stack that is widely distributed and available by default on mostLinux distributions.
AMD strives at packaging its software for Linux on its own, not relying solely on Linux distributions. They do so by using theamdgpu andamdgpu-proshell scripts, and providepackage archives for e.g.apt andrpm.[41]
| Windows support | From version | Last version | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x86 | x86-64 | |||
| Windows 9x | 02.1 | 4.4/6.2 | — | There were some later releases for these operating systems, up to and including a Windows Me build of Catalyst 6.2 released on February 9, 2006.[42] |
| Windows 2000 | 02.1 | 6.2/7.4[43] | — | Newer Catalyst versions up to 7.4 will work in 2000 unofficially without any modification; later versions may need .inf file editing |
| Windows XP | 02.1 | 14.4 | Driver updates and support stopped at AMD Catalyst 14.4 for video cards with support up to DirectX 11 on Hardware, and 10.2 for DirectX 9.0c cards.[citation needed] | |
| Windows Vista | 7.2 | 13.12 | Driver updates and support stopped at AMD Catalyst 13.12 for video cards with support up to DirectX 11.[citation needed] | |
| Windows 7 | 9.3 | 18.9.3 | 22.6.1[44] | Driver updates and support were discontinued for x86 operating systems at version 18.9.3, and for x64 at 22.6.1.[44] |
| Windows 8 | 12.8[45] | 14.4 | ||
| Windows 8.1 | 13.9[46] | 17.1.2 | 17.7.1 | Support for driver updates stopped in 2017, though still possible to install.[47] |
| Windows 10 | 15.7[48] | 18.9.3[49] | active support | x86 driver support was discontinued to focus on x64 only. |
| Windows 11 | 21.9.1 | — | ||
Starting with version 4.9 (released on September 4, 2004) the Catalyst driver package included the ATI Catalyst Control Center,[50]a new software application for manipulating many hardware functions, such as 3D settings, monitor controls and video options. It shows a small 3D preview and allows the user to see how changes to the graphics settings affect the quality of the rendered image. It also shows information about the card itself and the software data. This application requires Microsoft.NET Framework.
Radeon Software 16.x and higher drops support forTeraScale-based GPU models. Vulkan 1.0 support was introduced in Radeon Software 16.3.2.
Radeon Software 17.7.1 is the final driver for Windows 8.1.
Radeon Software 18.9.3 is the final driver for 32-bit Windows 7/10.
AMD Software 22.6.1 is the final driver for Windows 7 (and Windows 8.1 unofficially); 22.6.1 is also the final driver for GCN 1, GCN 2 and GCN 3 based GPUs[44]
| This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(January 2022) |