AMD Released Catalyst 10.12 WHQL Driver Suite

AMD today released its latest version of the AMD Catalyst software suite, Catalyst 10.12 WHQL, as well as unveiled a Catalyst 10.12 Preview driver that lets you use the latest version Catalyst Control Center (CCC) that features a more functional user interface. The new CCC features a reworked UI that allows easier adjustment of 3D settings and image quality; makes setting up multiple displays easier; and helps adjust power settings to optimize battery life (on notebooks).

Apart from that, Catalyst 10.12 introduces DivX Accelerated support for AMD Radeon HD 6800 series GPUs; support for OpenGL 4.1, including new ARB extensions introduced with OpenGL 4.1; and an updated AMD Stream v2.3 API.

DOWNLOAD:AMD Catalyst 10.12 for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A complete list of changes follows:

AMD Catalyst 10.12 Preview – Featuring the New Catalyst Control Center

• Try out the New Catalyst Control Center now!
o Grab it here: http://game.amd.com

• The New Catalyst Control Center enables a simplified user experience to help users get the most out of their AMD product
o Easily enable 3D settings to enhance game image quality
o Setup multiple displays to increase productivity
o Adjust power settings to increase battery life

Highlights of the AMD Catalyst 10.12 Windows release include:
Support for DivX on the AMD Radeon 6800 Series

• With DivX software installed on an AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series and later GPU and the DivX Accelerated solution, consumers can enjoy an improved DivX video playback experience by lowering CPU load, extending computer battery life on notebooks, reducing noise on home theater PCs and improving overall computer operation.
o Grab the DivX Accelerated download from here (Available December 15) http://go.divx.com/accelerated

Support for OpenGL 4.1

• New features introduced in OpenGL 4.1
o Full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs for easier porting between mobile and desktop platforms
o The ability to query and load a binary for shader program objects to save re-compilation time
o The capability to bind programs individually to programmable stages for programming flexibility
o 64-bit floating-point component vertex shader inputs for higher geometric precision
o Multiple viewports for a rendering surface for increased rendering flexibility

• New ARB extensions introduced with OpenGL 4.1
o Linking OpenGL sync objects to OpenCL event objects for enhanced OpenCL interoperability
o The ability to set stencil values in a fragment shader for enhanced rendering flexibility
o Features to improve robustness, for example when running WebGL applications
o Callback mechanisms to receive enhanced errors and warning messages

AMD Stream 2.3 SDK release

• Performance improvements for AMD’s OpenCL toolset
• Support UVD video hardware component through OpenCL driver (Windows 7 only)
• Support for the Stream Profiler on Linux (command line version)
• Support added for AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series and AMD Radeon HD 6900 Series
• Support for FFT and BLAS-3 libraries
• Stream Profiler enhancements (including timeline visualization)
• Resolves a number of bug fixes from the Stream SDK 2.2 release