AMD unveils hybrid ATI Catalyst 8.3 driver

AMD's ATI Catalyst 8.3 delivers CrossFireX and ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology

AMD has unveiled its latest graphics driver which it claims can boost performance for PC gaming enthusiasts and casual gamers.

The ATI Catalyst 8.3 is a software update delivering CrossFireX for Windows Vista and ATI Hybrid Graphics Technology for casual gamers. It is expected to be available for download on 5 March from AMD's Drivers & Software page.

AMD said that multi-GPU capabilities provide gamers with a more realistic and immersive experience allowing them to play at high resolutions with demanding image quality settings, and at a better value than competing multi-GPU offerings.

"AMD has packed ATI Catalyst 8.3 with a double-barrelled set of leading technologies," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president at AMD's Graphics Product Group.

"Through three-GPU and four-GPU configurations in CrossFireX, gamers can see multi-GPU performance across a range of today's most popular DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 games on Windows Vista."

AMD claims that the chips can deliver up to 3.2 times the performance over a single GPU2 in some scenarios.

The chip firm added that the flexible architecture of CrossFireX allows for the mixing and matching of high-performing ATI Radeon GPUs.

Any ATI Radeon HD 3850, 3870 or 3870 X2 cards can be combined to harness the power of up to four GPUs.

The ATI Catalyst 8.3 also introduces ATI Hybrid Graphics support for Windows Vista, while ATI Hybrid CrossFire delivers a significant 3D performance boost, according to the company.

Up to 70 per cent increases in performance are possible in some gaming scenarios based on PCs comprised of an AMD 780G motherboard and ATI Radeon HD 3400 Series graphics product in Windows Vista, the company claims.