Drivers and Gaming Performance

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could help me with updating the drivers for my graphics card and possibly other systems on my laptop. I currently don't trust myself with updating myself due to the many different versions and so I don't won't to cause irreparable damage. Also, would it be possible to point me in the right direction to get the most out of my system gaming wise.

Windows 8 64bit OS

CPU - AMD A-10 Quad Core 2.3GHz processor - Version Date - 21/04/2009, Driver Version - 6.2.9200.16451
Graphics - Crossfire Radeon 7660G + 7670M - Currently using the 13.6 Beta 2 Catalyst.

(I have Razer game boost installed but not sure if im using it right as i see no difference with it on or off).

Thanks in advanced.

Hello again Professor,

Just wanted to thank you again and I have a few suggestions to get you started:

1- Check for updated drivers here: Drivers and software - IdeaPad Z585 Notebook
Note: I wouldn't go searching anywhere else for drivers until step 2 and (maybe step 3) are completed.

2- Run a WEI test so our gamers can look at your scores:



3- Consider downloading the Passmark Benchmark Testing Software and running the complete test suite. It comes with a full 30 day free trial. Once run, you can search for others that have your same configuration and you can even drill down the search to your specific graphics configuration so you can compare the results yourself (or post them for comment):

PassMark product listing - Diagnostic and test software for computers

This will provide some additonal information that I'm sure will be quite useful in evaluating you current performance.

Good luck.

Hey JustATest,

Here is my WEI,

Hey professor,

Those 2D and 3D score look pretty good when compared to mine; however, I'm not a gamer, so I'll leave that up to gaming forum members to provide direction from here. I just wanted to get the ball rollin' for you!

Cheers

Hello again professor,

I'm surprised nobody has responded. I really thought the gamers would jump on this one. Any, if you have not already download the Passmark Software I would suggest that you do so; however, in the interim, I did a complete analysis on your hardware as benchmarked by others and here are the results (sorted by 3D graphics scores):

All Lenovo Z585s Tested (note the different graphic card arrangements):



All Laptops using your dual graphics card combination:



All Laptops using your specific CPU (w/varying grahics hardware):



Additional information:

The top 100 computers tested to date have 3D graphics scores in the 12,000 to 3,000 range.
Judging from the benckmarks, I think you will top out at about 1,000 (if tested).
I have a Lenovo B575 (paid $249.00) and my 3d graphics score is an awful 177.

In summary, I don't think you have a killer gaming rig but it certainly is much better than mine!

So, again, please download and test your specific laptop. If you fall within the range of others tested then I doubt there is much more you can do and a driver update certainly won' help unless your actual test scores fall way below the others tested. Good luck!

Nice specs!

It's a notebook: don't force it too much.
It has dual GPU but watch out the GPU / CPU temperatures. Any possible overheating will make you loose frame-rate and decrease stability. I'm sure they added enough vents to cover any heat issue.

Benchmarks notice pretty recent game releases run smoothly on medium settings (and lower).

More info here:
Review Lenovo IdeaPad Z585 Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

For the latest graphics drivers go to:
AMD Graphics Drivers & Software

Good luck

JustATest said:

Hello again professor,

I'm surprised nobody has responded. I really thought the gamers would jump on this one.

...(snip)

Click to expand...

I'll jump in!

Professor Badge, don't be worried about updating your video drivers damaging your hardware--updating drivers is fairly simple, painless and typical for a gamer. The only thing I *would* recommend to be good to your hardware is as follows:

- Download the 'official' or "WHQL" drivers from the manufacturer (AMD or the people who made your laptop). Avoid "Beta" drivers.
- If your hardware came with utilities to overclock your graphics card, don't use 'em, or leave 'em at the defaults. The amount of gain you might think you'd see is outweighed by the risk (and cost) of running into a hardware problem, especially because we're talking about a laptop.
- the worst-case scenario that can sometimes happen when you update your video drivers is that the screen goes black and stays that way...or when you reboot after installing the screen is black and stays that way. Don't panic! There are plenty of ways to get out of that situation if it happens (and it's rare), so just come back here for help.
(a tip when this does happen, as it recently did with me and an nVidia driver--sometimes just hooking up a monitor or projector will at least give you a screen you can see with 'til you fix the problem).

I tend to keep a copy of the last driver update handy in case I need to roll back and re-install the last version, but that's rare. It's also possible (but rare) that a new version doesn't agree with your system, and you just need to wait it out for the next version and be happy using the last one that worked.

If you want to spend a while gaming on your laptop (and that is a MIGHTY setup you have there!), I'd recommend a good laptop cooler--in particular I have a CoolerMaster Storm SF 19. It's not portable, but it is a massive amount of airflow to the underside. I also don't game on a glass table-top, as heat is a problem. And of course don't let the vents get smothered, such as trying to run the laptop on a bed or sofa.

I also recommend that your games--especially your older ones--you run with Vertical Sync enabled. Some games get unstable with variable frame rates, and older ones will make your hardware go nuts (at one point Halo 2 was bluescreening and I found it was running at about 778fps).

Some benchmarks, just for fun...

my desktop:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-980X Processor,Alienware 0XDJ4C

my laptop:
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme Edition,Alienware M17xR4


Good luck! And welcome to the fun of mobile gaming...

Hello Pyanfar,

Glad to see that a gamer has finally taken up the cause to work with the Professor. It is also nice to see a helpful response that includes such great detail. Very refreshing.

Cheers!

Thanks for the help guys and the quick replies. I'll roll back to the available non beta suite then to avoid any mishaps. The overclocking seems odd to me, as you've pointed out, why take the risk. I also tend to more around a lot so a stationary cooling mat may not be the best choice to me, but i'll keep an eye out for some recommended ones should I get some overheating problems.

A question to anyone using a dual graphic set up with the AMD catalyst, any suggestions on the settings in the catalyst to get the best performance ?

Again, thanks for the help to those who have replied already :thumb:

You're welcome, JustATest and Professor Badge! Glad to help.

Professor Badge, for something more portable, this is what I use for my Alienware 17" laptop:

Amazon.com: Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim Ultra-Slim Laptop Cooling Pad with 160mm Fan (R9-NBC-XSLIA-GP): Computers & Accessories

Big fans push a good amount of air but are quieter than little ones; basically any cooler you want will do, but the bigger the fan, the quieter it'll be. ;-)