Desktop wont play any 3D games?

My 1-year old custom build desktop wont play games such as TF 1/2, Portal 1/2, Half Life 1/2, and other games running the half life engine, or similar engines like Call of Duty/Minecraft etc.
I have a radeon HD 3450 graphics card, but if I install the one driver that makes it work, it reduces the screen size. not resolution, but size. It takes about 3/4 an inch off the top, and an inch off the sides. I need it to stay to the sides, because I have a small TV, and I use it as a media center in my room, so any smaller, and i cant see. I am running Win8 Pro x64, with 12gb ram, and amd Phenom II x4 955 3.4 ghz. Help!

what driver are you using? if you want max compatibility, I would install the legacy 13.1 catalyst suite EXCEPT for the video driver. then use the Microsoft ATI WDDM v1.1 driver that comes with Windows 8. driver date: 6/19/2012. version: 8.97.10.6.

the newer drivers that come with the Legacy packages break a lot of Windows 8 apps.

its not really the apps, its x86 programs that are broken bu tI will try that

after you install the catalyst software (without the driver), go through the settings and play around with it. you need to tailor it to your situation. it's not a one size fits all kind of thing (though it should be simplified and made easier so people don't have to tweak but it's ATI, what are you gonna do?).

I had a reverse problem with my htpc running win 8 connected via hdmi to my hdtv. At standard video mode, the picture is so wide it doesn't fit on my tv. I tried fixing it by adjusting resolution to no avail. Until I discovered I should instead be changing the video mode of the tv from standard to gaming mode. Problem solved.

dirtyvu said:

after you install the catalyst software (without the driver), go through the settings and play around with it. you need to tailor it to your situation. it's not a one size fits all kind of thing (though it should be simplified and made easier so people don't have to tweak but it's ATI, what are you gonna do?).

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I tried this, but catalyst crashes during install, and only installs AMD VISION engine control center, but no catalyst suite.

Try installing Direct X