AMD's biggest Radeon Software release yet brings a plethora of new features and across the board performance improvements. The 16.12.1 Crimson ReLive Edition package is available for download now.
The new driver update is part of an annual AMD Radeon tradition which involves releasing a massive driver package as a holiday gift by the company to its user base every December. Last year the company completely overhauled the UI and graphics drivers for Radeon users replacing Catalyst with Crimson. The year prior, Radeon users received another mega driver update, called Catalyst Omega.
With every one of these launches the new drivers brought about performance improvements across the board, new features as well as a renewed commitment from the company for better stability and quality. This year is no exception.
Some of the new features that is assured to have many Radeon users excited include ReLive, a new in-house gameplay capture software akin to Nvidia's Shadowplay. Radeon Chill, a new feature that reduces GPU temperatures and power consumption. Borderless Fullscreen Mode support for FreeSync. Expanded GPU compatibility of Radeon WattMan. HDR gaming support. A new user feedback page and a new Radeon Software Installer.
AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 16.12.1 Packs Many New Goodies
Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 16.12.1 Highlights
New Features
- Radeon ReLive(1): Capture, stream and share your greatest moments and gaming wins on your computer system with Radeon ReLive. Modify settings quickly, conveniently, and play seamlessly with the easily accessible in-game toolbar. Express yourself in bold new ways with custom scene layouts. Upload your latest highlights and let them be a conversation piece. It's never been easier to build and grow your online community at anytime, anywhere.
- Radeon Chill(2): A power-saving feature that dynamically regulates frame rate based on your in-game movements. Radeon Chill can improve power efficiency and can lower temperatures for supported products and games when enabled through Radeon Settings.
- Radeon WattMan(3): Added support for AMD Radeon R9 Fury series, R9 390 series, R9 380 series, R9 290 series, R9 285, R9 260 series, R7 360, and R7 260 desktop graphics products
- Radeon Software Installer(4): New user interface and intuitive Radeon Software Installer that includes options for express install, custom install and clean uninstall. The new installer will also show options for the latest available driver for your system configuration during the install process.
- Display Connectivity(5): New advanced display settings and diagnostics page within Radeon Settings with better detection for HDMI® cable issues and fallback for end users experiencing display issues.
- AMD FreeSync™ Technology(6): Now supports Borderless Fullscreen Mode for applications and gaming with AMD FreeSync™ technology displays and supported products. Now supports Gradual Refresh Rate Ramp for mobile configurations with AMD FreeSync™ technology displays and supported products.
- Upgrade Advisor(7): Provides a system requirement evaluation for Steam® games in your Radeon Settings library.
- HDR Gaming Support(8): Experience the benefits of HDR gaming with Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition. Support for games with HDR 10 or Dolby Vision™ capabilities.
- VP9 Decode Acceleration(9): 4K 60Hz GPU-Accelerated Video Streaming enabled on supported Google™ Chrome web browsers.
- Skype Performance Enhancements (10): Lower CPU usage during Skype™ calls for select AMD APU Family products.
- User Feedback Page: The User Feedback Page enables a direct link for end users to the Radeon Software Team and allows users to provide feedback and vote on upcoming features for Radeon Software. The User Feedback page can be found here.
Fixed Issues
- Unable to launch the Problem Report Wizard from CCCSlim in Radeon Settings.
- Radeon WattMan Power Limit setting may not retain after hitting apply when Auto Temperature is enabled.
- DOTA™ may experience flickering in some hero and effect models when running the application in Fullscreen.
- Pixel Format options may not appear in Radeon Settings on some 4K TV's with Radeon RX 480.
- The Division™ may experience flicker during gameplay when using AMD Multi GPU configurations.
- The Division™ may experience an application freeze or hang when running in AMD Multi GPU configurations after extended periods of play.
- Game quality or performance may be degraded when launching multimedia content on a secondary display before running a game.
- CIM folder retains under program files even after complete driver uninstallation.
- Radeon Settings may experience an intermittent crash when accessing Radeon WattMan.
- Display tab with virtual super resolution may be removed or missing in Radeon Settings.
- The Radeon WattMan feature may intermittently display a Radeon Software popup error regarding Radeon WattMan for non-supported products.
- Random crashes may be experienced on Mozilla Firefox.
- DirectX®12 content may be unable to launch on some older CPUs that do not support popcnt instruction.
- Intermittent Mouse Cursor corruption may be experienced on Radeon RX 480.
About the author: PC hardware & tech evangelist. Been building PCs for over a decade & following the industry for just as long. Also a doctor specializing in Preventive Medicine.
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