AMD Releases Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition: Overlay, App & More for 2017
by Nate Oh on December 12, 2017 9:00 AM ESTFinal Thoughts
To preface, a list of resolved issues was not provided before today’s launch. Glancing over the release notes, a few snippets were not included in the presentations or press releases. FreeSync 2 display support for HDR10 titles is a notable one, considering that we have not heard much since the original announcement of the initiative. Other than the two Samsung monitors, we've only covered an AOC announcement on displays due in April 2018. And of course, the list of bug fixes include several resolutions that users have clamored for in the past couple months.
As for Adrenalin Edition proper, the streaming focus tends to take center stage with Radeon Overlay, AMD Link, and the ‘Connect Tab’. The community angle is more of an accessory to the streaming attributes.
The core features updates and Vulkan emphasis does make Adrenalin useful for general users, but the increased social focus and streaming/sharing integration brings GeForce Experience and ShadowPlay to mind. For streamers, the combination of AMD Link on a tablet/smartphone, Radeon Overlay, and ReLive Adrenalin seems like it could positively impact workflow, particularly if they are doing it casually.
In gauging AMD Link especially, there seems to be some reasonable use cases beyond streaming. For social gamers who want to send screenshots or instant replays of everything to everyone, AMD Link provides that quick option during a respawn timer or end-of-round. It also provides an easy way to post in-game videos or pictures to social media.
In most cases, users will have their phone nearby when on a desktop or laptop, and AMD Link can turn that into a ‘free screen’ for performance monitoring if desired. For laptops and similar situations where screen space is at a premium, this would be a good alternative to an OSD that would show up too small anyway. In all of those scenarios, though, the newsfeed seems superfluous.
Offhand, considering a Radeon Pro Software ReLive and hypothetical AMD Pro Link might have some interesting business functionality. But at the very least, AMD has come very far since even Raptr and Gaming Evolved, and at the same time cut down a few excess syllables to their display driver name.
For both Crimson ReLive and 17.7.2, we reiterated the importance of execution. With Adrenalin, AMD has made the UX much more consistent across different products and configurations. From last year, ReLive is continuing to accumulate better features and find a stronger niche with Radeon Overlay and AMD Link; though in practice this mostly depends on how streamers and social gamers take to it.
On the feature side, Adrenalin is another solid entry for AMD and RTG’s annual major updates. But AMD’s first high-end card launch in two years, especially one featuring a new forward-looking microarchitecture, is not irrelevant to even feature updates, and graphics software is not totally divorced from the hardware itself; a good UX at the least complements the hardware. Users are still inquiring about the RX Vega hardware features, which has affected their expectations of Adrenalin Edition and presumably their present response to it. Consumers still recognize that Adrenalin Edition is a driver that includes performance improvements.
The new Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 17.12.1 drivers are available through the Radeon Settings tab or online at the AMD driver download page. More information on this update and further issues can be found in the Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 17.12.1 release notes.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
42 Comments
View All Comments
StevoLincolnite - Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - link
I care about watts... Because although I live in a 1st world country... My electricity prices are trending towards 50' cents per KWH.With that... AMD ain't all bad as far as power consumption goes, VEGA for instance if you underclock and undervolt her, she can sip on the power... Still. I'll wait to upgrade from my Polaris card and hope Navi brings the goods next year.
Duckeenie - Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - link
"People like you care about Watts like you live in a 3rd world country."Donald Trump is broadening his horizons it seems, no longer is he content with trolling twitter.
Hurr Durr - Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - link
If you`re triggered by what Trump says, you deserve it all.mapesdhs - Thursday, December 14, 2017 - link
MAGA! 8)sonny73n - Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - link
Only idiots would not care about Watts. Less Watts -> less heat -> less than noise -> better cooling -> better overclocking.Only idiots would not want greater efficiency.
BigCapitalist - Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - link
Also, Nvidia offers a rendering software for like $300 a year called Nvidia IRAY.AND offer ProRenderer for FREE, and guess what? It works with Nvidia GPUs unlike Nvidia not working with AMD GPUs.
That's the kind of future we get with Nvidia, all they care about is money. A real business with a good business model cares about the consumer as well.
mapesdhs - Thursday, December 14, 2017 - link
The consumer is free not to buy their products. Your name is ironic. Capitalism is simply don't steal and keep your word, the basic essence of free trade. "care" is an emotional concept, that's the sort of thing inferred by the customer, not implied by the seller. If NV is making pots, good, means they've found a market. Rule one of invention: identify a need.JasonMZW20 - Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - link
"As for Vega, it's terrible in perf per W, perf per mm2 and much worse in perf per cost(note that cost and price are 2 different things). Vega 64 and 56 are a disaster for gaming and you are the one that lacks a clue, or objectivity."This just shows that you have never used one. I have 2 and they're both running within 200W* undervolted (Superposition can push this up to 250W due to the number of triangles it renders, but only if you raise the power limit). GTX 1080 is 180W, more if OC'd obviously.
*165-212W in Wolfenstein 2 and Ashes of the Singularity, 4k60p. 1565MHz avg. @ 1.006-1.025v, 1100MHz HBM.
If you want to brute force Vega, you obviously can with power limit increases and more voltage. I've found that that isn't worth it, unless you're going for outright performance or bragging rights in benches. Vega will easily pull over 300W (hit 306-326W in Superposition 4k optimized with auto voltages and +50% power limit), but it doesn't tend to gain a huge amount of performance. I'm more interested in its efficiency, and have been surprised by it. I'm not easily swayed by internet opinion though.
JasonMZW20 - Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - link
2 Vega64s*Cellar Door - Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - link
"this is the beginning of the end for PC gaming" - you sound like some doomsday evangelist, the kind that is proven wrong repeatedly... every year.Your statements are two-part.
a)something obvious that most can nod to
b)absurd speculation to draw attention(probably a endorphin driven loop when you get replies)
This site really needs an upvote system to weed out this sort of behavior.