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AMD ends year-long driver dry spell for Ryzen Mobile gamers

Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.2.3 now incorporates Ryzen Mobile and Ryzen desktop APUs

AMD Raven Ridge APU

AMD has finally brought AMD Ryzen Processors with Radeon Vega Graphics in line with its mainstream AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 driver packages. While previously dependent on few and far between driver updates, Raven Ridge APUs will now have access to all the benefits previously limited to discrete Radeon graphics cards.

Ryzen Mobile processors especially had been on an almost non-existent, OEM-dependent driver update cycle since their release, bereft of the latest Adrenalin 2019 updates and day-0 game drivers. Gamers with HP Envy laptops fitted with AMD APU silicon had been stuck on the same drivers since November, 2017.

Previously AMD had reasoned that, due to the OEM-specific nature of these drivers, it was not feasible for it to release drivers alongside its usual Radeon cadence. It claimed the move could result in “less-than-ideal user experiences.” But AMD is now putting an end to the driver dry spell regardless. From February 25th onward, each and every driver release from AMD will support AMD’s range of discrete Radeon GPUs, Ryzen Mobile APUs, and Ryzen desktop AM4 APUs into a single driver package release.

“We have evaluated all customer feedback/concerns,” AMD says in its driver FAQ, “and believe we can provide a unified driver for the AMD platforms in market, and have delivered on the requests of our end-user community. With the increasing complexity of system software and the level of integration between the various layers of software with our current mobile platforms, we wanted to ensure we’re supporting a positive customer experience with a custom driver download.”

The driver package drastically increases performance for said APUs, too. Performance is up 10% in AMD’s testing across its testing suite of Destiny 2, Shadow of War, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Civ 6, and the Witcher 3. Your own mileage may vary, however.

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And even if you’re one of the desktop lot, there’s still a reason to update your drivers to the latest release.

Support for:

  • AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon Vega Graphics
  • AMD Ryzen desktop APUs
  • Dirt Rally 2
    • Up to 3% performance gains with a Radeon RX Vega 64 in Dirt Rally 2

Fixed issues:

  • Battlefield V players may experience character outlines stuck on screen after being revived.
  • Fan speeds may remain elevated for longer periods than expected when using Tuning Control Auto Overclock or manual fan curve in Radeon WattMan on AMD Radeon VII.
  • ReLive wireless VR may experience an application crash or hang during extended periods of play.
  • Zero RPM will correctly disable in Radeon WattMan on available system configurations when manual fan curve is enabled.
  • A loss of video may be intermittently experienced when launching a fullscreen player application with Radeon FreeSync enabled.

Known issues:

  • Mouse lag or system slowdown is observed for extended periods of time with two or more displays connected and one display switched off.
  • Changes made in Radeon WattMan settings via Radeon Overlay may sometimes not save or take effect once Radeon Overlay is closed.
  • Some Mobile or Hybrid Graphics system configurations may intermittently experience green flicker when moving the mouse over YouTube videos in Chrome web browser. A work around if this occurs is to disable hardware acceleration.
  • Radeon WattMan settings changes may intermittently not apply on AMD Radeon VII.
  • Performance metrics overlay and Radeon WattMan gauges may experience inaccurate fluctuating readings on AMD Radeon VII.

You can download the Radeon Software Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.2.3 update direct from AMD. And it has also put together an FAQ if you’re lost in the Ryzen/Radeon/Vega fuzz.