AMD Unveils ATI Catalyst With OpenGL 3.1

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By Marcus Yam
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AMD to Support OpenGL 3.1 and 3.2.

Earlier this year, AMD released its OpenGL 3.0 drivers. Today AMD takes the next step by pledging support for OpenGL 3.1 – and eventually OpenGL 3.2 – on its ATI FirePro 3D graphics accelerators.

AMD said that the new Catalyst drivers supporting OpenGL 3.1 is expected to be available August 12.

"OpenGL 3.1 helps developers to take full advantage of powerful ATI FirePro graphics accelerators that provide performance, stability and visionary innovation for graphics professionals," said Janet Matsuda, senior director, AMD Professional Graphics. "AMD continues to deliver OpenGL support that in turn enhances CAD, digital content creation and scientific application provider offerings. Further, AMD’s OpenGL extensions, such as tessellation, help developers increase the visual quality of 3D objects and enable the creation of highly realistic looking characters, objects and scenery. We look forward to future enhancements that we expect to be available in OpenGL 3.2 and beyond."

Stay tuned for download links to the new drivers next week.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
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16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • silversurfernhs
    OpenGL 3.2 just came out...
    Reply
  • dingumf
    I don't think my GPU supports 3.1....
    Reply
  • tipoo
    silversurfernhsOpenGL 3.2 just came out...It mentions 3.2 in the article.
    Reply
  • LATTEH
    wait what games use OpenGL 3.0? sorry but i dont know LOL

    im always willing to learn..
    Reply
  • OpenGL is more for businesses, with CAD programs, and 3D modeling programs.

    They use OpenGL because it's 'open' enough for any programmer to write a code that will show new things,which I think is not the case of Direct X / Direct 3D.
    directX has preprogrammed stuff that game developers need to use. Lucky for game developers the functions and possibilities in DX10.x are so many that nearly all possible thought of effects and image generation that could be present in a game, is included.
    Those newer versions of DX allow very realistic effects, like water, sunrays shining through objects, and reflections.
    Reply
  • bk420
    Finally AMD is delivering. :)
    Reply
  • nachowarrior
    bk420Finally AMD is delivering.
    If you hadn't noticed the drivers have been improving ever since amd took over. the 2xxx series was a major improvement, price/graphics/drivers and it's been going up from there. So you can technically say that amd has been whipping ati into shape ever since it acquired them.

    anywho, i love open standards, thumbs up for the promise of support.
    Reply
  • nukemaster
    ProDigit80OpenGL is more for businesses, with CAD programs, and 3D modeling programs.
    Open GL is also for games. All those Quake 3 based games are OpenGL. There are also other game engines that rely on OpenGL. Quake 1(glquake), HL1(there was also a DX mode, but OpenGL always ran better) and City Of Heroes/Villains are also OpenGL.

    OpenGL is a great way to get cross platform gaming as well since its not Windows only like DX.

    Here is a lost of OpenGL games
    http://home.pacbell.net/freundj/openglgames/
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OpenGL_programs
    Reply
  • acecombat
    LATTEHwait what games use OpenGL 3.0? sorry but i dont know LOLim always willing to learn..Most 3D games that are run on linux, or are cross platform use OpenGL
    Reply
  • cryogenic
    acecombatMost 3D games that are run on linux, or are cross platform use OpenGL
    What games run on Linux ? (Without wine, that is). I don't know of any AAA title that was made to run on Linux natively, so far.

    Linux is not for games, get over it already. Gaming wise, OpenGL is not important because of linux games, OpenGL is important because of PS3 and to a lesser extent Mac, but that's it ...

    Reply