No more. Please, no more. I'm so tired of all the bloated garbage that's now a mandatory install with your video drivers. At least CCC/NCP were utilities to at least attempt to help you manage and set global video card settings, but these over the top apps are a nightmare. I don't need an in-game overlay that sits on top of the six other in-game overlays (steam/origin/etc) fighting for resources.
Nothing is a mandatory install with your video drivers, not even your video drivers. Also, beyond the two overlays you mentioned (which apply to only a few games), what other actual overlays are there? Background apps like Fraps don't really count.
Are you complaining about running software you yourself installed? And since when is Steam or Origin in any way resource-intensive? I'm confused.
Actually after checking their site they removed the driver only download, so never mind on that part but with a custom install you can still simply install the driver. So not like this software is even mandatory on AMD side.
It's not mandatory, and if you actually read the very short article, you would see that it's not even included in the drivers! FWIW, it's not mandatory for AMD, and even nVIdia's Gaming Evolved is not mandatory either.
I think these apps can be a great thing for the average consumer who has no idea how to configure their graphics settings.
Intel probably isnt doing right thing. Raptr sucks. Year or more ago it was more stable & usefull than now. I did totaly stop using it like 1/2 year ago, whenever I give it a try it just doesnt work. Most often problem is with their stupid game detections/scanning mechanism that either freeze, dont find games, or similar. I only wanted something like good old xfire to track my time, but this nonsense is total piece of garbage. I regret xfire is done with theirold client. I hope that it didnt cost AMD not a single $ his cooperation cause if it does its wasted money.
btw i wonder how their "optimization" works, not sure it takes into account also CPU,memory rather than GPU itself, cause few times I tested this it tuned setting way to high for my CPU (i had weak CPU to match my GPU)
PS:it is not mandatory, although probably it is installed in default setup (never used that myself, always go custom) but I agree that garbage shouldnt be in default either and be totally optional.
I never got GFE either. Complete bloatware junk - bad enough they rolled the tray icon and update checker into it, so that those who opt out don't get those features. I understand it's geared at casual users but why would said casual users care what advanced graphics settings are set in their game?
Not to mention just one more layer that increases my internet monthly data usage budget. The world has come to believe the internet is infinite. It is not when one lives outside the larger cities. Good tools to inspect who is doing what over the internet are non existent. We live in a world where commercial practice has escalated to garnering an ever increasing crapola universe. I am sick of it.
Unlikely unless your system supports LucidLogix Virtu MVP technology or NVIDIA Optimus. The iGPU is generally disabled on conventional systems when a dGPU is present.
I suggest Anandtech review Raptr, it would be interesting to see a nice independent review of a service that is pretty controversial. I personally tried to use it for 2 months at one point (when AMD started distributing it) and eventually gave up because of a bunch of small things that annoyed me being weighed against what I perceived as very little benefit.
I'm really interested in a comparison with shadowplay. Before, I was using fraps which made me drop frames but now it is super easy. If raptr promises the same, I can look into amd products in the future.
Shadowplay works at hardware level by utilizing the Nvidia GPU's video streaming engine. The Raptr utility is software only, so unless AMD puts a hardware implementation specifically for video streaming in the Radeons, it will never be as good as the Nvidia solution which can record/stream upto a 50mbps, 1440p video at 60fps for Fermi and Kepler, and upto 4K video at 30fps(?) for Maxwell, while still often* mantaining stutter-free gameplay.
Basically, at least at this point, if you want to record/stream gameplay, especially at 60fps, the only viable solution is Nvidia based.
Terrible, terrible idea. Raptr is essentially a malware that gathers your personal info and shares it with whomever is willing to pay for it, and it stays in the system registry even after it is uninstalled. You have to spend a LOT of time to fully rid yourself from it by manually deleting hundreds of entries individually via "Regedit" .
AMD has already incorporated Raptr in their "Gaming Evolved" software package, and there are plenty of horror stories at their official forums.
Now in AMD's case, esp. in light of their current financial strife, using something which doesn't cost them anything is (almost) forgivable. But for Intel, for fat-cat-multi-billion-dollar-raking-in-profits-with-both-hands Intel, doing something like this to their customers is completely unacceptable.
PS: I know the installation would ask for user consent, but those who aren't careful with the fine print, or don't know what Raptr really is, would end up with their privacy/security compromised.
If this can help casual users get a better gaming experience from their devices, that's certainly worth something.
I just wish Intel would be a lot more agressive in pushing the use of their iGPUs. A simple step would be to adapt FreeSync. Next on the list I'd put "making better use of those pixels". Work with the game engine guys to implement modes where the resolution of the GUI is always native, but the regular scene can be scaled down to keep it from stuttering. Or using non-homogenous pixel grids with many pixels where differences are and fewer pixels in homogenous areas.
AMD and nVidia wouldn't be interested in any of this, as they want to sell you a better card if your old one is too slow. Intels GPUs, on the other hand, are all slow to begin with. And if users are not satisfied with the experience they don't buy a bigger Intel GPU, they buy a discrete AMD or nVidia.
Actually Intel should give up on their iGPU or rather make better use of it (if they intend to waste silion space). I bet 90% gamers do have it disabled,so for what good is such product? They should focus to make it possile to let igpu do some work (offload CPU with some instructions that GPU handle better), or even better, give us more CPU cores instead of lousy igpu. I admit it has its use on servers, HTPC and desktops that dont game. For gamers who are buying i7 igpu is for laugh and wasted money (you pay for it even if you never use ~2/3 of die)
It's not bad to have it just in case (ie. video card RMAd, troubleshooting etc). I don't think the cost of the silicon really adds much to your CPU cost (which are already pretty low historically). An i5 for example has 2MB disabled cache that is unused, but you don't pay for it. Similarly an i3 has two whole disabled cores and 4MB cache, but you don't pay for it.
Also, think of it this way - the disabled iGPU gives you a tiny bit more thermal headroom when it is disabled (ie. to account for the heat that needs to be dissipated from it if it were in use). So if it was not in the processor, you would likely not be able to get as high an overclock.
Well the silicon and the die space isnt free. If 1/3 of it is for GPU (the 2/3 before i took out of hat, just checked on 4770 review and its 1/3, maybe before it was more) that you never use, but could give you 2-3 more cores that you would be able to use anytime your PC is running is huge difference imo. For same money you could have ~50% more cores, now you have nothing. Anyways nothing is free. It cost intel money to manuf it, so they are going to charge you for it even if it is disabled and you never use it. Hell they could make like 30% CPU from same wafer if they drop GPU, thats like 4CPU vs 3CPU with useless iGPU
I guess that if AMD would have better CPUs we wouldnt have this conversation as intel would be pushed to use all available die area for cores to have the edge over AMD.
btw not sure where you see prices being pretty low. In here for some reason both i5 and i7 started to climb end of 2014 (by 30% in some cases) even before EUR weakened vs $$, so not sure whats happening...
"It cost intel money to manuf it, so they are going to charge you for it even if it is disabled and you never use it" - this isn't true at all. i3s to i7s come from the same wafer, just depends on how many parts work come the binning stage. Depending in the market, even working parts are often disabled to meet the demands of the lower priced parts. You think the cost of your CPU has anything to do with the cost to manufacture it? It costs Intel LESS to make all the CPUs on the same process. It would cost them more to produce CPUs without the GPU part as they'd need a separate fab.
I installed it, just to have the record feature, which worked OK at first, but then it stopped supporting my HD6850 card after an update. This card isn't that old. So I uninstalled it, and use Fraps. I wonder if the Intel version will support recording.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
33 Comments
Back to Article
Mushkins - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
No more. Please, no more. I'm so tired of all the bloated garbage that's now a mandatory install with your video drivers. At least CCC/NCP were utilities to at least attempt to help you manage and set global video card settings, but these over the top apps are a nightmare. I don't need an in-game overlay that sits on top of the six other in-game overlays (steam/origin/etc) fighting for resources.Zak - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Yup. I don't need any of that bloated crapware either.foxtrot1_1 - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Nothing is a mandatory install with your video drivers, not even your video drivers. Also, beyond the two overlays you mentioned (which apply to only a few games), what other actual overlays are there? Background apps like Fraps don't really count.Are you complaining about running software you yourself installed? And since when is Steam or Origin in any way resource-intensive? I'm confused.
iniudan - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
What are you talking about, you don't even need to install the catalyst control center with AMD driver, there is a driver only download you know.iniudan - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Actually after checking their site they removed the driver only download, so never mind on that part but with a custom install you can still simply install the driver. So not like this software is even mandatory on AMD side.extide - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
It's not mandatory, and if you actually read the very short article, you would see that it's not even included in the drivers! FWIW, it's not mandatory for AMD, and even nVIdia's Gaming Evolved is not mandatory either.I think these apps can be a great thing for the average consumer who has no idea how to configure their graphics settings.
lordken - Saturday, March 7, 2015 - link
Intel probably isnt doing right thing. Raptr sucks. Year or more ago it was more stable & usefull than now. I did totaly stop using it like 1/2 year ago, whenever I give it a try it just doesnt work. Most often problem is with their stupid game detections/scanning mechanism that either freeze, dont find games, or similar.I only wanted something like good old xfire to track my time, but this nonsense is total piece of garbage. I regret xfire is done with theirold client.
I hope that it didnt cost AMD not a single $ his cooperation cause if it does its wasted money.
btw i wonder how their "optimization" works, not sure it takes into account also CPU,memory rather than GPU itself, cause few times I tested this it tuned setting way to high for my CPU (i had weak CPU to match my GPU)
PS:it is not mandatory, although probably it is installed in default setup (never used that myself, always go custom) but I agree that garbage shouldnt be in default either and be totally optional.
darkfalz - Monday, March 9, 2015 - link
I never got GFE either. Complete bloatware junk - bad enough they rolled the tray icon and update checker into it, so that those who opt out don't get those features. I understand it's geared at casual users but why would said casual users care what advanced graphics settings are set in their game?vgray35@hotmail.com - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - link
Not to mention just one more layer that increases my internet monthly data usage budget. The world has come to believe the internet is infinite. It is not when one lives outside the larger cities. Good tools to inspect who is doing what over the internet are non existent. We live in a world where commercial practice has escalated to garnering an ever increasing crapola universe. I am sick of it.beginner99 - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Can you do GameDVR with QuickSync while using AMD/NV dedicated GPU?Valantar - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
That was going to be my question as well. Would be quite brilliant.Gigaplex - Friday, March 6, 2015 - link
Unlikely unless your system supports LucidLogix Virtu MVP technology or NVIDIA Optimus. The iGPU is generally disabled on conventional systems when a dGPU is present.Galatian - Friday, March 6, 2015 - link
Not with Windows 8.1...it allows headless displays.xdrol - Friday, March 6, 2015 - link
The Intel graphics/drivers still don't work headless...Flunk - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
I suggest Anandtech review Raptr, it would be interesting to see a nice independent review of a service that is pretty controversial. I personally tried to use it for 2 months at one point (when AMD started distributing it) and eventually gave up because of a bunch of small things that annoyed me being weighed against what I perceived as very little benefit.invinciblegod - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
I'm really interested in a comparison with shadowplay. Before, I was using fraps which made me drop frames but now it is super easy. If raptr promises the same, I can look into amd products in the future.D. Lister - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Shadowplay works at hardware level by utilizing the Nvidia GPU's video streaming engine. The Raptr utility is software only, so unless AMD puts a hardware implementation specifically for video streaming in the Radeons, it will never be as good as the Nvidia solution which can record/stream upto a 50mbps, 1440p video at 60fps for Fermi and Kepler, and upto 4K video at 30fps(?) for Maxwell, while still often* mantaining stutter-free gameplay.Basically, at least at this point, if you want to record/stream gameplay, especially at 60fps, the only viable solution is Nvidia based.
*depending on hardware/software of course.
Spoelie - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
They still have to do a gtx 960 review, don't expect anything soonDarkStryke - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
There's a reason it's called cRaptyr. I'll take my dvr functionality without third party adware, thanks!D. Lister - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Terrible, terrible idea. Raptr is essentially a malware that gathers your personal info and shares it with whomever is willing to pay for it, and it stays in the system registry even after it is uninstalled. You have to spend a LOT of time to fully rid yourself from it by manually deleting hundreds of entries individually via "Regedit" .AMD has already incorporated Raptr in their "Gaming Evolved" software package, and there are plenty of horror stories at their official forums.
http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=4...
http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=4...
Now in AMD's case, esp. in light of their current financial strife, using something which doesn't cost them anything is (almost) forgivable. But for Intel, for fat-cat-multi-billion-dollar-raking-in-profits-with-both-hands Intel, doing something like this to their customers is completely unacceptable.
PS: I know the installation would ask for user consent, but those who aren't careful with the fine print, or don't know what Raptr really is, would end up with their privacy/security compromised.
Shadowmaster625 - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Like you need a 3rd party game settings utility just to set all the settings to LOW. Hahhahahhah.WithoutWeakness - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
The Raptr logo looks more like a chicken embryo than a raptor.tynopik - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Repeatedly misspelling 'Raptr' as 'Ratpr', freudian slip?Ian Cutress - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
Adjusted. Ryan probably wrote this while running between meetings at GDC :)MrSpadge - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
If this can help casual users get a better gaming experience from their devices, that's certainly worth something.I just wish Intel would be a lot more agressive in pushing the use of their iGPUs. A simple step would be to adapt FreeSync. Next on the list I'd put "making better use of those pixels". Work with the game engine guys to implement modes where the resolution of the GUI is always native, but the regular scene can be scaled down to keep it from stuttering. Or using non-homogenous pixel grids with many pixels where differences are and fewer pixels in homogenous areas.
AMD and nVidia wouldn't be interested in any of this, as they want to sell you a better card if your old one is too slow. Intels GPUs, on the other hand, are all slow to begin with. And if users are not satisfied with the experience they don't buy a bigger Intel GPU, they buy a discrete AMD or nVidia.
lordken - Saturday, March 7, 2015 - link
Actually Intel should give up on their iGPU or rather make better use of it (if they intend to waste silion space). I bet 90% gamers do have it disabled,so for what good is such product? They should focus to make it possile to let igpu do some work (offload CPU with some instructions that GPU handle better), or even better, give us more CPU cores instead of lousy igpu.I admit it has its use on servers, HTPC and desktops that dont game. For gamers who are buying i7 igpu is for laugh and wasted money (you pay for it even if you never use ~2/3 of die)
darkfalz - Monday, March 9, 2015 - link
It's not bad to have it just in case (ie. video card RMAd, troubleshooting etc). I don't think the cost of the silicon really adds much to your CPU cost (which are already pretty low historically). An i5 for example has 2MB disabled cache that is unused, but you don't pay for it. Similarly an i3 has two whole disabled cores and 4MB cache, but you don't pay for it.darkfalz - Monday, March 9, 2015 - link
Also, think of it this way - the disabled iGPU gives you a tiny bit more thermal headroom when it is disabled (ie. to account for the heat that needs to be dissipated from it if it were in use). So if it was not in the processor, you would likely not be able to get as high an overclock.lordken - Monday, March 9, 2015 - link
Well the silicon and the die space isnt free. If 1/3 of it is for GPU (the 2/3 before i took out of hat, just checked on 4770 review and its 1/3, maybe before it was more) that you never use, but could give you 2-3 more cores that you would be able to use anytime your PC is running is huge difference imo. For same money you could have ~50% more cores, now you have nothing.Anyways nothing is free. It cost intel money to manuf it, so they are going to charge you for it even if it is disabled and you never use it. Hell they could make like 30% CPU from same wafer if they drop GPU, thats like 4CPU vs 3CPU with useless iGPU
I guess that if AMD would have better CPUs we wouldnt have this conversation as intel would be pushed to use all available die area for cores to have the edge over AMD.
btw not sure where you see prices being pretty low. In here for some reason both i5 and i7 started to climb end of 2014 (by 30% in some cases) even before EUR weakened vs $$, so not sure whats happening...
darkfalz - Wednesday, March 11, 2015 - link
"It cost intel money to manuf it, so they are going to charge you for it even if it is disabled and you never use it" - this isn't true at all. i3s to i7s come from the same wafer, just depends on how many parts work come the binning stage. Depending in the market, even working parts are often disabled to meet the demands of the lower priced parts. You think the cost of your CPU has anything to do with the cost to manufacture it? It costs Intel LESS to make all the CPUs on the same process. It would cost them more to produce CPUs without the GPU part as they'd need a separate fab.kmmatney - Thursday, March 5, 2015 - link
I installed it, just to have the record feature, which worked OK at first, but then it stopped supporting my HD6850 card after an update. This card isn't that old. So I uninstalled it, and use Fraps. I wonder if the Intel version will support recording.TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - link
WHY? Intel gpus are already to slow to run anything but low settings, and raptr is a POS.rafaelluik - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - link
Graphic settings recommendations for Intel iGPUs? A program just to set every setting to low on sub-720p?