How to Determine Which ATI Driver I Need
You just bought a new ATI graphics card for your computer and need to install it. Along with installing the card itself, you will need to install the proper drivers for it. ATI drivers are necessary for your new ATI graphics card to communicate effectively with your current operating system. It's important to identify the correct ATI driver and to download and install the latest drivers to ensure that your graphics card will function properly and perform optimally.
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Instructions
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Using the AMD Website
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Find out which ATI graphics card model you have if you do not already know it. In general, there are two ways to identify the model of your graphics card. The easiest way is by inspecting the original box packaging or the card itself. You can find the model printed by looking at the packaging as well as on the bar code sticker located on the graphics card.
You can also identify the card model by using your operating system. Full instructions for Windows operating systems as well as Mac OS systems are available on AMD's official website in a guide called "GPU-55: How to identify the model of an ATI graphics card."
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Navigate to AMD's "Graphics Drivers & Software" page and locate the five-step pull-down menu system.
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Choose the type of system you have. Options from the menu include desktop, notebook, TV tuner, workstation, integrated motherboard and embedded graphics as well as graphics for Mac systems.
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Select the ATI product you own; this is when you will need to know your graphics card model.
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Choose your operating system--for example, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or a Mac operating system.
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Click on "Display Results." The page will list the proper ATI driver that you need for your graphics card.
Using Third-Party Programs
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Go to Driversupdate.org or Driver-fix.com. These are third-party software programs that are designed to automatically and accurately detect the type of ATI driver you need.
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Download the driver-detecting program and install it.
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Follow the prompts given by the third-party program that you have installed. Once installed, the program will scan your computer and identify which ATI drivers you need.
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Tips & Warnings
While an initial installation drivers CD comes with your ATI graphics card, the drivers on the CD are typically outdated and require updates from the manufacturer's website.
Keep in mind that some of the third-party programs may not be completely free and you may have to pay a fee to obtain all the services.
References
Resources
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