AMD massively updates Radeon Software app ahead of Vega

If you’re reading this, then you’ve likely followed the same long, arduous journey the rest of have in anticipating the release of AMD Vega graphics chips. The latest chapter in that saga is a huge update to AMD’s Radeon Software Crimson ReLive app for PCs equipped with Radeon hardware.

Known verbosely as AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.7.2, this updated version of the app builds off the firm’s sizable Crimson ReLive update that landed six months ago. With this update, you’ll have deeper control of your Radeon graphics card than ever before.

Naturally, all we care about here is how the newest Radeon Software version affects how well games run on your gaming PC after the install.

How does this make my games better?

For starters, the new update takes nearly all of the features found within the Catalyst Control Center – AMD’s predecessor to Radeon Software Crimson ReLive – reskins and places them within a new “Radeon Settings” section. Now, you should only need one app to accomplish everything you need regarding your GPU.

Onto the meatier upgrades, AMD has introduced “Enhanced Sync,” seen in the video above, which the firm says is a frame refresh technology that works at lower latencies than standard Vertical Sync (VSync) and better balances the relationship between decreased frame stutter and screen tearing. Available for use with any monitor, just like VSync, the idea is reach a better compromise between those two phenomena when dealing with framerate refresh.

The app also applies hearty upgrades to the firm’s Radeon Chill software, also seen above, which regulates frame rates in effort to keep both temperature and power consumption down, expanding its compatibility to now more than 30 of the most-played PC games. According to AMD, its upgrades have achieved 30% more battery life out of the HP Omen while playing League of Legends.

AMD also improved its WattMan software tech, which now allows you to underclock memory frequency so as to overclock your CPU and GPU more effectively. Better yet, the tool can now control GPU power states for either better overclocking or lower power consumption.

Furthermore, a new “Frame Rate Targeting Control” allows you to cap game frame rates at the hardware level, helping lower GPU power consumption even more. And finally, AMD has reintroduced Per-Display Color Controls to its app, allowing you to tweak the brightness, hue, contrast and saturation of any and all displays connected to the Radeon GPU at hand.

Alas, this just scratches the surface of the upgrades AMD made to its Radeon Software Crimson ReLive app. For the rest of the changes made today, click here. Now, all that’s left is to see whether Vega was worth the long wait – surely, these upgrades will help with that.

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