New 7 RC install - should I use ATI proprietary drivers?

[dkazaz]

Hi All,

I just installed Mint 7 RC x86 on my desktop (specs: Intel Quad 2.5GHz, 4G RAM, Asus P45 mobo, ATI HD 3650, 3 SATA drives).
So far I have a great experience with it, especially in multimedia. Picture quality on watching HD and SD video is phenomenal compared to my Ubuntu jaunty x64 installation.
Admittedly I configured ubuntu differently, downloading codecs from medibuntu and activating the ATI proprietary drivers and compiz.

I have kept my Mint install pristine except for a few small utils, because video is so good here and was so bad on my ubuntu that I didn't want to break what works well.

Here's where I need your advice: Should I risk activating the latest ATI proprietary drivers? Theoretically they should be better for video and also enable compiz, but if it means screwing anything up I'll hold off until a quality driver is released (should be here by 2023 )

Has anyone had a good experience with 7 RC and the ATI drivers? And which version did you use? On ubuntu I activated the driver the OS suggested and it seemed to install catalyst v8.6, but I believe the latest version published by is 9.4.

[Acid_1]

Well I don't have experience with ATI and Mint, or ATI at all, however I think you should install it, and just rollback if it doesn't work and continue to use VESA.

[emorrp1]

I'd go for the opposite. If you're happy with the graphics performance, stick with opensource. If after a while you start to notice little annoyances, feel free to try out the proprietary version, you can always roll back, as Acid_1 points out. I'm currently using the opensource drivers, because ATI have dropped support for my card, and it's much easier to set up dual screens than using catalyst.

[dkazaz]

I'm inclined to do that - hold off that is until I hear wonderful things about the proprietary drivers. I've read a lot of horror stories on the ubuntu forums about people who installed ATI drivers, screwed up their system so badly they ended up reformatting and reinstalling. Of course I haven't tried Envy, and I'm really keen to do that - maybe I'll install an extra test partition to play around with!

[heavylifter]

I installed the ATI drivers in Felicia and had a lot of problems with screen lockups in a number of browsers, tv did not display properly and video in Totem was hesitant. Took me a while to narrow it down but I removed the proprietary drivers and all the problems went away.

[mahutchinson]

I've tried installing nvidia drivers several times and every time they've crashed the system. Haven't tried the new RC but am not inclined to try again.

[rivenathos]

My suggestion is to stick with the open-source drivers. Thus far, I have never needed any of the proprietary drivers for any of my personal machines. Granted, I do not need any of the super-deluxe, whiz-bang, Compiz eye-candy effects. I prefer my machines to be solidly reliable as much as possible.