Image Source: AMD
AMD has announced the release of the new Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Driver 18.Q2 for its professional customers. The update brings significant performance improvements in popular professional applications, and adds support for the new Windows 10 April 2018 update.
The speed improvements are not trivial, and AMD is claiming improvements on par with a hardware upgrade. For instance, the AMD FirePro W7100 supposedly sees an impressive 35 per cent jump in SPECviewperf 12’s creo-01 viewset, comparable to the 37 per cent improvement you get when moving from the FirePro W7000 to W7100.
Image Source: AMD
Here’s a rundown of the other performance improvements that Enterprise Driver 18.Q2 brings, according to AMD:
- 44 per cent increase in Autodesk 3ds Max
- 37 per cent increase in CATIA
- 22 per cent increase in Autodesk Maya
- 14 per cent increase in Creo
- 12 per cent increase in SolidWorks
Enterprise customers also demand greater reliability, and AMD says it tests its drivers extensively. This includes extensive OEM platform testing, stress tests for systems that need to run round the clock, and comprehensive ISV certification testing.
Image Source: AMD
Security is another top priority as well, and version 18.Q2 ships with advanced security features for professional users.
When paired with Windows 10 Enterprise Edition, it works together with Windows Defender Device Guard to foil attacks. It also includes added protection for intellectual property and offers virtualization security features to protect your data when you’re using AMD’s hardware-based MxGPU virtualized GPU solution.
Finally, the latest adds new Windows versions of the Radeon ProRender plug-in for Blender and Maya. An updated version of the Windows plug-in for 3ds Max is also being introduced. These plug-ins introduce several new features, such as support for volumetrics and interactive denoising, with the goal of accelerating the workflows of creative professionals.
The 18.Q2 update is part of the Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Edition’s quarterly release schedule, which is usually set for the second Wednesday of the second month of each quarter. The fixed release schedule helps enterprises plan ahead and provides some much needed predictability.
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