[Originally posted on 04/11/17]
Today marks the beginning of the rollout of the Microsoft’s® Windows® 10 Creators Update. Just as Radeon™ Pro is for creators, visionaries, and storytellers — unleashing their creativity, the Creators Update is designed to spark and unleash creativity, and AMD is pleased to announce that we have day zero Radeon Pro Software driver support.
As we’ve demonstrated with our commitment to provide quarterly updates to our Radeon Pro Software Enterprise Driver, the release of today’s Radeon Pro Software Driver 17.4.2 continues AMD’s mandate to provide professionals prompt production level support for the latest software and technologies. Along with support for the Windows 10 Creators Update, the 17.4.2 driver also brings support for 8K monitors.
For enterprise users, the release of this day zero driver enables them to quickly start evaluating the newest version of Windows, allowing them to accelerate the decision-making process as to when to fully adopt it into their organization and shows that Radeon Pro Software is ready for any of your future business needs.
Windows 10 Creators Update for Professionals
Along with the exciting new features Microsoft has added for gamers in the Windows 10 Creators Update, it also includes more robust security options, something professional and enterprise users will appreciate. Although Windows 10 is already the most secure enterprise platform1, with features like Secure Boot, Device Guard, and Credential Guard that work with Radeon Pro software and hardware to protect your system from unsafe code and malware, the Creators Update includes even more advanced protection.
This includes the new Windows Defender Security Center, which is a single dashboard to control all your security settings from one place, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) capabilities, and Windows Hello for Business – all designed to keep sensitive IP secure on your workstation.
In addition to enhanced security, Media and Entertainment professionals working with HDR (High Dynamic Range) content will also benefit from the Creators Update’s improved HDR support2 for fullscreen, borderless fullscreen, and windowed applications. Modeled after the acuity of human vision, HDR delivers more vibrant colors and shows more detail with increased saturation, deeper contrast, and increased brightness.
With the Creators Update’s support for immersive experiences, professionals will be ready to add upcoming Windows Mixed Reality apps to their workflows, enabling mixed reality content creation, design visualization, collaboration and more.
Ready for the Next Pixel Revolution
4K displays have become increasing common, and 4K is quickly becoming the new standard for content creation. But in the never-ending march of progress, the status quo is always fleeting. 8K is about to become the new 4K, and Dell has just released the world’s first 31.5″ 8K monitor, the Dell UltraSharp 32 8K Monitor – UP3218K. With a resolution of 7680 x 4320 (that works out to 33.2 million pixels), the UP3218K displays four times more pixels than 4K and sixteen times more pixels than a 1080p display.
This ultra-high resolution is ideal for design reviews where 8K will allow for almost pixel-free visualizations of your creations. Media and Entertainment professionals working in this new format will now be able to create and review 8K content in its native resolution with our upcoming innovative and revolutionary Radeon™ Pro Solid State Graphics (SSG) technology that will enable real-time post-production of 8K video.
To support 8K displays, including the Dell UP3218K, the Radeon Pro Software Driver 17.4.2 enables 8K output on Radeon™ Pro graphics cards with the required hardware support. Currently, this support is limited to the Radeon™ Pro WX series cards that have the necessary DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3/HDR Ready3 display output connectors. 8K is supported at 60Hz with dual cable support (necessary for the UP3218K) and at 30Hz with single cable support.
Future Ready Radeon Pro Software
With Radeon Pro Software delivering timely support for the latest software and technologies professionals can be confident that by using Radeon™ Pro they’ll always be ready for what comes next.
You can download the Radeon Pro Software Driver 17.4.2 today, and learn more about Radeon Pro Software at www.amd.com/radeonprosoftware.
Alexander Blake-Davies, Software Product Marketing Specialist for Professional Graphics at AMD’s Radeon Technology Group. Links to third party sites and references to third party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third-party endorsement of AMD or any of its products is implied. Use of third party names or marks is for informational purposes only and no endorsement of or by AMD is intended or implied.
FOOTNOTES
1. According to “Windows 10 Creators Update coming April 11, Surface expands to more markets” https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/03/29/windows-10-creators-update-coming-april-11-su...
2. HDR content requires that the system be configured with a fully HDR-ready content chain, including: graphics card, monitor/TV, graphics driver and application. Video content must be graded in HDR and viewed with an HDR-ready player. Windowed mode content requires operating system support. GD-96
3. DisplayPort 1.4 HBR3/HDR Ready. Product is based on the DisplayPort 1.4 Specification published February 23, 2016, and is expected to pass VESA’s compliance testing process when available. GD-110
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