AMD has been making leaps for the past few years with its new direction and focus. In addition to trading punches with Intel in the CPU space, AMD has simultaneously managed to go head to head against NVIDIA in the Graphics Card market. With the new 3rd Gen Ryzen processors and Navi graphics cards, it seems like AMD is on a roll which doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
AMD doesn’t have a good track record of supporting its hardware properly. However, the company is determined to change that. So, as a result, we’ve been seeing a greater influx of graphics driver updates from AMD for both mobile and desktop users. AMD Adrenalin has been a massive annual update for Radeon users for a while now and each year, it seems to deliver.
Likewise, the 2020 edition of AMD Adrenalin has brought a ton of new things to Radeon users including a complete revamp of the UI, significant performance gains and some much-requested features.
Radeon Boost headlines the massive Adrenalin 2020 update for AMD users
The AMD Adrenalin 2020 drivers are finally out now (download here) around the world for most Radeon users.
With Adrenalin 2020, AMD has brought a big overhaul to the UI. However, the most important change comes in the form of a 12% performance gain over last year’s Adrenalin driver. The biggest contributing factor to this massive gain is the new Radeon Boost, which is a dynamic resolution technique.
Other than that, we have the addition of a tuning tab, a streaming tab, Radeon Anti-Lag and last but not the least, some beefy enhancements to AMD’s game streaming app, AMD Link.
Here’s a complete list of all the new features (initially reported by VideoCardz) that arrive with the 2020 AMD Adrenalin driver update:
- New UI (now also available in-game)
- AMD Link enhancements
- (new ultra bitrate (50 Mbps, x265 encoding, instant GIFs)
- Cleaner interface
- Unified look for Radeon Software App
- Radeon Boost
- Faster, more fluid gaming by adjusting the resolution
- Little to no perceptible change in image quality
- More responsive
- Support for 8 games at launch: Overwatch (up to 38% faster), PUBG (up to 22% faster), Borderlands 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider (up to 10% faster), Destiny 2, GTA5, COD WW2
- Tuning Tab
- Custom tune your graphics card and get additional performance for your game
- Simplified view and auto-tuning presets for notice users
- Advanced engine, memory, voltage and fan settings for enthusiasts
- Easily track your system performance while you game
- Streaming Tab
- Stream your game or desktop directly online
- Improved stability
- Easy to launch, configure and use directly from your game
- Dedicated control area for streaming
- Mixer, Twitch, Youtube support, multiple scenes etc.
- DirectML media filters
- Visual noise reduction and upscaling filters utilizing machine learning
- Image Sharpening
- Clearer details where they matter, with less than 2% impact on performance
- Adds DX11 games
- Control degree of sharpness
- Toggle on/off while in game
- Radeon Anti-lag
- Reduces input lag, delivering quicker responses
- Adds DX9 support for pre-RX5000 GPUs
- Global activation
- Integer Display Scaling
- Gives classic games a retro, pixel-art-style look
- Ultra-crisp scaling option for high-PPI displays
- No-performance-cost option
- Web Browser
- integrated browser helps gamers get important information
- Direct access to video tutorials
- System status
- Get notified if your hardware is below minimum developer game specification
- Quickly check your AMD Link connection status
- It’s never been easier to keep your system up to date
- Game Center
- Launch your games from one location regardless of store
- Adjust Radeon Software settings on each game
- Track gaming and performance stats
- User profiles
- Gaming/eSports/Standard
- Ideal for novice users
- One-click presets
- Installer
- One-Click setup with improved factory reset
- Keep my settings between installation
- Up to 34% faster install time
AMD Link enhancements make it a strong competitor in the game streaming market
While the performance gains and the UI overhaul are promising features in the new Adrenalin update, it is perhaps the announcement of improvements coming to AMD Link that have attracted the attention of most people. Released back in 2017, AMD Link has slowly been climbing up the ladder to become a viable streaming service and compete with the likes of GeForce Now and Steam Remote Play.
However, as we move forward, we’ve started to see different types of streaming services also step into the market like Project xCloud and Google Stadia. While AMD Link is not a standalone streaming service and does more traditional desktop streaming, the new improvements have made it extremely convenient to stream your PC games to mobile devices anywhere.
Firstly, the AMD Link app is now available on both iOS and Android with their own built-in controls so you could take your PC games on the road on your phone or tablet. In addition to that, you don’t need a Wi-Fi connection at all times either as the app allows the use of 4G or 5G connectivity. And last but not the least, the new ultra bitrate option allows for some crisp gameplay with great graphical fidelity on the go.
So, did you like the new additions in the AMD Adrenalin update for 2020 or does AMD still need to step up its game in order to truly compete with the likes of NVIDIA? Let us know down in the comments below.