When will there be a new driver update for Radeon RX Vega M codename Kaby Lake G?

[weal234]

I am a user of a Intel NUC HADES CANYON NUC8I7HVK. The Intel version drivers for RX Vega M codename Kaby Lake G haven't been updated since Jan 2019. I was experiencing recording issues with the AMD version drivers and consulted my local customer service, asking when new intel versions of the graphics drivers would be updated. In Jan 2021, this year, they replied with a post from the community: 

https://community.intel.com/t5/Graphics/Are-you-looking-for-drivers-for-Radeon-RX-Vega-M-codename-Kaby/m-p/1238744/thread-id/92529​ 

The post said that Intel was working with AMD and was hoping to release new drivers for these graphics in Q1 2021. Yet until now, no more word from Intel.

The post has been deleted, and I have seen no response to why the post has been deleted. Have the release dates of these new drivers been postponed, or have these new driver just been canceled?

[powerarmour]

Still there for me:

https://community.intel.com/t5/Graphics/Are-you-looking-for-drivers-for-Radeon-RX-Vega-M-codename-Kaby/m-p/1238744

But yeah, I wouldn't hold my breath tbh... we'll see.

[DeividA_Intel]

Hello weal234,  

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.   

I would like to let you know that as RonaldM_Intel mentioned in his post "We have engaged with AMD* and we are hoping to release an updated driver for Radeon™ RX Vega M GL/GH Graphics in Q1 2021." This may take more than expected but for any official information such as new releases, news, products, projects related to Intel, I recommend you to visit our newsroom (https://newsroom.intel.com/). We release there all the important information related to Intel.

Please keep in mind that this thread will no longer be monitored by Intel.  

Regards,  

Deivid A.  

Intel Customer Support Technician  

[PissedUser]

For God’s sakes!!! Both you and Radeon should get fined heavily for this sort of sh*t. This level of support is beyond unacceptable for such a premium product. Actually technically it is non existent.

[weal234]

@Chris_V_Intel Hey, Chris. It's been a month since your last reply, could you give me an update on how the new drivers are going. Though you did say you would update every week, I figured out that if I mentioned you every week you'd probably just say the same things. I think monthly intervals between mentions will be fine enough.

[Chris_V_Intel]

lol, and you'd be right @weal234 . 

I don't even have anything new to share now other than we are progressing in the background. In fact, as I write this, AMD should be working on getting our information into the driver so it can be installed. But again, I don't know when they'll be ready. It could be tomorrow, it could be in months. 

If for some reason it is months, I'll put a note on my calendar right now to provide an update, even if it's more of the above. However, I hope I'll be sharing positive news before that.

[Chris_V_Intel]

As promised, an update.

A very small one. We're still in a holding pattern.

If nothing else happens in a month, I'll provide another update. Hopefully, we'll have something to share before then.

[BHarr8]

Perhaps it would be prudent to add a note on the support docs mentioning:

"Compatibility with games released after 6/8/2020 is not guaranteed."

You know, since you can still totally buy these units new and rightfully assume that you will be getting access to AMD's driver updates addressing new games and bug fixes.

[powerarmour]

FWIW, you can still manually install the drivers though, even the new 21.6.1:

[BHarr8]

Which is what I also do but that is unrelated to my post.

This device is still for sale new as a gaming NUC yet its graphics drivers are (for now at least) discontinued and there is no notice of this in the release notes.

[Matt255kt]

Good Night, Is there a link explaining how to manually install them or can you provide instructions?

[Matt255kt]

@Chris_V_Intel any update?

[Chris_V_Intel]

I missed my July update! Sorry!

We are so close. We actually have a driver that's tested and works. However, there are a few issues with the file itself we need to figure out before we can post it publicly. 

As I said, as soon as I know it's posted, I'll post here and let you all know!

[Chris_V_Intel]

As promised, my monthly update. For August.

Again, we have the driver, and we're very close. I can't promise anything, but we are pretty confident that it will be posted in  September. Hopefully early September. 

[n_scott_pearson]

Gee Chris, I so love these 'dangling the carrot' answers...   ;^)

...S

[BHarr8]

There is some potentially good news. AMD's 21.6.1 drivers that just came out and many people are reporting noticeable improvements in performance (perhaps due to older cards being dropped from support).

I force installed them and they work great on our NUCs. If AMD and Intel could work a deal out now having these be the first official drivers, people that have no idea about the support issues would all get a nice bonus.

[powerarmour]

Would be nice, though with Windows 11 around the corner if they're not released soon the Hades Canyon NUC will be unsupported, it's already failing the PC Health check test, even with the 21.6.1 drivers manually installed (and Intel PTT enabled for a firmware TPM 2.0 device).

[BHarr8]

Here is the reason:

Windows Processor Requirements Windows 11 Supported Intel Processors | Microsoft Docs

Due to Intel's and AMD's little spat, MS does not recognize the i7-8809G as an 8th gen CPU, probably because Intel just wants the whole thing to go away.

EDIT:

Looks pretty 8th gen to me:

Intel® Core™ i7-8809G Processor with Radeon™ RX Vega M GH graphics (8M Cache, up to 4.20 GHz) Product Specifications

[powerarmour]

It's 8th gen in name/branding only, the actual architecture is 7th gen Kaby Lake though, which isn't supported (apart from oddly a Celeron 3867U which is a Kaby Lake R)

All the other 8th gen Intel CPU's on Microsoft's list seem to be true Coffee Lake arch parts (mostly, cba to check them all!).

[BHarr8]

So, the ARK page is false advertising, just like the "we are definitely working with AMD to get new graphics drivers for this device."

Intel blows my mind sometimes. Right when AMD becomes a serious threat Intel responds by pulling out a gun and starts shooting itself in the foot.

BTW, on the topic of NUCs......Its been 131 days since I ordered my NUC11PHKi7C from the only retailer that Intel recommends (Simply Nuc). Simply NUC isn't even bothering to give me fictitious shipping date updates anymore since it starts to looks pretty bad after you fail on like 6 shipping dates. I don't even think its all their fault BTW, I am sure that Intel is stringing them along just like they are with our official graphics drivers.

If the actual answer is "We screwed up, no one is getting their NUC11PHKi7C until September.", just tell Simply NUC the truth so they can copy all of the people waiting on their device, that they were charged for in February.

[powerarmour]

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@BHarr8 wrote:

So, the ARK page is false advertising, just like the "we are definitely working with AMD to get new graphics drivers for this device."

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It's an odd situation, as far as naming/branding goes Intel '8th gen' had three separate architectures, Kaby Lake R/G, Coffee Lake and Cannon Lake.

This one is probably on Intel, MS has likely nerfed the Kaby Lake architecture based on their own understanding of what an 8th gen architecture actually is, rather than what Intel's marketing says it is.