AMD Users, Update Your PCI Bus Driver

Included with Catalyst packages is usually the graphics drivers, some various other utilities, and CCC. Another driver also exists in Catalyst packages called "amdkmpfd", or the Pci Bus driver.

This driver is not installed or updated for a lot of people, so you may just be using the generic "PCI Bus" driver provided from Microsoft. While this may not be a huge issue, you may be able to get better performance by switching to AMD's driver.

How do you tell if you have either AMD's driver or Microsoft's? A quick way is to check the name of the PCI Bus device from Device Manager under System devices. If the name is "PCI Bus", then you most likely have the Microsoft driver. If the name is "Pci Bus", then you most likely have the AMD driver.


To confirm such, just double-click the device, hit the "Driver" tab, and check the Provider.


So what do you do if you want to update/switch to AMD's Pci Bus driver? You'll need access to a Catalyst driver package. You can grab one either from AMD Game's page, AMD's Support Page, or your OEM. For this example, I'll be using AMD's 13.2 Beta 5 driver.


Once you have it, run it and let it extract files.


After extraction is complete, you should then be taken to CIM (Catalyst Install Manager), close it.


You'll now want to head over to Device Manager, find the PCI Bus driver, and Update it.


Browse my computer for driver software > Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer > Have Disk... > Browse...


When you opened up the driver installer, it extracted files. You'll want to go find that folder now. By default, it would of placed an AMD folder on the root of your system drive.


You want to go into the Packages\Drivers\amdkmpfd folder


The next folder you want to go into is dependent on your OS version. The folder names are pretty self-explanatory, but:

W7 = Windows 7 32-bit
W8 = Windows 8 32-bit
W764A = Windows 7 64-bit
W864A = Windows 8 64-bit

- Vista users can use the Windows 7 driver matching their architecture
- Server OS users pick the folder pertaining closest to their OS and exact architecture (Server 2008 = Windows 7, Server 2012 = Windows 8)

You then just double-click the amdkmpfd.inf in the folder


Press OK, and you should then be shown the "Pci Bus" driver


Press Next to Install it

During this time, your screen may either turn off and back on, your computer may be unresponsive for a short period of time, or the installation will complete nearly instantly (regardless of what happens, the driver should install, give it plenty of time though)

Once the driver is installed, restart immediately. It may vary between hardware, but my computer would lock up within 5 minutes of not rebooting after installing the driver.

Once rebooted, the driver should be installed (can verify by checking out Device Manager) and you should be ready to go! Go try out some games and benchmarks and see if anything has changed for you.

Notes:
- Advice taken from: http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=373501
- Your PCI Bus driver may have "3GIO" in the name, and this would mean it is AMD-provided, but likely outdated as well
- If you experience worse performance, you can roll back the driver
- This is likely only for motherboards using AMD Chipsets, and not Nvidia nor Intel (if Device Manager warns you that the new driver may be incompatible, it might just be right)

Just curious but if there was an update like this would it not in on your mobo's driver page?

I think this is only for motherboards with AMD A-Link Express chipsets.

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diredusk wrote:

Just curious but if there was an update like this would it not in on your mobo's driver page?

I've never seen an OEM actually include this as an update, but it may be possible some OEM's do post it. In any case, there is a high chance that AMD's driver is more up to date.

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jantjeuh wrote:

I think this is only for motherboards with AMD A-Link Express chipsets.

I have a Biostar A880G+ Motherboard (either 880G+ or 790 Chipset); i'm not too familiar with what the A-Link chipset is, but if it's part of the newer APU's, then this isn't entirely true since it works with my older chipset.

This worked for me. Thanks!

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diredusk wrote:

Just curious but if there was an update like this would it not in on your mobo's driver page?

Becouse AMD only care about the sales, u can see by their crappy CCC and drivers.

Install the AMD pci bus driver even on Intel chipset motherboards ?

Careful though, if you happen to use the AMD cleaner to remove your drivers. The utility will also remove the PCI driver, hence making your system unable to boot.

This helped to a degree, and should be done regardless, but as I said the improvement was limited:

It did seem to keep stuttering down (lag/FPS spikes/seizing) but did not solve the loading issue. Still simply sits there after a few area loads and I have to ALT+TAB out of the loading screen just to see if it's crashed or not (usually has).

ATi 5870 Cypress XT model w/ Gigabyte 790XT Mobo

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ziggro wrote:

"

diredusk wrote:

Just curious but if there was an update like this would it not in on your mobo's driver page?

Becouse AMD only care about the sales, u can see by their crappy CCC and drivers.

Completely irrelevant and untrue. Please refrain from spreading such misinformation, or at least in this thread.

"

Qmabyte wrote:

Install the AMD pci bus driver even on Intel chipset motherboards ?

Careful though, if you happen to use the AMD cleaner to remove your drivers. The utility will also remove the PCI driver, hence making your system unable to boot.

I believe Intel-based motherboards, and possibly even nForce/Nvidia-based chipsets would require a different driver.

This is a great illustrated guide. However, I find it hard to believe there isn't a simpler way to install that updated driver.

Perhaps by right-clicking the inf and hitting install or whatever?