IL-2 Random Crashes,ATI video card

[Mysticpuma]

I feel like I fell into the trap with ATi. It's really frustrating and completely random the crashes!

I run Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, Radeon 4890 Vapor-X, 8GB Corsair Ram in a Gigabyte EP35-DS4 Motherboard and a Quad 6600 G0 stepping O/C to 3Ghz.

I have Catalyst 10.2. I have disabled Vertex options in conf.ini. I dropped the ati dll file into the main IL2 folder. I also have the March 2008 (so long ago) .dll's in there.

FMB still crashes when it feels like it. When flying offline, I have no problems at-all. No graphics glitches, no problems.

As soon as I venture online (Dogfight Server at WC) I start wondering just how-long I will be around before I CTD.

I have noticed that it seems to be Snow or winter maps where I crash out most often, the usual syptom being the clouds start White and flicker to Black, eventually the ground (Snow) turns black or inverted colours and then I CTD.

I flew last-night for an hour over green fields, and not one probelm was encountered.

I bought the 4890 as it is a powerhouse when it comes to shifting graphics, and being the Vapor-X it runs quietly (which I prefer).

However, as IL2 is pretty much all I have on my PC for entertainment, I am seriously considering swapping back to Nvidia (275 or 285...if I can find one that doesn't sound like a hair dryer) as I cannot take much more of the frustration of never knowing if I will be wasting another gaming session with a CTD meaning another Disco to my record and another mission un-completed.

I know my mobo supports Crossfire, so Ati is 'native' to it, but it will run a single Nvidia if necessary.

So is there (unless this can be fixed) a quiet 275 or 285 card out there, and where is the complaints link to raise an issue with the driver at the ATI website?

Frustrated, MP