Mac OS X Intel Graphics Still Outperform Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Mac OS X Intel Graphics Still Outperform Linux

In recent weeks we have been talking about Intel's Linux advancements as it concerns their latest "Sandy Bridge" generation of processors with integrated graphics (and there are a few more articles on the way), but how is their latest open-source driver stack performing on the older generations of Intel integrated graphics? Previously, the Intel Linux graphics have been the real loser in our multi-OS comparisons, but is this still the case? At least when comparing the Linux and Mac OS X performance on Intel 945 hardware, yes, the Mesa driver falls behind at OpenGL acceleration.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=15683

[Nobu]

What's interesting is that in Open Arena the performance in Ubuntu 11.04 begins to improve at about the same point as OS X in that game and the one before it. Not only that, it gets even better at higher resolutions. It could be that, with some work, we could do much better than OS X.

What I really can't wait to see, is how wayland effects game performance. Would be nice if there's some improvement with that, in addition to the slimmed stack.

[FireBurn]

Perhaps the title should read - OSX Intel Graphics nearly as bad as the Linux ones

Also if you're using a Mac Mini are you using the Aluminium USB keyboard? If so swap it out for a regular USB one. I was recently bit by this problem where the keyboard driver is loaded to late to give boot commands

[Shining Arcanine]

Why not just publish Windows 7, Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux benchmarks along side each other? That way people can see which of the tree is doing the best and which of the tree is doing the worst.

[Michael]

Why not just publish Windows 7, Mac OS X and Ubuntu Linux benchmarks along side each other? That way people can see which of the tree is doing the best and which of the tree is doing the worst.

Because Windows 7 x64 wouldn't load on the Mac Mini due to the known EFI compatibility issues, as mentioned in the article. This is the only Intel graphics Mac system I have.

[Michael]

Also if you're using a Mac Mini are you using the Aluminium USB keyboard? If so swap it out for a regular USB one. I was recently bit by this problem where the keyboard driver is loaded to late to give boot commands

Nope, I have no Apple keyboards.

[.CME.]

could you try i915g+llvm?, i'm using it on my netbook and the performance is great, you can even play flatout in wine

[schmidtbag]

considering that most macs appear to have intel graphics and apple tends to have very basic hardware setups (making drivers easier to make for it), i'm not really surprised why intel graphics perform better on it and as long as apple stays this way, i would expect their intel graphics performance to stay better. in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if apple's intel graphics perform better than on windows setups either. either way, the performance is still mediocre, but still good enough for stuff like simple compositing effects.

[birdie]

That's probably because Apple treats MacOS as a gaming platform, thus they require Intel to write/create high quality drivers for MacOS.

On Linux OpenGL is kinda byproduct, a free addition to the basic 2D functionality.

[darkbasic]

in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if apple's intel graphics perform better than on windows setups either.

That's probably because Apple treats MacOS as a gaming platform, thus they require Intel to write/create high quality drivers for MacOS.

Are you joking? Intel graphics suck hard on Mac OSX (nearly as on Linux!), Windows drivers are much much MUCH faster.