AMD Catalyst: Ubuntu 12.10 vs. Windows 7

[dh04000]

There's something that I can't get in Phoronix benchmarks, wasn't Unity continuosly dropping in performances ad behind KDE by a noticeable margin? What happened here?

I believe "what happened" for three reasons.

1) The redirect windows option was not clicked for KDE for these tests, so default settings only

2) ATi cards are so much more powerful than the intel's that are usually shown, that the slow down by unity is not seen as easily in them.

3) Wasn't a regression with catalyst shown in KDE recently?


I've not verified any of this, just some ideas.

[asdx]

Catalyst needs to die? Really? Why don't you look at that:



That's Unigine Sanctuary @ r600g.

Now look at that:



That's Unigine Heaven @ r600g.

But wait, there's more!



That's unity @ r600g.

I want my Catalysts back.

I don't, I want radeon to improve. Stop wanting the easy way.

[asdx]

Open-source video drivers are even less good, so please keep the binary blobs alive as long as they are better. (personally I really need the binary blobs for gaming/Blendering, there is nothing at the moment that could replace it.)

with binary blobs of NVIDIA:
what I like:
- gaming just works
- desktop feels smooth
- I get a control panel for my graphics card
- Blender works faster on Linux than on Windows
- 3D performance seems to be equally to Windows
- etc.

what I don't like:
- plymouth looks weird
- some weird bugs

The open-source drivers:
what I don't like:
- games don't "just run" (missing OGL plugins/slow)
- desktop doesn't feel smooth
- No GUI control panel for my graphics card
- Blender doesn't work AT ALL with Cycles renderer (CUDA)
- 3D performance is just lower than on Windows
- a LOT of bugs/crashes in software

What I like:
- plymouth looks good

So why would you wish the binary blobs dead when there is nothing to replace it AT THE MOMENT?
Just using the graphics card with binary blobs makes a reasenable user experience.
Using the same hardware with Open-source drivers (nouveau) makes a BAD user experience.

PS> Ok, Optimus doesn't work with the binary drivers. Neither does it OOTB with the opensource drivers. That's why I don't buy hardware with optimus UNTIL it is properly supported by the binary drivers.

PPS> Opinions are opinions, facts are facts.

Don't care.

I want blobs to die, and I want open source drivers to get better. Period, end of the conversation.

[yaji]

I don't, I want radeon to improve. Stop wanting the easy way.

Well I think I'll buy new AMD graphic card just because how awesome Catalyst drivers are

[asdx]

You guys disappoint me, why do you say you love open source but then you choose binary blobs when they clearly hinder development?

Why not help the open source drivers instead. *Sigh*

We'll never get improved open source drivers if we always go with the blob.

[Rigaldo]

Isn't it possible to do a benchmark among the others with only X.org running for"window management"?(well, I mean no window management )
That would serve as a control group, to see the impact on performance from window managers. And what undirect fullscreen/suspend effects for fullscreen really can do.
In my opinion, seeing this comparison at least once is more important than comparing to Windows.(not that the last is unimportant, but we must see that too)
Although there may be difficulties doing this on Phoronix test suite, I'd love to see it.

If such benchmarks been done already, please excuse, and redirect to them me if you can.

@asdx

You're repeating the same stuff we've gone through countless times. It can get a lil bit annoying.

[asdx]

So glad Alan Cox said no to Nvidia+DMA BUF.

Ha ha, take that blob lovers!



The King.

[asdx]

Isn't it possible to do a benchmark among the others with only X.org running for"window management"?(well, I mean no window management )
That would serve as a control group, to see the impact on performance from window managers. And what undirect fullscreen/suspend effects for fullscreen really can do.
In my opinion, seeing this comparison at least once is more important than comparing to Windows.(not that the last is unimportant, but we must see that too)
Although there may be difficulties doing this on Phoronix test suite, I'd love to see it.

If such benchmarks been done already, please excuse, and redirect to them me if you can.

@asdx

You're repeating the same stuff we've gone through countless times. It can get a lil bit annoying.

Ok sorry, but I'm just trying to bring some awareness here because I love Linux and FOSS, and I'm worried that everyone loves blob but no one seems to care about the free software drivers.

[alexThunder]

These test results clearly show that Intel is the future for Linux GPU-tasks.
It might sound a bit unreflected to state this directly, but the current performance-backlog of integrated Intel Graphics will be recovered in the future and companies like Nvidia and ATI, who still offer currently slightly faster binary-blobs, overtaken.
Now, the reason for that is the property of Open Source- and especially Kernel-development, that companies and individuals have a hard time to maintain and nurture their "commits", when they are not directly implemented into the actual infrastructure and source code of an OSS-project.
Just imagine the huge manpower required to make sure that the Nvidia and ATI Kernel-modules actually work with the most recent versions of the Kernel. Some of us, including myself, have already experienced how much of a pain it causes to find out, that the proprietary Nvidia-driver doesn't work with the current Kernel version installed. To be fair, these issues lessened over the last few years, and Nvidia has a great way of dealing with that.
I am not that much of a Gentoo-enthusiast to state that binary-blobs might have a speed disadvantage in comparison to natively-compiled open source alternatives.
Keeping at the back of your minds, that in case of binary-blobs, the companies' support is endemic for them to work with a dynamically changing project like the Linux Kernel, one might ask what would happen if this support was seized one day.
In case of open drivers, the case is rather clear. Contrary to that, it would just be a question of time when the actual Nvidia-modules stopped working with the ongoingly changing Kernel.
Moreover, Linux is not a system one might install for gaming. Windows is great for that, out of question.

When it comes to choosing between Intel or ATI/Nvidia on your next hardware-purchase, you have to conclude, in which way you want to affect the future of Linux graphics. Binary-blobs work fine, they are faster, they are technically more advanced, even I am using one currently. But in the Linux-world, we also have to look at the ethical properties of this discussion: Which solution is more suitable for a "free" future we all struggle for by using GNU/Linux?

Thanks for reading (tldr)!

I'll stick to AMD as long Intel can't deliver usable 3D-gaming performance. If that changes and if the open source radeon driver doesn't improve significantly until that, I promise I'll switch to Intel.

[frign]

I'll stick to AMD as long Intel can't deliver usable 3D-gaming performance. If that changes and if the open source radeon driver doesn't improve significantly until that, I promise I'll switch to Intel.

The Intel HD Graphics 4000 is already "suitable" for standard 3D-tasks. I completely understand you and your special requirements for high 3D-performance, but many GNU/Linux-users are rather focused on Desktop-tasks and really don't need high graphics performance.
Stay tuned for Haswell and compare the current Intel graphics with the ancient Intel GMA .

Best regards.