ATi Open drivers are coming of age... :)

[handy]

Some people are getting choppy video playback using the Catalyst driver. This may help you:

http://ubuntu4beginners.blogspot.com...-card-and.html

[handy]

Here's some good news:

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...item&px=OTY1OQ

[el_koraco]

I've had some luck pimping the Galium/radeon driver with regard to power management in Fedora.

Added

Section "Device"
        Identifier  "Videocard0"
        Driver      "radeon"
        Option "ClockGating"       "true"
        Option "DynamicPM"         "true"
EndSection

to /etc/X11/xorg.conf. Brought down the temp by about 10 degrees C. Not as good as fglrx, but it's nice to see radeon getting some good PM. Although, I can't for the life of me figure out why this is not the default.

[kaldor]

From my experience with AMD over the last short while, I am likely not buying NVIDIA again. AMD actually puts effort into supporting Linux these days, and their open source drivers are really good apart from gaming.

[handy]

I've had the same attitude as yours for some time kaldor. AMD are giving so much to the open-source community I couldn't possibly support anyone else no-matter how much better their drivers were.

It is only a matter of time & the open-source drivers will give sufficient support to the gamers. I expect that eventually AMD will only support open-source drivers.

[GSF1200S]

From my experience with AMD over the last short while, I am likely not buying NVIDIA again. AMD actually puts effort into supporting Linux these days, and their open source drivers are really good apart from gaming.

Please dont take this the wrong way as I am all for the recent developments in relation to ATI video cards (really, kudos to them), but I dont think thats fair to Nvidia.

Yes, Nvidia isnt doing as ATI does (with open source), but they do offer good drivers and great products. I have fantastic 2d performance, 3d performance, power management and an extremely powerful control interface (though Nvidia could always make things better), while many ATI users still suffer in at least one area.

Again, ATI has done the right thing and their linux support is much better than it used to be, but to somehow imply Nvidia is evil or worse off performance-wise is not true to what I believe having experience with both brands.

[handy]

Please dont take this the wrong way as I am all for the recent developments in relation to ATI video cards (really, kudos to them), but I dont think thats fair to Nvidia.

Why isn't it fair to nVidia, to give AMD praise for the huge amount of work that they have done re. their multifaceted contributions to the open-source AMD/ATi driver stack? When nVidia basically do nothing in that regard?

Yes, Nvidia isnt doing as ATI does (with open source), but they do offer good drivers and great products. I have fantastic 2d performance, 3d performance, power management and an extremely powerful control interface (though Nvidia could always make things better), while many ATI users still suffer in at least one area.

None of that has anything to do with nVidia's lack of support for the nVidia open-source driver stack.
You could just as well be praising MS for their Office Suite against OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

Again, ATI has done the right thing and their linux support is much better than it used to be, but to somehow imply Nvidia is evil or worse off performance-wise is not true to what I believe having experience with both brands.

It has never been implied in this entire mega-thread that nVidia has inferior performance to the open-source AMD/ATi driver stack.

I use both brands also, as many of us do. The bottom line here is that over the last couple of years due to AMD's choice to give so much support to the development of the open-source driver stack for their GPUs, we have been able to benefit from a huge increase in the performance & reliability of that stack.

I know that you weren't really making a post to hit the AMD open-source support GSF1200S, but you kind of did anyway.

[el_koraco]

Not to mention that AMD has better support for hybrid graphics than Nvidia. The binary drivers suck, but I'm happy to endure that if it means that the open source stack will catch up in a year or two. Imagine buying a machine with an ATI GPU, regular or hybrid, and not have to fiddle with proprietary drivers.

[GSF1200S]

Why isn't it fair to nVidia, to give AMD praise for the huge amount of work that they have done re. their multifaceted contributions to the open-source AMD/ATi driver stack? When nVidia basically do nothing in that regard?

I was referring to the implicit suggestion that one should move away from Nvidia, and in a tone that is almost condescending to their product. I explicitly stated that I support AMD for their contributions to open-source regarding this issue, but I dont think its right to condemn a hardware company who chooses to not contribute in open-source endeavors WHEN THEY RELEASE a driver that is fantastic for the product itself. However, one COULD cite their reluctance to provide an official solution to Optimus on Linux, and I would agree that it is very poor they fail to do so. In terms of performance graphically, Nvidia is stellar in the Linux world (read: the best), but if Bumblebee or Nvidia doesnt resolve the Optimus issue, its all for naught.

None of that has anything to do with nVidia's lack of support for the nVidia open-source driver stack.
You could just as well be praising MS for their Office Suite against OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

Well, many people serious in corporate/business environments will hold Office in a much higher regard in terms of performance than LibreOffice; while LibreOffice is fine for me, I can see the equivalent in that Nvidia hardware performs much better on my chosen OS relative to ATI hardware. Also, I dont hold the fact that Office is "better" to many others against Linux- MS could release Office for Linux (just as Nvidia could aid the open source drivers). And while I have MANY problems with Microsoft due to their monopolistic business policies, they have a right to compete in the market as they choose- unlike Windows which people are forced to use from the moment they purchase a computer, Office is USUALLY a choice. Again, one could cite how they use closed document formats instead of open ones pushed by Ooo and LibreOffice, and THAT is a problem I have with MS in regards to Office.

It has never been implied in this entire mega-thread that nVidia has inferior performance to the open-source AMD/ATi driver stack.

I know- I simply reiterated that fact in response to the quote I quoted- Im not trolling or an Nvidia fanboy (I have ATI products too).

I use both brands also, as many of us do. The bottom line here is that over the last couple of years due to AMD's choice to give so much support to the development of the open-source driver stack for their GPUs, we have been able to benefit from a huge increase in the performance & reliability of that stack.

We have for sure, and thats great- I wasnt contesting that in the slightest.

I know that you weren't really making a post to hit the AMD open-source support GSF1200S, but you kind of did anyway.

Perhaps, if showing any support to a product not open source is considered "hitting the AMD open-source support." In principle however, I do not see supporting Nvidia on account of their driver support as anti open source- in terms of hardware, Nvidia is competing against ATI, and have a vested interest in hiding components from them as a competitor; in a socialist sense I agree even the drivers should be open (causing progress to be at a much faster pace), but as a realist in a capitalist world, I understand their motivation to keep "trade secrets" for at least a little while. Nvidia sells hardware; their drivers are software in the literal sense, but are so in a fashion that opening them would threaten their ability to compete with an ATI which is backed by AMD. I reiterate that I fully support AMD/ATI's actions, but I dont hate Nvidia in this case.

In short, in a Utopian view, I fully support all software (including drivers) being open, but I must be realistic to the burdens placed on a hardware company trying to have a competitive edge in a capitalist society.

**EDIT** I really think we are going off topic, and I also think we are on the same side in terms of ATI; I just sensed a tone I didnt feel was warranted and sought to address it with perspective

[GSF1200S]

Not to mention that AMD has better support for hybrid graphics than Nvidia. The binary drivers suck, but I'm happy to endure that if it means that the open source stack will catch up in a year or two. Imagine buying a machine with an ATI GPU, regular or hybrid, and not have to fiddle with proprietary drivers.

I agree about hybrid graphics...