Do Not Buy Nvidia Cards For Linux!!!!

[GrantsV]

I have been knocking Ubuntu and big distro's for extremely slow screen response and lag compared to windows. I know many, many people on forums are thinking the same thing - Linux has bad response compared to Win.

Then I bought a new laptop with Intel video, and despite being half the spec of my main Linux workstation PC, the laptops Gnome session runs as fast as Windows. Then I purchased another PC with Ati video card, and that too was as fast as Windows e.g. instant response from moving windows and scrolling Nautilus/Browsers etc. Only the first PC, with NVidia video card, has terrible response (although the infamous Placement=2 line gets me a touch closer to the speed I'd expect).

Then I stumbled upon the Nvnews forums and learnt that my 8600GT video card is effectively a three legged horse in Linux due some mysterious problem with the drivers/x-rendering. Anything beyond 6 series Nvidia cards have worse Linux 2d performance than the cheapest Intel/ATI card. Even top of the range 8800GT etc...

I just kitted out a new business with 8 new machines and made sure none of the machines have NVidia video technology.

I am posting this message on Ubuntu forums to warn others. NVidia absolutely must get this sorted but from what I can gather havent even made an official comment to acknowledge the problem.

See NVIDIA FORUMS AT:
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=14

I have no involvement with Ati, Intel or Nvidia beyond wasting £100 buying a 8600GT recently believing it would be the best choice for Linux.

[iheartubuntu]

Maybe it depends on your system. I have 8600 on my computer at home. It also has 4GB RAM and a single 3.6 ghtz processor. It kicks butt. I installed World of Warcraft on it for my sister to prove it would work on Ubuntu/linux systems and she was impressed. The game runs much faster with higher amount of detail and framerates as the same system with XP (its dual boot).

I dont know what youre talking about, other than "your mileage may vary". I think it sucks you are going around "warning" people of nVidia like this instead of going around asking more questions and being more informed about it.

An Intel card is never going to get the power of nVidia... SORRY!!!!

[GrantsV]

Sorry I wasn't being 100% clear. 3D works marvelous on Linux with NVidia. Urban Terror with AntiAliasing etc works fantastic at over 100fps.

But general 2D desktop is really laggy. For example I drag a window or scroll, it leaves a trail. On very low spec Intel integrated motherboard video card, and on ATI cards, this is not an issue.

Please appreciate I spent months wondering what on earth was wrong with my laggy Linux desktop. Dual booting to Windows confirmed Win offers instant response to desktop movements. I have tried various drivers and am now on 173.14.05.

If I had spend my £100 on equivalent ATI card, all that time distro hoppy and trying to optimise the desktop would not have happened. Had I not stumbled upon the Nvnews forums and saw all the others with the same problem I would still be thinking its Ubuntu being "bloated".

Nevertheless, NVidia is proclaimed the choice for Linux and that just simply isnt true in my recent experience of all 3 major makers of video cards.

Best regards,
Colin

[chalewa]

strange, never heard anything like this before.

[Steveway]

Yup, you propably mean the miserable Xrender performance of Nvidia-cards.
Those cards can do good 2D acceleration but it's mostly a driver-issue.
Nvidia knows about it but refuses to fix it. I'll change to the nouveau-driver as soon as I can. (Hope we get proper Ubuntu-packages.)

[stchman]

I have been knocking Ubuntu and big distro's for extremely slow screen response and lag compared to windows. I know many, many people on forums are thinking the same thing - Linux has bad response compared to Win.

Then I bought a new laptop with Intel video, and despite being half the spec of my main Linux workstation PC, the laptops Gnome session runs as fast as Windows. Then I purchased another PC with Ati video card, and that too was as fast as Windows e.g. instant response from moving windows and scrolling Nautilus/Browsers etc. Only the first PC, with NVidia video card, has terrible response (although the infamous Placement=2 line gets me a touch closer to the speed I'd expect).

Then I stumbled upon the Nvnews forums and learnt that my 8600GT video card is effectively a three legged horse in Linux due some mysterious problem with the drivers/x-rendering. Anything beyond 6 series Nvidia cards have worse Linux 2d performance than the cheapest Intel/ATI card. Even top of the range 8800GT etc...

I just kitted out a new business with 8 new machines and made sure none of the machines have NVidia video technology.

I am posting this message on Ubuntu forums to warn others. NVidia absolutely must get this sorted but from what I can gather havent even made an official comment to acknowledge the problem.

See NVIDIA FORUMS AT:
http://www.nvnews.net/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=14

I have no involvement with Ati, Intel or Nvidia beyond wasting £100 buying a 8600GT recently believing it would be the best choice for Linux.

I have two nvidia cards (8800GT and 7600GT) running the 169.12 nvidia-glx-new drivers in Ubuntu Hardy 64 bit. They both run Compiz perfectly. If I switch Compiz off, the desktop is still super responsive.

I don't know what the problem with your system is.

Nvidia is the best choice of video card for Linux. You will find that opinion shared by many on this forum.

[Joshuwa]

Running the 9600gt without problems.

I *specifically* bought this card for linux use, and it has been a dream. Getting the driver properly installed was a trial and error process, but I found a script that did it with ease, and it works perfectly now.

I'd personally have trouble recommended anything other than NVidia for linux.

[wdaniels]

Anything beyond 6 series Nvidia cards have worse Linux 2d performance than the cheapest Intel/ATI card. Even top of the range 8800GT etc...

I don't know anything about this issue since I've never had cause to look up any problems with NVIDIA cards - my 7600GS works brilliantly and always has done. So whatever trouble you're having, it doesn't seem to affect "anything beyond 6 series"...perhaps you have misidentified a more specific problem as this general Xrender performance issue?

There may well be poorer Xrender performance than there ought to be, but not to the extent you're describing I'm sure (unless the problem worsens somehow with faster cards?). I suggest you look at other potential problems before deciding that it's just something in the driver that can't be fixed.

[GrantsV]

I am hearing a few 8800 owners who are very happy, so my statement its all 6+ series appears to be wrong.

Let me illustrate my situation. I just switched back to VESA drivers and my desktop is perceptable twice as quick than NVidia drivers with my 8600GT. I measure this by scrolling around bloated web browser pages, and dragging window around with contents displayed. With Vesa drivers, the CPU isn't getting slammed either.

Under a selection of NVidia's drivers, I get lag where the windows literally trail behind as they redraw, its that slow. You can see Gnome menus being drawn on screen, its like having a 5 year old computer. With Vesa drivers, is only just perceptible, however its still nowhere near as good as Windows, which for all purposes is instantaneous on the Desktop so long as you have the RAM and no other bottlenecks (e.g. clean install).

It is definitely a driver bug, and GTK cant be blamed because I am getting instantaneous reponse with ATI and Intel cards. The ATI machine is identical in software and other hardware beyond the video card. Its NVidia's drivers alone causing this.

Btw, I have Render enabled and other XORG options switched on.

[regomodo]

I am hearing a few 8800 owners who are very happy, so my statement its all 6+ series appears to be wrong.

I had a 6800gt for about 1.5yrs. No problems there even if it was overclocked a bit much.Have a 8800gt now, still no issues.

I have heard of this xrender issue and also look forward to the nouveau driver.