Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

NVIDIA Has Major New Linux Driver: Optimus, RandR 1.4

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #11
    Originally posted by enrico.tagliavini View Post
    Can I just point out the README clearly says the other device must use the modesetting driver? This means if you have an intel card you can't use the intel driver with it to enable nvidia optimus. For now this support is just useless. Bumblebee is simpler, even more if used with primus.
    Huh? But Intel drivers have kernel modesetting.

    Comment


    • #12
      I hope there's some power management stuffed somewhere in these new drivers or coming soon. I plan on buying a new Haswell notebook in the Fall and it will likely have Nvidia graphics since it's hard to get 1080p screens at 17-inches without a dedicated GPU in the configuration. Things are looking good!

      Comment


      • #13
        Did anyone actually read the changelog? To quote:
        Added initial support for RandR 1.4 Provider objects with the Source Output capability, which can be used to render the desktop on an NVIDIA GPU and display it on an output connected to a provider with the Sink Output capability, such as an Intel integrated graphics device or a DisplayLink USB-to-VGA adapter. See the README for details.
        This isn't proper Optimus support yet, it's for using the NVidia card *all the time* to render *everything*.

        Comment


        • #14
          Originally posted by Gusar View Post
          Did anyone actually read the changelog? To quote:


          This isn't proper Optimus support yet, it's for using the NVidia card *all the time* to render *everything*.
          But with proper blob power management so its kind of the middleroad between no bumblebee and proper optimus support.

          Bumblebee: intel driver does basically anything, select apps are run off the nvidia card, otherwise the card is off.

          Proper Optimus: Seamless transition back and forth as needed

          This: Nvidia GPU is always rendering everything, but its the blob so it has the right PM bits set and available so you'll get the same battery life (and performance) as if you just didnt have the intel card.
          All opinions are my own not those of my employer if you know who they are.

          Comment


          • #15
            Originally posted by Ericg View Post
            This: Nvidia GPU is always rendering everything, but its the blob so it has the right PM bits set and available so you'll get the same battery life (and performance) as if you just didnt have the intel card.
            The intel GPU will still be active (it has to be because of the nature of Optimus), so I would expect slightly less battery life. However, this is definitely a great option when you're hooked to AC.

            Comment


            • #16
              Originally posted by tuke81 View Post
              Yep, it sure does among of other things:
              http://us.download.nvidia.com/XFree8...Supportedd38df
              Wouldn't doubt that this was a request put in for Valve. It might also mean better SLi support in linux in the future now that the first steps of per application optimizing has been implemented.

              Comment


              • #17
                FYI, looks like there maybe a vdpau bug with XBMC with these drivers BTW (at least with a GT-520 card).

                Comment


                • #18
                  Originally posted by deanjo View Post
                  FYI, looks like there maybe a vdpau bug with XBMC with these drivers BTW (at least with a GT-520 card).
                  What problem are you having?

                  Comment


                  • #19
                    Originally posted by johnc View Post
                    What problem are you having?
                    Green screen on vdpau decoded material. Got to investigate a bit more but I have a feeling it's a HQ scaler issue.

                    Comment


                    • #20
                      Originally posted by DanL View Post
                      The intel GPU will still be active (it has to be because of the nature of Optimus), so I would expect slightly less battery life. However, this is definitely a great option when you're hooked to AC.
                      It's not 'slightly less', it's 'a lot lesser'.

                      In some notebooks bumblebee can successfully turn off the Nvidia chip while the Intel core does all the graphics rendering, so the discreet core never actually starts up until explicitly told to do so with optirun.

                      With Nvidia's driver both are running at the same time, and I think you underestimate the power drain of the Nvidia chip.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X