AMD legacy card open source driver report

[ogyct]

Hi everybody,
I just wanted to share my results on trying open source radeon drivers. I have an old one mobility radeon 4570 in my laptop, which currently lucks proprietary driver support. Few days ago I started whatching how counter strike source performs on ubuntu compared to windows. For this I used cs:s' video stress test from the menu. On windows average fps was 65. So this was the point I wanted to get to on linux.

First of all I tried stock ubuntu 13.10 configuration. The average fps was 23.55. Then I've decided to upgrade kernel up to 3.13 and install mesa git drivers(10.1) from oibaf's ppa. Result was 34 fps avg, better, but still bad. Later on I realized, that power state of dpm in kernel has a huge impact on performance, so I changed settings in config to "performace" (google how to do it, can't remember exactly what I did). New test -> 42 fps. It was getting better and better. But then I also realized that cs:s stress test shows weird fps during the test. What I mean, that it was showing 29-30 fps constantly like it was limited and sometimes 59-60. It was clear that it had something to do with vsync system wide. In home folder in .bashrc(hidden) file I added line "export vblank_mode=0", logged off and in and started a new test. The result was amazing.

New test showed 57 average fps in counter strike source benchmark, which was really close to what windows did. Considering my video card sucks, it was a great result. Hope this little story will help some of you guys.

P.S. The cs:s runs fine on open source drivers, however newer games like dota 2 still have major issues and now are unplayable, at least on legacy amd cards.

[FutureSuture]

I was about to start a thread asking how legitimate this is but you spoke of the same method and apparently it works. Why doesn't AMD make these settings standard if they help so incredibly much?

[jonty789]

Hi everybody,
I just wanted to share my results on trying open source radeon drivers. I have an old one mobility radeon 4570 in my laptop, which currently lucks proprietary driver support. Few days ago I started whatching how counter strike source performs on ubuntu compared to windows. For this I used cs:s' video stress test from the menu. On windows average fps was 65. So this was the point I wanted to get to on linux.

First of all I tried stock ubuntu 13.10 configuration. The average fps was 23.55. Then I've decided to upgrade kernel up to 3.13 and install mesa git drivers(10.1) from oibaf's ppa. Result was 34 fps avg, better, but still bad. Later on I realized, that power state of dpm in kernel has a huge impact on performance, so I changed settings in config to "performace" (google how to do it, can't remember exactly what I did). New test -> 42 fps. It was getting better and better. But then I also realized that cs:s stress test shows weird fps during the test. What I mean, that it was showing 29-30 fps constantly like it was limited and sometimes 59-60. It was clear that it had something to do with vsync system wide. In home folder in .bashrc(hidden) file I added line "export vblank_mode=0", logged off and in and started a new test. The result was amazing.

New test showed 57 average fps in counter strike source benchmark, which was really close to what windows did. Considering my video card sucks, it was a great result. Hope this little story will help some of you guys.

P.S. The cs:s runs fine on open source drivers, however newer games like dota 2 still have major issues and now are unplayable, at least on legacy amd cards.

That is good Is it ok if you can help me on how to get the open source driver to work? I not having much luck and I got same mobility card as you have.

I also posted about this

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?94984-How-to-get-open-source-radeon-for-HD-4000-series

Thanks

[ogyct]

That is good Is it ok if you can help me on how to get the open source driver to work? I not having much luck and I got same mobility card as you have.

I also posted about this

http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?94984-How-to-get-open-source-radeon-for-HD-4000-series

Thanks

Simply add oibaf ppa to your sources and install the drivers.

If you have ubuntu 13.10 and newer do:

sudo add-apt-repository ppaibaf/graphics-drivers
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

This should install the lates mesa drivers available to your machine.

Additional info here: https://launchpad.net/~oibaf/+archive/graphics-drivers/

[bridgman]

... and just to avoid any misunderstandings, that's p p a : o i b a f not p p a i b a f ...

[A Laggy Grunt]

If it shows 29/30 and 59/60, it sounds like vsync is on with the occasional stutter. Vsync means your card will run at a fraction of your monitor's refresh rate (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5). Most LCD are 60 HZ, so 60/1=60, 60/2=30. The stutter happens because the card won't draw perfectly in time with the refresh rate all the time.

[curaga]

... and just to avoid any misunderstandings, that's p p a : o i b a f not p p a i b a f ...

But he makes people happy..,

[ogyct]

If it shows 29/30 and 59/60, it sounds like vsync is on with the occasional stutter. Vsync means your card will run at a fraction of your monitor's refresh rate (1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5). Most LCD are 60 HZ, so 60/1=60, 60/2=30. The stutter happens because the card won't draw perfectly in time with the refresh rate all the time.

Vsync on my machine causes problems and instabilities with frame rate. That is why I prefer it always off, on both linux and windows. More other many people state that getting more than 60 fps on lcd monitors makes no sense, but it makes, people who play cyber sport shooters will understand that.

[jonty789]

Simply add oibaf ppa to your sources and install the drivers.

If you have ubuntu 13.10 and newer do:

sudo add-apt-repository ppaibaf/graphics-drivers
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

This should install the lates mesa drivers available to your machine.

Additional info here: https://launchpad.net/~oibaf/+archive/graphics-drivers/

Thanks for help This increase FPS but at some times it does dipped.
You mention this
"
Later on I realized, that power state of dpm in kernel has a huge impact on performance, so I changed settings in config to "performace"
"

I tried googling but all i could fins is radeondpm = 1 (which I am already done). Can you remember what you did?

Thanks for help

[jonty789]

OK never mind i found it. Weird it still not good fps for me. I gonna try it on Windows to see if my card is capable of playing CSS