The Open-Source Linux Graphics Card Showdown

The Intel Core i7 3770K also delivered great results with the VDrift racing game. VDrift shaders still fail to properly compile on any of the Mesa/Gallium3D drivers, but even so, its performance was well ahead of all the Radeon graphics cards. The only GPU on an open-source driver coming ahead was the GeForce 9800GT with 12% more frames per second. The i7-3770K though is easily playable with VDrift at 1920 x 1080 with its average frame-rate being 75 FPS.

While the 9800GT delivered 12% more frames per second, the i7-3770K was 18% more power efficient than the graphics card. The only graphics card configuration coming close to the level of performance-per-Watt was the GeForce GT 220 on Nouveau.

The i7-3770K system continues to handle these OpenGL games at just 77~80 Watts.