Intel OpenGL Performance: OS X vs. Windows vs. Linux

Overall, the Intel Windows 7 graphics driver destroys the Linux and OS X drivers with the OpenGL graphics performance for second-generation Core HD "Sandy Bridge" hardware. Only in a few workloads was the Windows 7 driver not the distant frontrunner. Apple's OS X Mountain Lion was also able to outperform Ubuntu Linux in a number of the games.

The multiple tests of Ubuntu Linux show Intel's open-source Linux graphics driver moving in the right direction (except for the outstanding regression in Nexuiz), but it's still no killer to the driver competition provided by the proprietary operating systems. Intel's Open-Source Technology Center developers have made significant optimizations to Mesa and their Linux kernel DRM driver, but it's still not up to the same standing as Windows and to some extent OS X. They also continue to still try to target performance optimizations, especially as part of their collaboration with Valve on the Source Engine Linux optimizations, but they have a lot to do if they want to reach parity with Windows.

These Intel Sandy Bridge results today also aren't too surprising with earlier Phoronix testing having revealed Intel Ivy Bridge is also much faster on Windows over Linux. At first the Linux driver for Sandy/Ivy Bridge was faster, but Intel's new Windows driver ended up bringing significant performance optimizations.

Beyond the higher frame-rates, the Intel Windows driver also has greater OpenGL support. Intel's Linux Mesa driver is still working towards OpenGL 3.1 support after only hitting OpenGL 3.0 compliance earlier in the year. Meanwhile the Intel Windows driver for Sandy Bridge has had this support since last year and their Ivy Bridge Windows driver can already do OpenGL 4.0. OpenGL 4.0 for Intel on Linux is likely at least still a year (or more) from becoming a reality.

The Intel Linux graphics driver is also catching up still on other fronts as well for feature parity, such as with MSAA anti-aliasing only having come a few months ago. The Intel Ivy Bridge graphics core under Linux also has no OpenCL support at this time (only on the CPU side via the closed-source Intel OpenCL SDK).

Future articles will provide more Windows vs. Linux benchmarks of different graphics drivers and hardware.

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