NVIDIA Updates Its Linux Legacy Driver For GeForce 6/7 GPUs

[Commander]

If you think my point is weak, type "mantle" into the search box of phoronix and see how many articles there are about it. (It is the API used by consoles.) Thing is, time may come when new games don't even run on nvidia (and older AMD) hardware. Developers will only use directx/opengl if they can make profit out of it. And they always say releasing for the PC doesn't make any...

Mantle is an API that derived from console's but is not the same,
XboxOne uses DirectX and Direct3D and/or custom to hardware
PS4 uses from what I know OpenGL and/or custom

I really hope, that AMD takes and really launches something but they are just another Microsoft company not really focused on GNU/Linux at this moment only releasing fixes/patches to big issues and listening to their enterprise customers not so much desktop.

Nvidia seems to focus on OpenGL and moving more focus to Linux while AMD just looks at it and leaves small breadcrumbs hinting that Mantle is able to launch for Linux "when the market is there". In this pace, the mantle market will probably drop more and more and if not will be gone when OpenGL/Direct3D API's solve or mitigate the issue that Mantle is there to fix.

I really hope that Mantle would launch and give some initiative for vendors to implement ant give one holy API that works on Windows/Linux but given the above and their current pace...im not so optimistic that it will ever launch.

[justmy2cents]

If you think my point is weak, type "mantle" into the search box of phoronix and see how many articles there are about it. (It is the API used by consoles.) Thing is, time may come when new games don't even run on nvidia (and older AMD) hardware. Developers will only use directx/opengl if they can make profit out of it. And they always say releasing for the PC doesn't make any...

no it isn't present in consoles. xboxone uses directx and ps4 psgl. both sony and ms decided they are not interested in it

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/system-wars-314159282/mantle-is-not-in-consoles-says-amd-30855822/

yes, your point is weaker than weak. mantle runs only on amd which doesn't cover most of pc market and even there it is only supported on few gpus.

[eydee]

Console game use some obscure closed APIs with drivers handtuned for specific GPU and those APIs, so your point is weak.
If you are ok with ~light~ setup Intel is still best choice here.

If you think my point is weak, type "mantle" into the search box of phoronix and see how many articles there are about it. (It is the API used by consoles.) Thing is, time may come when new games don't even run on nvidia (and older AMD) hardware. Developers will only use directx/opengl if they can make profit out of it. And they always say releasing for the PC doesn't make any...

[magika]

Second part: If you aren't interested in games, you're OK with any GPU, even some older Intel IGP. If you plan to do some gaming, it's wise to choose AMD, despite the current disastrous state of the drivers. Consoles have AMD GPUs, so that's what future games will be optimized for.

Console game use some obscure closed APIs with drivers handtuned for specific GPU and those APIs, so your point is weak.
If you are ok with ~light~ setup Intel is still best choice here.

[eydee]

Really awesome legacy support, I'm impressed again and again. A shame that AMD isn't able to do it like that.

At the end of the day, that makes the decision between Nvidia and AMD quite easy. The decision Intel <--> AMD processor is a bit harder, especially if AMD can improve single thread performance and lower the wattage.

First part: I guess contributing to the open source driver is much more than what nvidia does. Nvidia can stop anytime. The open source driver will live on no matter what happens to AMD. This is the real legacy support in my opinion, they place control into the hands of the users.

Second part: If you aren't interested in games, you're OK with any GPU, even some older Intel IGP. If you plan to do some gaming, it's wise to choose AMD, despite the current disastrous state of the drivers. Consoles have AMD GPUs, so that's what future games will be optimized for. (People who think this doesn't matter, remember TWIMTBP...)

Third part: AMD CPUs can come nowhere near Intel processors unfortunately. The decision is only based on budget in my opinion. That's not so hard, people usually either have money or don't.

[schmidtbag]

... two AMD devices inside emit crazy heat.

My AMD devices are asking for my PIN number at the ATM machine

[schmidtbag]

The 4850, 6970, and 4890 are all known to have issues; maybe not for good reasons, but valid ones. The 6770m and 5770 should work just fine - I have a 5750 and I get very little problems and haven't for the past 3 years. I've used catalyst for about half the time and I'm currently using open source drivers with very little issues. The only thing that bothers me right now is no crossfire support with the open source drivers (I own 2 5750s). At this point your APU should work just fine.

If you didn't use the drivers supplied by your distro, you're bound to get more issues too.

I'm not an advocate for AMD GPUs - in the windows world, I think they're right on par with nvidia. It just depends on your workload. But for Linux I've always felt nvidia was the best choice since I first started using it in 2007. However, it will only be a matter of time until I no longer think nvidia is the best choice. The radeon drivers are catching up, fast.

[magika]

What cards? What distro? Which drivers? Were the drivers from your distro's repo? What kind of bugs? If Windows is getting issues it's probably faulty hardware.

I can confirm AMD is shit. I bought HP dv6-something laptop with A6 (6550m+6750). In linux opensource worked better than catalyst: 2D is ~much~ faster and more responsive, in something like SS3 loading times on opensource are ~5 times faster. MESA clearly wins here, even DRI_PRIME works, and you don't need to apply 20 hacks and workarounds to make it work, unlike catalyst, where PXP is supported only on paper.

But then W8 came out and to my surprise I found out that there is simply no drivers for my setup, they dropped it (end of the line supported was Enduro stuff).
So I finally made decision. I made a clean W8 install, installed on it community hacked frankenstein drivers than supported my dual GPU setup and sold that laptop.

But at least it worked well as room heater -- two AMD devices inside emit crazy heat.
I still have Intel+AMD HP dv6 at work, and it idles at 55C on both mesa and catalyst (I use Intel only anyway so it heats up even with AMD card "turned off").
So no, thank you.

[rikkinho]

man

What cards? What distro? Which drivers? Were the drivers from your distro's repo? What kind of bugs? If Windows is getting issues it's probably faulty hardware.

man don't defend amd, their drivers are garbage. but i response

amd 4850
amd 6770m
amd 6970
amd 5770
amd 4890

windows 7
ubuntu
archlinux
manjaro
linux mint
windows 8

bad render, crashs, horrible fps, no support at all (6770m), x crashs, x lockups... things never happen with nvidia 460, 740m, 620m 750 ti,

some years ago i always buy ati cards, now.... i have no problems with amd cpu

ah i remember another one apu a4 3300m always crashing in windows 7 with flash games, with ubuntu only opensource drivers work well, 2d performance is a garbage with fglrx... want more? buy a nvidia card and see the difference

[schmidtbag]

i use amd/ati cards untill two years ago, bugs and more bugs, in both systems (windows and linux) and give up from their gpu, life is so much better wih nvidia

What cards? What distro? Which drivers? Were the drivers from your distro's repo? What kind of bugs? If Windows is getting issues it's probably faulty hardware.