AMDVLK 2024.Q2.2 Driver Brings Bug Fixes

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMDVLK 2024.Q2.2 Driver Brings Bug Fixes

Building off last month's AMDVLK 2024.Q2.1 driver adding Phoenix 2 support, AMD today released AMDVLK 2024.Q2.2 as the newest update to their official open-source Vulkan Linux driver...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/AMDVLK-2024.Q2.2

[Kjell]

MESA devs are usually quick to fix performance inefficiencies when AMDVLK is ahead. I'm glad both exist as they supplement each other

It's amazing how easy it is to compare performance between both drivers

I can switch from AMDVLK to MESA without rebooting my machine (which is something Windows users can only dream about). I don't even have to wait for minutes to install either driver (which takes ages in Windows), it just takes a second or two with 7950X

[LtdJorge]

MESA devs are usually quick to fix performance inefficiencies when AMDVLK is ahead. I'm glad both exist as they supplement each other

It's amazing how easy it is to compare performance between both drivers

I can switch from AMDVLK to MESA without rebooting my machine (which is something Windows users can only dream about). I don't even have to wait for minutes to install either driver (which takes ages in Windows), it just takes a second or two with 7950X

Takes a tiny bit more on a 3950x (on Gentoo lol)

[skeevy420]

MESA devs are usually quick to fix performance inefficiencies when AMDVLK is ahead. I'm glad both exist as they supplement each other

It's amazing how easy it is to compare performance between both drivers

I can switch from AMDVLK to MESA without rebooting my machine (which is something Windows users can only dream about). I don't even have to wait for minutes to install either driver (which takes ages in Windows), it just takes a second or two with 7950X

I have them both installed at the same time. I can switch infinitely fast between them.

I compared Elden Ring with AMDVLK and RADV last night and AMDVLK was horrible. I used last month's release, v-2024.Q2.1, since that's what's in the CachyOS repositories. It was like I was using Windows, only worse. Comparing Windows and Linux with RADV makes it seem like Elden Ring is a Linux-native game and that Windows is an afterthought. Especially when killing enemies that revive themselves. The revive animation tanks the system until it's over. That doesn't happen on Linux.

In case anyone is curious: I use AMD Vulkan Prefixes to switch and have RADV set globally in /etc/environment with

DISABLE_LAYER_AMD_SWITCHABLE_GRAPHICS_1=1
VK_DRIVER_FILES=/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/radeon_icd.i686.json:/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/radeon_icd.x86_64.json

If you install AMDVLK and don't do that /etc/environment stuff you'll get AMDVLK by default and it's not the default y'all want. Here's the Arch Wiki to answer any questions anyone might have.

So does anyone have an AMDVLK success story?

[Kjell]

Interesting approach skeevy420

Why not just $ export AMD_VULKAN_ICD=RADV when you want to use MESA and $ unset AMD_VULKAN_ICD to use the default (amdvlk)?

Easy to confirm it works with engine_version vulkan_driver in ~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf

[skeevy420]

Interesting approach skeevy420

Why not just $ export AMD_VULKAN_ICD=RADV when you want to use MESA and $ unset AMD_VULKAN_ICD to use the default (amdvlk)?

Easy to confirm it works with engine_version vulkan_driver in ~/.config/MangoHud/MangoHud.conf

Habit with /etc/environment. Keep on keepin on. That sort of thing. I could just set AMD_VULKAN_ICD=RADV there and everything else I do would stay the same.

As far as the rest, typing out vk_r*TAB* or vk_a*TAB* from the command line is faster and Steam sucks when it comes to long launch parameters.