FreeBSD: A Faster Platform For Linux Gaming Than Linux?

[phoronix]

Phoronix: FreeBSD: A Faster Platform For Linux Gaming Than Linux?

FreeBSD provides a Linux binary compatibility layer that allows 32-bit Linux binaries to be natively executed on this BSD operating system. Linux binary compatibility on FreeBSD allows Linux-only applications to be executed in a near seamless manner on this alternative platform, even for games. New tests have revealed that the modern FreeBSD operating system (via PC-BSD 8.2) can actually outperform Linux when it comes to running OpenGL Linux game binaries.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=16382

[glasen]

Michael, did you disable Unity/Compiz before starting the games? It is widely known that Unity/Compiz affects 3D-performance when running OpenGL-based games.

[zoomblab]

So many different factors motherboard, memory, audio, desktop, display server, compiler, file system ...

[Vadi]

Heh unfortunately I don't see many gamers jumping on this, looking by how much work is required to get that setup and running.

[Paradox Ethereal]

Config

You may want to try a kernel configured for the lowest possible latency. I noticed that improved doom3 performace quite a bit. For doom3 you needed some ingame configs aswell. It ran quite amazingly in the end.

My config was something like this - http://www.paradoxuncreated.com/tmp/.config39

I can`t say for certain that it will improve average FPS though, but it definately improved smoothness, from stock ubuntu kernel.

[vermaden]

So many different factors motherboard, memory, audio, desktop, display server, compiler, file system ...

cpu: SAME
ram: 1GB less then Linux on i386, so Linux should be faster here
motherboard/chipset: SAME (MS-7642)
display driver: SAME VERSION
graphics card: SAME
compiler: NEWER on Linux, so Linux should be faster here
xorg sever: NEWER on Linux, so Linux should be faster here
fs: EXT4 is nowhere near ZFS features, and is probably more 'heavy' then EXT4, so Linux should be faster here

KDE vs. UNITY: both should not be used during that test, it should be plain twm or openbox with all needles services disabled on both systems.

Heh unfortunately I don't see many gamers jumping on this, looking by how much work is required to get that setup and running.

If you would want to setup that from FreeBSD, it would be quite more work then with Ubuntu, but PC-BSD has graphical installer as Ubuntu and the amount of work needed to install con configure Ubuntu is the same as the amount of work needed to setup PC-BSD.

[Apopas]

The combination Ubuntu+Nvidia sucks. I don't know why but for some reason sucks!
Try the benchmarks in a non Ubuntu based distro, like Fedora and you'll be surpised.

[Azpegath]

Michael, did you disable Unity/Compiz before starting the games? It is widely known that Unity/Compiz affects 3D-performance when running OpenGL-based games.

+1. They should both be running extremely lightweight WMs, like Fluxbox or twm. But still cudos to FreeBSD for this, it's quite awesome.

[Shining Arcanine]

Phoronix: FreeBSD: A Faster Platform For Linux Gaming Than Linux?

FreeBSD provides a Linux binary compatibility layer that allows 32-bit Linux binaries to be natively executed on this BSD operating system. Linux binary compatibility on FreeBSD allows Linux-only applications to be executed in a near seamless manner on this alternative platform, even for games. New tests have revealed that the modern FreeBSD operating system (via PC-BSD 8.2) can actually outperform Linux when it comes to running OpenGL Linux game binaries.

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=16382

Here is a possible explanation:

http://jeffhoogland.blogspot.com/2010/09/best-linux-distro-for-3d-performance.html

[FireBurn]

Do most users switch to a 'lighter' DM when playing games? Equally do most users switch off compositing before running a game (yes I know Kwin can do that automatically)

The only thing I don't like about this article is the title it really should be "PC-BSD: A Faster Platform for Linux Gaming than Ubuntu"

Everything else is using the default settings (plus the Nvidia blob) to see how fast games run

You don't get more fairer than that really