The Linux Kernel Power Problems On Older Desktop Hardware

When looking at the OpenGL gaming workload for this ATI R200 GPU on the open-source driver, the 2.6.32/2.6.33 kernels did consume roughly 60% more power than the 2.6.34+ kernels. The 2.6.35/2.6.38 regressions are not visible with this workload.

The OpenArena frame-rate is actually at its best with the Linux 2.6.32 kernel, then drops in the Linux 2.6.33 kernel, and remains low in all kernel releases since that point. The Radeon DRM changes in the Linux 2.6.33 kernel related to the R200 series includes 3DC compression support, support for external TMDS on older hardware, and reworked Radeon object handling. While the Radeon 9200PRO graphics card has regressed, even with the Linux 2.6.32 kernel the open-source Mesa driver and DRM do not result in a playable experience for this game at 1280 x 1024.