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Linux Hardware: ATI vs. nVidia

W

WeeManFoo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
265
I'm looking for a new video card for my computer. My choices are the HD 4850, HD 4870, 9800gtx+, or GTX260. I want to finally make the full switch to Ubuntu once I get a new video card, with Windows Vista x64 on another partition. I always thought nVidia generally had better support from official drivers, but that ATI had better open source drivers. Which brand would be better for me, the fairly novice Linux user? I know, some of you are probably screaming "GOOGLE IT," but I have looked and I can't get a very good answer. I see problems with going ATI, especially since they dropped support for R300-R500 in Catalyst. I really want to move off of nVidia because I like supporting the underdogs, but if I can't get decent drivers, then I'll stick with the green team. Please help me.
 
WeeManFoo said:
I'm looking for a new video card for my computer. My choices are the HD 4850, HD 4870, 9800gtx+, or GTX260. I want to finally make the full switch to Ubuntu once I get a new video card, with Windows Vista x64 on another partition. I always thought nVidia generally had better support from official drivers, but that ATI had better open source drivers. Which brand would be better for me, the fairly novice Linux user? I know, some of you are probably screaming "GOOGLE IT," but I have looked and I can't get a very good answer. I see problems with going ATI, especially since they dropped support for R300-R500 in Catalyst. I really want to move off of nVidia because I like supporting the underdogs, but if I can't get decent drivers, then I'll stick with the green team. Please help me.
Click to expand...

ATI drivers (laptop uses ATI) give me quite a bit of grief, however I've never had a problem with then Nvidia drivers (linux desktop uses Nvidia).
 
Go nVidia. The drivers are closed source, but things like AIGLX work with a lot less hassle, and 2D/3D performance is solid. ATI's drivers are improving, and you have to give them credit for opening their specs, but the driver quality just isn't there yet. I'd say to give it a few more years.

The GPU situation on Linux isn't all that great, I'll admit. If you are doing graphics-intensive work, make sure to keep the Windows partition handy.
 
nvidia
yer ATi have made some nice token guestures to linux (better drivers, open-spec's) but the it aint improved things that much


if you don't need games then intel-GPU are really great and well supported
nvidia-GPU's are equally well supported
 
I've had trouble with both. After going through a graphical install of the Catalyst 9.1 drivers on Debian Lenny, they didn't actually install for some reason. It's not a deal breaker; just annoying. My HD4870 is just as good in Linux as any onboard video now.
 
ATI drivers are fine for single monitor stuff - not as fast as their Windows counterparts, but fast enough (although features are still catching up). Multi-monitor is a complete bust, however.

Nvidia drivers, on the other hand, give pretty much identical features and performance to the Windows versions, are incredibly stable and just plain work.

If I was going to make a choice based on open source zealotry, however, it would have to be Intel. Taking that out of the picture, and Nvidia take the prize every time.
 
WeeManFoo said:
I see problems with going ATI, especially since they dropped support for R300-R500 in Catalyst.
Click to expand...

FFUUUUUUUU- :eek::mad:

I've waited years for them to bring up a quality driver for my mobility X1400 in my laptop that wouldn't crash on resume or tear when using AIGLX (and it took them long enough to support that in the first place for their R500 series cards) only to see that not becoming a possibility in the future. How disgusting of AMD/ATI!
Here's hoping to those for really good (and well-supported, ATI) open-source drivers for these ATI cards and best wishes for those who take their time to make them.

/rant

Anyway, Nvidia all the way. They may be proprietary and use their own GLX backend instead of AIGLX, they work pretty damn well.
 
GushpinBob said:
FFUUUUUUUU- :eek::mad:

I've waited years for them to bring up a quality driver for my mobility X1400 in my laptop that wouldn't crash on resume or tear when using AIGLX (and it took them long enough to support that in the first place for their R500 series cards) only to see that not becoming a possibility in the future. How disgusting of AMD/ATI!
Click to expand...

Haha, do you also have a T60? :)
 
I would go for Nvidia. Never had too much trouble. Closed source drivers may be a problem for purists, but the NVidia driver work well. I run dual monitors without issue and NVidia also works well with "Hackintosh" :)
 
in my experience, nvidia's linux drivers are amazing....

and they support the BSDs directly also... which is just... awesome....

i currently have an HD4850 though... which seems to be working adequately in linux (proprietary driver... open source just gives me 2d....)

multiple monitors *is* doable .... if you really, really, *really* dig deep and hack the shit out of xorg.conf...
 
As the owner of a 9600GT and an HD4670, go NVidia if you want ease of use and ATI if you want features. I can send audio over HDMI with my ATI card, which makes it a great HTPC card, but in terms of getting things working the NVidia card is ten times easier. I had to mess with amdcccle for a while before I got displays to behave how I want (two displays, independent of each other) but with nvidia-settings I got close on my first try (two displays, one mirroring part of another, video displaying on the mirrored portion).

ATI works better for what I do with it, but it's more crash-prone and more trouble to set up.
 
Nvidia has been smooth sailing with my Ubuntu experimentation (learning it). Never tried it on an ATI system but I'm happy with what I've got so no need to screw it up now ;)
 
forkedt said:
Nvidia has been smooth sailing with my Ubuntu experimentation (learning it). Never tried it on an ATI system but I'm happy with what I've got so no need to screw it up now ;)
Click to expand...

I've tried it on Nvidia, and it's perfect. I had an X300 for a while, and I noticed that anything playing Xvid movies resulted in insane CPU usage, but as soon as I went back to a cheap FX5200 (roughly same performance and generation), the problems went away. Now that I'm on a 9600 GSO, it's all plain sailing.
 
If you intend on using the Composite features and watch any type of video, go with the Nvidia. ATI gives you really bad video playback. I have a HD 4850 and when I watch any video it has lines in it and is really choppy. When I use my 8800 GTS the video is great.
 
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