linux performance, radeon, catalyst 14.4 or others? ubuntu

[Te3-BloodyIron]

Hey Folks,

I'm on Ubuntu 14.04 (upgraded from earlier versions).

I have tried running the "additional driver" versions of fglrx, the basic and updated ones. I have tried running the open-source drivers. I have also recently tried running the catalyst 14.4 version drivers. I am having some mixed performance results.

I'm running on an i7-980x and a radeon 7970 (stock clock). I also have 3 monitors, and I'm not sure if that's impacting my performance.

I've been mostly using XFCE since Unity has poor gaming performance (or so my experience goes).

Since I just installed the catalyst 14.4 drivers DotA2 never finishes loading. Has anyone had this experience? This is in Unity or other desktop environments.

What kind of gpus and frame rates are you seeing in your linux dota2 gaming? What distro are you using?

So far I have to use XFCE to consistantly get above 60fps, Unity often is well below 60fps, and I'm uncertain if I'm doing something wrong, if it's the driver, or what.

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Show me

[Te3-BloodyIron]

Show you what?

[[LX]ツ CozyPlay]

hi, distro's dont affect your games perfermance since they bypass moust of the stuff and talk to the driver itself (compiz is bypassed in other words).
What might affect your performance may be the kernel and GPU driver the distro is using, i would recomment you try to install kernel 3.16 (if you dont know how just google "how to install linux kernel 3.16" its very easy) and update your GPU drivers either manualy or install xorg-edgers PPA.
When i'm using ATI gpus on linux i generaly stick with the open source drivers, but in your case your gpu is quiet recent and you may want to install catalyst i belive the latest version is 14.8 and you should probably find it on the PPA.

May you have many good games! ;D

[Te3-BloodyIron]

Hi MrTheSoulz,

Thanks for the info!

I'm not sure how the distro bypasses compiz, as compiz seems to impact the performance, at least in Unity, compared to XFCE. And it seems like I can't safely disable compiz in modern Unity :(.

I just checked, I'm on 3.13, is there something particularly noteworthy in 3.16 relevant to my plight?

I also haven't heard of the xorg-edgers ppa, why do you recommend that?

I just downloaded the "latest" catalyst drivers from AMD today, they said 14.4. I think the beta version is 14.8?

Can you tell me what kind of performance you have seen, with your hardware and configuration please? :)

[[LX]ツ CozyPlay]

i cant explain how it bypasses compiz because its out of my area of "expertise" but it does :)

xorg edgers ppa brings the graphical updates to ubuntu, kinda like maybe the graphics stuff rolling release (always updated), it will help alot! :D

I am able to play dota2 on a old laptop with a core2duo and ATI HD 4510 with max settings at around 20 to 30 fps using the open drivers.

the kernel also helps alot since it "controls" this stuff and theres always imrpovements.

let me know how it works for you :)

[Te3-BloodyIron]

hmmm, that's pretty good fps for that.

what graphical updates are in xorg edgers? the open source drivers? environmental? fglrx? I'm curious what it entails.

but does 3.16 have particular features to improve gaming or whatever that I'm not getting in 3.13? I don't mind updating my kernel (I do whenever presented). It just sounds like a particular milestone since you recommend it.

I got caught up on some other things so I'll have to try some of this stuff in a bit here.

Do you have any newer hardware that you can give me performance example info on?

[[LX]ツ CozyPlay]

about the ppa you can check the details on its launchpad: https://launchpad.net/~xorg-edgers/+archive/ubuntu/ppa

about kernel like i said all new ones come with shiny new "toys" i commended 3.16 bacuse its the latest stable you could also use 3.17 wich is in beta and that one according to some benchmarks i saw boosts at least intel graphics by a good ammount: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=linux_317_sandy&num=2

EDIT: i dont have anything newer from ATI, using nvidia GPU's now :)

[Te3-BloodyIron]

Slaaneshi, have you played dota2 in linux? what specs and performance details can you say? :D

I've only really been working with Ubuntu for gaming.

[Te3-BloodyIron]

what games did you play in unity? i was hoping you would be able to give me dota2 fps for you, as it kind of is one of my benchmark tests for this :P

trying to get xorg-edgers going, what's been slowing me down is correctly reverting out of the manual driver install, the additional drivers tool kept not letting me switch to the default options, blehh, but i got it by reinstalling fglrx through aptitude, now the menu works.

I was going to try and get the open source drivers in place before enabling xorg-edgers, but since @mrthesoulz commented on the newer catalyst being better for my card, I'm going to get fglrx-updated in place first instead, then do xorg-edgers.

to the moon, and beyond!

thx for the help so far folks :D

[Te3-BloodyIron]

so xorg-edgers hasn't really improved anything in Unity for me.

In Unity, with fglrx-updates, then installing xorg-eders, I'm getting 30-40fps when running around with witchdoctor in a blank game, but it's too choppy to do really well in for dota2.

but! I have three monitors, the above example is with all three on.

I turn all off except one, and my fps jumps like 20 or so, and the game is pretty much smooth enough to play properly.

I'm going to try more in xfce, but xfce monitor configuration is a nightmare, yikes.

[[LX]ツ CozyPlay]

yeh... multimonitor isnt really good on linux in general at the momment and ubuntu dosent help it at all :P
I got a standart monitor and a wide tv one connected, i use the wide for videos and side things.
i always turn it off when playing because it messes up alot.

hopefully MIR/Wayland will solve that situation :)

[Te3-BloodyIron]

So I just switched back to Windows just out of curiosity. 3 monitors, 120fps pinned :(

I'm kind of out of ideas how to unleash this properly

[Z06]

Postat inițial de Te3-MoveEveryZIG:

So I just switched back to Windows just out of curiosity. 3 monitors, 120fps pinned :(

I'm kind of out of ideas how to unleash this properly

stick to windows problem solved

[Te3-BloodyIron]

Postat inițial de Jayy Von Hates You:

Postat inițial de Te3-MoveEveryZIG:

So I just switched back to Windows just out of curiosity. 3 monitors, 120fps pinned :(

I'm kind of out of ideas how to unleash this properly

stick to windows problem solved

please don't post unconstructively.

[[LX]ツ CozyPlay]

Postat inițial de Te3-MoveEveryZIG:

Postat inițial de Jayy Von Hates You:

stick to windows problem solved

please don't post unconstructively.

He might have said it the wrong way but the truth is for now windows has better drivers.
and not to mention DOTA2 uses a a thing to translate DX to OGL (VlOG or something), this adds overhead, something that should be fixed soon when they update to source engine 2.