# What is current Linux-Ati status? Breaking up with nvidia.

## manwe_

Hi *.

I was using nVidia's graphic cards since GF256 and what I really liked in last years was nVidia's Linux support. Keeping up with latest Xorg, support for compiz, vdpau, etc. Proprietary but still great drivers. Today I wanted to buy Asus U30JC notebook and found out that nVidia doesn't give a sh* about Optimus support in Linux and so far we are only able to turn it off and use Intel's chipset. Bye bye compiz on fullhd screen, bye bye vdapu (x.264 movies), etc. I'm still looking for 13" laptop with nvidia and without optimus but nothing so far.

So my question is, what is current status between Linux and Ati/AMD video cards (for example ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6550)? I'm looking for compiz support, hdmi with audio and some kind of movie decoding acceleration to be able to play fullhd x.264. 

Thanks in advance.

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## ssteinberg

radeon open-source driver does fine as long as you don't need proper 3D acceleration and OpenGL 3+ support.

ATi's fglrx is sub-par compared to nVidia's drivers.

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## manwe_

What do you mean by "proper" 3D? Is compiz using proper? I'm not playing any games (at least not on PC). And what about video decoding?

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## ssteinberg

 *manwe_ wrote:*   

> What do you mean by "proper" 3D? Is compiz using proper? I'm not playing any games (at least not on PC). And what about video decoding?

 

Compiz should be fine. At last KDE composition worked very well on my old HD3850. Video without tearing work very well, but no real hardware decoding at the moment, though there is some shader-based hack being worked on. Games are no go.

Still, I am not going back to ATi.

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## manwe_

So what should I do? What's more probable? nVidia optimus working properly [even without on-fly switching, I don't care about it] or drivers for Ati getting better? I need to buy a laptop next week. Will I survive for now with Intel graphic card? From what I remember, they are slow but fully supported.

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## Gusar

Try to find a laptop where despite Optimus it's still possible to switch to the nvidia card in the BIOS. Hard to know beforehand if this is possible with a particular laptop though.

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## ssteinberg

Modern Intel integrated should be enough for your needs tbh and support is indeed good. ATi's drivers are progressing so slowly I wouldn't count on anything.

I am using an nVidia GTX 460M on my laptop, and it is SO much better then ATi. Without the Optimus pain though, so don't know what it's status is.

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## Marlo

 *manwe_ wrote:*   

> So what should I do?...

 

What you want!

I changed recently from nvidia to radeon. I am enthusiastic. Both, KVM and 

the properitäre ati driver works outstanding. You cannot make anything wrong,

if you want to buy a radeon.

 *manwe_ wrote:*   

> So my question is, what is current status between Linux and Ati/AMD video cards (for example ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6550)? 

 

Risk a view here.  -->  http://www.h-online.com/open/features/Kernel-Log-updated-Radeon-drivers-mdadm-and-ALSA-1185791.html

mfg

ma

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## Raptor85

If you're not playing any newer games the newer intel cards should work just fine for you...I was able to even play ut2004 on an intel card just fine.....before tossing the laptop off the railing to see if it lived up to it's name. (we were....testing...a toughbook).

Honestly, though you'll have to tone it down, intel is getting to the point of "good enough" for light 3d gaming, and on most models way more than enough for video and stuff like compiz. Personally I had a horrific experience with my newest radeon, which is why I switched back to nvidia. Binary drivers dropped support for my card at the 9.3 driver and I had to resort to driver hacks to update xorg, radeon driver had no 3d acceleration, and radeonhd driver only had partial support for my card :/ (an x1550). YMMV though.

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## Gabriel_Blake

I was an nvidia fan since I had my first computer. But since all the laptops have either nvidia Optimus or ati hybrid, the first of which doesn't worki in linux at all, I decided to choose ati. Two months later I'm still struggling to make the 5650HD work  :Sad:  People say they've managed to to it, but I wasn't lucky  :Sad: 

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## manwe_

@Raptor85: Besides compiz I also wanted hardware video decoding for 1080p x264 movies. Also, what's the point o paying for nV if I cannot use it.

I've sacrified lot of mobility and bought Asus N43JQ. One inch larger, 0.5kg heavier and tragic battery life (2~2.5h) but hardware is great. Quad-core i7, GT 435M, 1 * USB 3.0. Well... if magic happens, and nVidia will start supporting optimus in Linux, I'll think about selling this one and buying something with IGP. 

Thanks for helping  :Smile: 

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## Gabriel_Blake

Just a status update: I've managed to run the Radeon 5650 HD on my Acer 3820TG with quite high performance. It requires manual rebooting, switching to discrete-only in bios, and loading a different kernel - stuff like modifying xorg.conf or switching ati/xorg openGL is handled by scripts. 

If anyone reading this post need help on how to do the config, feel free to PM me.

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