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View Full Version : How has the best (Fedora) Linux driver support?


Vassili
07-04-2006, 08:54 AM
I am trying to switch from Windows XP to Fedora Core 5. I just bought myself a book to learn more about it. (Fedore Core 5 unleashed)

But my current system has good driver support in Windows, though the ATI drivers in linux aren't the best... I heard. But who actually makes the best drivers to play games with linux? I mean both chipset and display-card.

My current system:
AMD Opteron 148 (socket 939)
DFI LanParty nForce4 SLI-DR
2x 512MB OCZ PC3500 Limited Edition (sometimes I add 2x 512MB Corsair PC3200LL to make it 2GB)
1x 40GB Maxtor DiamondMax4 IDE
SAPPHIRE X800GTO2

So I have a nVidia nForce4 chipset and a ATI x800 display-card.
I know from Windows XP that the chipset drivers can make a (big) difference in the amount of Frame Per Second, if they are not good or not installed at all.
What is this like in Linux? No need to install chipset drivers when want to play games (native (UT2k3) or thourgh wine)?

And if you want to play games I think you should have a nVidia card right? I don't think Matrox has enough power to play (the newest) games. Does SLI also work under Linux?
(Or just keep ATI, ?the drivers aren't that bad?)

What chipset does have the best Linux-driver support, is that again nVidia or is it Intel (Via/SIS?)? Does the chipset driver make a big difference when you want to play games in Linux?
dicecca112
07-04-2006, 08:58 AM
the ati drivers are terrible but usuable, it just takes a while to get them working. Never really like the installer for Fedora Core 5, it always expanded the screen to much, and made it not fit my screen
Vassili
07-07-2006, 04:05 AM
the ati drivers are terrible but usuable, it just takes a while to get them working. Never really like the installer for Fedora Core 5, it always expanded the screen to much, and made it not fit my screen
Ok I think I'll just have to try it. Though I like R600 more then the G80...
uOpt
07-07-2006, 11:16 AM
I had very bad experience with Fedora Core 5. Although FC2-4 worked very well for me up to then, the FC4 updates released after FC5 came out were the first to actually break FC4 for me, repeatedly. Somebody slipped there pretty badly. I do not recommend Fedora anymore.

The NVidia binary drivers are much better than ATI's but for the limited amount of actual Linux games both should be usable.

If you want to go Windoze games in one of the emulators I think you should check them out in a NVidia card first to rule out video driver problems, otherwise you get stuck in overwheling amounts of problems you cannot associate with a particular component. Buying an el-cheapo NVidia card for testing might be in order there and move to the ATI card only after you have the games you want stable with NVidia.
Vassili
07-08-2006, 07:25 AM
Ok, thanks for the advice, what kind of chipset should be the best you think?
kiwi
07-08-2006, 02:07 PM
Nvidia chipset and video card. They have pretty good driver support :)

You might also check Suse linux, although takes whole DVD, I still recommend it

http://distrowatch.com/
uOpt
07-10-2006, 08:08 AM
Ok, thanks for the advice, what kind of chipset should be the best you think?

The NVidia chipsets and their boards usually run fine by now if you use Linux. In extreme cases you might want to use a separate Ethernet card. I have never had problems with P-ATA or SATA on NVidia chipsets on either Linux or FreeBSD.

Still, compared to the Intel board I run now NVidia is always a little spotty.