AMD/ATI
My PC at home is in a serious need for a major upgrade for quite some time and after hearing the good AMD news about Linux drivers, when the time will come I will almost certainly break my tradition of using Nvidia cards and go for an AMD/ATI card along with (here the tradition will remain unchanged) an AMD CPU.
This may even change my position about laptops.
Posts
I'm sure that switching to ATI videocards is a good move.
ReplyDeletemade a mistake in my comment: I'm NOT sure that switching to ATI videocards is a good move.
ReplyDeleteI used to think the same, going all Nvidia, but if ATI open the sources, they will become my first option.
ReplyDeleteI've got a ATI card in my laptop for quite some time already and now with upcoming performance boosters and AIGLX support I'm quite happy with that choice. Still looking forward to the open drivers tho...but it will take qutie some time to get them doing all the 3D stuff.
ReplyDeleteSure, it will take quite some time, but the alternative is waiting for the Nouveau project to reverse the Nvidia drivers and they still have a long way to go...
ReplyDeleteI would wait to see them put some action behind the words.
ReplyDeleteI you are going for a laptop, then select one with a buildin intel videocard, they have already made the open source drivers and is also paying some of the X developers.
Releasing official specs is good, but it will likely take third parties quite a bit of time to release a decent driver. I still like the new Intel chips; they already have a working open source driver.
ReplyDeleteReleasing official specs is good, but it will likely take third parties quite a bit of time to release a decent driver. I still like the new Intel chips; they already have a working open source driver.
ReplyDeleteThey are NOT opening the driver. They are offering SOME SPECS AND LIBRARY (under a NDA) and a sort of collaboration. Good, but not enough for me to switch away from NVIDIA.
ReplyDeleteRead
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=826&num=1
for the REAL strategy.
"AMD will be providing NDA specifications, an open-source library, and there is a new open-source graphics driver as a result. AMD will continue producing a closed-source proprietary driver; however, they are opening the source-code to a critical library with accompanying GPU specifications for X.Org developers."
"The aim of this open-source driver is not to overtake the fglrx driver but rather is designed for those who just want a working desktop with 3D capabilities and basic video playback. This new driver is ideal for FOSS enthusiasts and those wishing to run the latest development kernels and versions of X.Org. The fglrx driver will continue full steam ahead with their monthly releases and will be for those who want a stable driver with top-notch performance, all of the bells and whistles"
Do you think a gamer or someone else needing to get the MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE out of the ATI hardware will use the open source driver?
Bye! ;-)
Simo
Is not the first time when I hear about this policy: NDA and GPL at the same time...
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, for a new card, AMD and NVIDIA have comparable performance, prices and good binary drivers[1], AMD will have specs and some Free driver but NVIDIA will have nothing (except the reverse engineered Nouveau).
[1] - I understand their binary driver will stop sucking real soon.
What you say is true, but in the end what will happen?
ReplyDeleteIf ATI will fill the driver gap in the following months (performance improvements this month, AIGLX next month, ecc... - by the way, NVIDIA has both from more than a year) MOST people will use the binary driver.
So what's the difference between ATI binary or NVIDIA binary? Like you sad: similar prices... similar performance... WHY SWITH? What is the value added?