When choosing a fast graphics card, there are two main options: AMD and Nvidia.
There are a number of factors that make them stand out, and this is doubly so with Linux. On Windows, only speed matters – Nvidia GPUs (graphics processor) tend to be faster than AMD. But in Linux there are other things to be aware of.
GPU drivers: Proprietary vs. Open Source
There are two types of drivers you can install to get your graphics cards running, proprietary drivers. Should you use the proprietary AMD graphics drivers and how are they installed? [Ubuntu] Should you use AMD native graphics drivers and how to install them? [Ubuntu] If there is an AMD or nVidia graphics card or chip in your desktop computer or laptop, you have significant graphics processing power. However, these highly respected graphics providers consider it… Continue Reading or Open Source. Both have good and bad aspects, but differ when using an Nvidia or AMD graphics card.
Nvidia: It's complicated
While there are open source and proprietary Nvidia drivers for Linux, at this point there's really only one viable option: the latter. Nouveau, The open source driver for Nvidia cards tends to perform worse than its proprietary counterpart.
Much of the work done by Nouveau is reverse engineering the proprietary Nvidia driver. Similar to the Wine project Run Windows apps and games with Linux Wine-Windows apps& -Running games with Linux Wine Is there a way to get Windows software to run on Linux? One answer is to use wine, but while it can be very useful, it should probably only be your last resort. Here's why. More information restores a Windows environment to run programs like Microsoft Office. Installing and using Microsoft Office on Linux (and its shortcomings). Installing and using Microsoft Office on Linux (and its shortcomings). Your PC is running Linux. How in the world will you install Microsoft Office and use it without problems? Read more in. Basically developers look at the results of a program and work backwards from there.
This has its drawbacks, mainly in terms of speed and compatibility. nouveau is much, much slower than the proprietary Nvidia drivers, especially with newer graphics cards. Support for the latest Nvidia products is also quite poor – rebuilding takes a lot of time.
New also lacks something that the proprietary driver has: News. This allows the GPU to work harder and thus work faster (and this costs more power). Unfortunately, only a few Nvidia graphics processors: which one is right for you? Nvidia graphics cards: Which one is right for you? Nvidia graphics cards are the most popular for a reason. But which model should you buy and why? We explain the jargon, the cards and their performance. Read More can use this with nouveau installed, none of which are very new.
The speed difference is sometimes just silly, especially with newer graphics cards. Some benchmarks show that the proprietary drivers can perform up to nine times faster than their open source counterparts. Suffice it to say, Nouveau is fine for drawing your desktop, but there is still a way to go for gaming. That being said, some specific Nvidia graphics cards work flawlessly with them, so your mileage may vary.
AMD: Solid support
In most cases, it doesn't matter what drivers you install for AMD graphics cards. They are well supported throughout, although they use open source defeat planned obsolescence with Linux and open source software. Defeat Plan Obsolescence with Linux and Open Source Software. Unlike a 5 year old PC, a 5 year old smartphone can barely run all modern apps. However, there is a way to take advantage of the technology without buying new hardware: Use Linux and free software! Read more Driver is the preferred method. In fact, there are many cases where the open source drivers (AMDGPU for newer cards and Radeon for older ones) are on par with or even faster than their proprietary counterparts!
Compared to Nvidia's open source driver, nouveau, there is far better support. Open source AMD graphics files are fantastic now. You can get information here. Open source AMD graphics cards are now awesome and the open source driver has now become a great Read More for newer graphics cards. In fact, support for AMD's next generation graphics card, Vega, is already being developed. This is due in part to AMD's support for the open source community, which provides documentation and staff for driver development.
While the drivers in the AMD camp are fine across the board, your performance will still be noticeably slower than when using an Nvidia graphics card with proprietary drivers. Unless things change soon. What's so good about the new AMD Ryzen? What's so good about the new AMD Ryzen? The AMD Ryzen has just landed and the world of CPUs has gotten interesting. What's the hype about and is it right for you? Read more . It's also about getting a system with an AMD graphics card in the first place, which can be a challenge.
Graphics switching
These technologies are also referred to as NVIDIA Optimus or AMD Switchable Graphics. They offer a choice between using a high performance graphics card (Nvidia / AMD) and a less powerful graphics card (usually Intel). This is very useful for laptops when you are away from a power outlet and want your battery to last. 7 Simple Tips to Improve Your Linux Laptop's Battery Life 7 Simple Tips to Improve Your Linux Laptop's Battery Life and Enjoy a Truly Portable Linux Computing Experience? Read More .
While both work well on Windows and Linux, setup is definitely easier with AMD (with a few exceptions). For starters, there is no real Optimus support for Nvidia graphics cards. This is doubly the case if you use proprietary drivers.
The main way to get this working is to use a program called Hummel. Although it is not officially supported by Nvidia, it works pretty well. However, a little setup is required to make it work. It runs as a separate program service. How to control Linux startup services and daemons How to control Linux startup services and daemons Linux runs many applications "in the background from that you may not know. How to take control. Read more about what usually needs to be installed manually. With the service also appeared many bugs that have not been updated in recent years.
For everything else there is PRIME, This allows graphics switching for open source drivers like nouveau and AMDGPU. Since these drivers are integrated, it is much easier to set up in comparison, no additional software is required.
That being said, this is only a real problem for laptops. How to find the best laptop under $600 How to find the best laptop under $600 If you know where to go, $600 can get you a lot of laptop. Here's what you should be looking for. More information – This is not a problem for desktop computers. In this case, you can freely choose your graphics card without worrying about power consumption. And in terms of performance, Nvidia wins hands down.
As an aside, some Linux operating systems work around these problems with Nvidia and use special optimizations to make switching graphics easier. For example, Ubuntu has its own control panel. What switching to GNOME means for Ubuntu What switching to GNOME means for Ubuntu Canonical has announced the end of Unity desktop. As of Ubuntu 18.04 the GNOME desktop is restored. What does this mean for Ubuntu and its relationship with Linux users? More information that lets you choose whether to use an Intel or Nvidia graphics card (but only after logging in again).
Wayland support
In short, Wayland, how to try Wayland, a new display server for Linux How to try Wayland, a new display server for Linux Linux distributions will soon get a new display server called Wayland. Let's take a look at Wayland and see how you can try it right now. Read More is seen as the future of the Linux desktop to eventually replace the X display server. The goal, among other modern innovations, is to facilitate development. It is already available on two major Linux desktops: GNOME and Plasma KDE: An overview of the most configurable desktop interface of Linux KDE explained: An overview of the most configurable desktop interface of Linux. How does Linux look? Sometimes Unity; other times, GNOME. However, Linux often runs under KDE. If you're not using the previous K desktop environment on your Linux PC, now is the time to make a change! Read more .
At this point, however, due to its somewhat unique design, Nvidia's proprietary driver only works with GNOME's implementation of Wayland. Wayland needs a desktop environment Which Linux desktop environment best suits your personality? Which Linux desktop environment best suits your personality? What kind of computer user are you? Leave icons on your desktop? Do you prefer to work in a clear application? Let's find out which Linux desktop environment suits you best. Read more, which supports compilation, a technique that prevents graphical artifacts such as window tearing. You do this by saving multiple copies of your screen at the same time.
To move these copies into memory, compositors for Wayland must use a special API (application programming interface). What are APIs and how are open APIs changing the Internet What are APIs and how are open APIs changing the Internet Have you ever wondered how programs on your computer and the websites you visit "talk"? with each other? Read more, from the graphics driver implemented. The most commonly used API is called GBM (Generic Buffer Management). As long as you use an open source driver (AMDGPU / Radeon / Nouveau), Wayland will work.
However, Nvidia's proprietary driver uses a different called API EGLStreams. Many compositors don't support this, the GNOME desktop does. GNOME explained: a look at one of the most popular desktops of Linux. GNOME explained: a look at one of Linux's most popular desktops. You are interested in Linux and came across you "GNOME", an abbreviation for GNU Network Object Model Environment. GNOME is one of the most popular open source interfaces, but what does that mean? Read more than the big exception. This may change over time, but there's not really much you can do (except stay for the X display server for now)..
While Wayland is still very much in development, it is obviously becoming more and more important to. Fedora 5 reasons to use Pure Open Source Distro, Fedora 5 reasons to use Pure Open Source Distro, Fedora Fedora is not as well known as Ubuntu and has a reputation for being difficult to use. But if this is true, why do so many people continue to use Fedora? For example, Read More is already included (although Nvidia drivers use GNOME by default, this is not a problem)..
What about Intel Graphics??
At this point, the only graphics card vendor you can be absolutely sure of is Intel integrated graphics. Although they may not be as fast, they are actually much better. Integrated vs. dedicated graphics card: 7 things you should know Integrated and dedicated graphics cards: 7 things you should know Ask yourself if you should use an integrated or dedicated card Graphics card? Here's what you need to know to make your decision. Read more than you used to in terms of speed. They are also very battery friendly compared to graphics cards from Nvidia or AMD.
Support for them will definitely be out of the box, their drivers are fully open source on Linux. Many games are also quite playable, though not with dedicated graphics cards. You also have the confidence to let Wayland work if you want to test it because of its open source feature.
It depends on whether
For Linux desktop computers, this is a much easier choice. Nvidia easily has the fastest graphics cards on the market at this point (as long as you use their proprietary drivers). For laptops it is a different story. 5 Awesome Linux Laptops You Can Buy Now 5 Awesome Linux Laptops You Can Buy Now Linux is amazing unless it's not installed. Then it just hurts. Fortunately, some laptop manufacturers make Linux laptops that have no driver or software bugs. Read more, however, as battery life is exceeded.
In this case the decision is more difficult. Switching from switchable graphics to Nvidia's proprietary driver is quite difficult. Installing proprietary graphics drivers in Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint Installing proprietary graphics drivers in Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint In most cases, you can deal with open hassle-free -source software on Linux. However, if you want real gaming and graphics performance, you need proprietary drivers. How to get it. Read more, but not impossible. Unless more desktop environments become compatible with the Nvidia quirks on Wayland, it may mean using a desktop that doesn't meet your expectations.
In the end, it comes down to deciding what you're dealing with. AMD graphics cards are better supported, but may be a bit slower than Nvidia's offerings. And Intel easily has the best support of the three (but is the slowest).