4 years after Kaveri launched, this AMD arch see's a huge performance gain on the Linux OS

[M300843499]

This may be epic news for those of you with a nice little AMD Kaveri build.

 

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd-kaveri-2018&num=1

 

I cannot see this hitting a wide audience, but perhaps this can translate to better performance across the AMD range? let's hope!

 

"For those making use of AMD Kaveri APUs, the latest Linux graphics stack improvements will now yield much better performance -- up to twice as fast in some instances! Here are some benchmarks with Ubuntu 18.04 on the AMD A10-7870K"

[bcredeur97]

neat. 

I really want to daily drive linux but I just can't bring myself to do it yet. 

I used it exclusively on a laptop in HS; since then I've just found myself needing windows for things too often. Plus game compatibility has always been a worry for me. Can't exactly play whatever I want on Linux just yet. 

Maybe a VM with some GPU pass-through thing but I've never ever got that working every time I've tried it. 

[kennethnakasone]

I was kinda hoping this was indicative of a performance boost for all Sea Island GPUs (and therefore also my Athlon 5150), but if I understand it correctly, it's more of a Kaveri-specific bug-fix isn't it. Feeling really backstabbed with the AM1 platform tbh : \

[Okjoek]

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

[iRileyx]

4 hours ago, kennethnakasone said:

I was kinda hoping this was indicative of a performance boost for all Sea Island GPUs (and therefore also my Athlon 5150), but if I understand it correctly, it's more of a Kaveri-specific bug-fix isn't it. Feeling really backstabbed with the AM1 platform tbh : \

It does specifically say Kaveri in the title.

 

Remember this is a Linux update that's given the performance boost, nothing on AMD's side. Feel backstabbed by Linux, not AMD. 

[KoganeNoKenshi]

2 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

It's open source, means everyone can check what exactly they are running on their computers.

I also think the privacy aspect is very important. Some might say Windows (especially Windows 10) is spyware. A lot of what you are doing with Windows gets send to Microsoft servers without a lot of options to turn off the telemetry services.

Ubuntu is not perfect when it comes to privacy but a big step Forward compared to Windows 10.

[LAwLz]

3 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

Way too many things to list. It's kind of like comparing a screwdriver to a hammer.

[AlTech]

4 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

open source and non proprietary.

[mr moose]

4 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

depends on what you use your PC for, I used it for a few years a while back, but when the kids started school and I got back into games I found it was useless.   Basically it's faster and more stable and works on more hardware with less issues.  Free and comes with a shit ton of programs if you could be arsed learning them and they work for you.

 

 

[kennethnakasone]

2 hours ago, RKRiley said:

-snip-

Sorry, I wasn't very clear in my original comment:

The backstabbed feeling was more from the fact that AMD dropped the AM1 platform after 1 generation (which I had mistakenly assumed most people here would be familiar with already). My hope was that the Kaveri-specific performance boost was a more general Sea Islands GPU performance boost (which Kabini also uses), which would have softened the blow of having a dead-after-1-generation platform, but it wasn't the case. Hence, my disappointment (at both AMD and Linux if that makes you feel better).

[ScratchCat]

7 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I've used Ubuntu for a few days. Aside from being free what advantages are there over modern windows?

No forced upgrades, do not have to reinstall after the aforementioned forced upgrades as the system is tested before release, no Microsoft telemetry (it is personally identifying even if they say it isn't), free, long term support versions, many more development tools, better installation systems and so on...

 

[TopHatProductions115]

I could order ESXi to toss a linux vm into the mix - if it decides to act right today  

[NelizMastr]

11 hours ago, kennethnakasone said:

I was kinda hoping this was indicative of a performance boost for all Sea Island GPUs (and therefore also my Athlon 5150), but if I understand it correctly, it's more of a Kaveri-specific bug-fix isn't it. Feeling really backstabbed with the AM1 platform tbh : \

Nope. Just Kavery, so not for the AM1 Kabini platform. AM1 wasn't meant for games anyway, it was more of a HTPC/home server platform with decent value for money. 

[mynameisjuan]

5 hours ago, LAwLz said:

Way too many things to list. It's kind of like comparing a screwdriver to a hammer.

Not really....like at all. 

 

Ive used linux as my main PC for over 10 years and its a big part of my job. It has no advantage over windows or vice versa. 

 

Both are powerful, both are stable. Im sick of people saying ones better than the other. Use it professionally and overall they are the same overall, even if each has its minor annoyances. 

[Nicnac]

what applications will benefit from this?

[Sauron]

Nice, although I wonder how many people are using a kaveri build with a linux based os as a gaming box.

 

Might be time to raid ebay though.

[Sauron]

14 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

Ive used linux as my main PC for over 10 years and its a big part of my job. It has no advantage over windows or vice versa. 

I would say it depends on what you use it for... for stuff like embedded machines, low power media centers, media servers and older hardware I would argue linux has a massive advantage over windows. There are also privacy and customizability options that windows can only dream of, as I'm sure you know, and the closer adherence to foss principles. Granted, for everyday personal desktop use most of this won't matter much and you could argue that windows has the edge with its wider software support and driver availability - but there are definitely pros and cons to both.

[Okjoek]

4 hours ago, mr moose said:

depends on what you use your PC for, I used it for a few years a while back, but when the kids started school and I got back into games I found it was useless.   Basically it's faster and more stable and works on more hardware with less issues.  Free and comes with a shit ton of programs if you could be arsed learning them and they work for you.

 

 

I found that a majority of my games ran okay on Ubuntu, but there were some deal breakers for me such as any expansive non-source based First Person Shooter not being supported for some reason. Also I never got around to figuring how to install Java and Minecraft

 

I have yet to determine if it's a system limitation or developers just chasing the dominant market share holder.

 

my first experience with command terminal was logged here:

Experience was kinda like exploring a new dungeon in Runescape or something to me. 

[Humbug]

3 hours ago, mynameisjuan said:

Not really....like at all. 

 

Ive used linux as my main PC for over 10 years and its a big part of my job. It has no advantage over windows or vice versa. 

 

Both are powerful, both are stable. Im sick of people saying ones better than the other. Use it professionally and overall they are the same overall, even if each has its minor annoyances. 

This is just an anecdotal personal story but still...

 

One of my family members who I support for all her computing needs is my grandmother. Not a power user. What she needs is an office suite, gmail, web browser, printer and scanner, YouTube, video calling, editing documents, online banking, playing video etc.

 

I used to constantly have issues with supporting her. But last year I switched her from windows to Linux Mint. She doesn't know she is using Linux. But she is still using chrome for browsing and gmail/youtube, still using Skype to video call, vlc for media playback etc. I get far fewer calls now and she is a lot happier with her PC. It's also fast and has no virus guard dragging things down. I installed teamviewer so when she has a question I can log in remotely and help her out.

 

The experience has been eye opening for me. I will not try to translate this to power users. But I am convinced now that for basic users a good solid stable Linux distro like mint with mate/cinnamon desktop which is similar to windows is the best option. It has removed a lot of headaches in my life, things have stopped breaking randomly: it has just worked since the day I installed it. And she hasn't picked up any malware, it's working as fast as the day I installed it.

 

Note- I was not using a bleeding edge distros like arch, and I did not use stuff like vanilla fedora/ubuntu who's gnome desktop would be unfamiliar to windows people.

 

So from here on out for people who are basic PC users and do not need some specific windows application I decided to go with Linux. Another benefit Less spyware and telemetry if that matters to you.

 

For me personally on my gaming PC I dual boot between win10 and Linux. I keep dedicated SSDs for each. The Linux distro keeps changing between ubuntu, mint and fedora. I tend to do most of my work and entertainment on Linux though. Gaming split between windows and Linux.

[mynameisjuan]

33 minutes ago, Humbug said:

snip

So a couple of things

 

1. I do the same for all my family. If they just browse, they're getting linux. Yes its more secure, but not as much as people think. Win 10 has pumped up security where infections are greatly dropping. Linux just gives me that 99% of the time they will be fine.

 

2. Being stable and faster over time is just anecdotal. Mint is my go to distro too but its not the fastest and comparing its performance to my win 10 pcs at home and work that have been installed and no maintenance other than updates for over a year are just as fast. 

 

3. Not having as many problems with the PC is moot. Most calls I get are how to do something and when "something isnt working" is either a hardware issue or just user error. Things dont just break, usually related to a driver update. 

 

4. Linux updates break shit too. Especially desktop updates and kernel headers. Depending on the problem, shit can go bad real quick. 

 

5. Linux is buggy as hell. People can argue for the stability but if you use them all the time, especially multiple distros, you will soon realize how many issue desktops have. Cinnamon is the only one that has yet to crash. Bug are all over though.  

 

How a PC performs is all about how its setup. My previous jobs as system admin I changes the shit images to images where things are setup properly. My last job went from 10-15 issues per day of problems to 0-1 per week after I started and deployed a proper image.

 

Again. Stability, reliability, speed, security. I dont give a fuck what OS you have, they all perform about the same. Its all about how YOU set it up and maintain it. 

[Humbug]

Yep how you maintain it is key. 

But also the fact that when using Linux yoy are less likely to pick up random malware by clicking on dodgy sites is a factor. 

Personally I have also grown to detest Virus guards so the fact that I don't need them on Linux matters to me. 

[mynameisjuan]

2 minutes ago, Humbug said:

Personally I have also grown to detest Virus guards so the fact that I don't need them on Linux matters to me. 

Matters to everyone.  Sketchy sites should be avoided too, linux is not fool proof. My only windows machines are for gaming, browsing machine will always be linux. 

[Tech Enthusiast]

Well, fits right into what my wife is experiencing with Linux (her work demands a linux OS).

 

Just about 2 Years after buying a top of the line custom made laptop, she finally got OS support for all the parts!

The last quirks with drivers got fixed about 3 years in.

 

The GPU was the biggest issue for a while, along with external Monitors via HDMI.

 

So i guess Linux is great, if you have a few years to spare to wait for fixed / updated drivers!

[Humbug]

3 minutes ago, Rattenmann said:

The GPU was the biggest issue for a while, along with external Monitors via HDMI.

 

So i guess Linux is great, if you have a few years to spare to wait for fixed / updated drivers!

Nvidia?

[yian88]

GNU/Linux will never be a gaming platform, as long as the hardware relies on different expensive driver software installed for each OS, at least at this point.

Its only good enough for office and multimedia and custom servers/desktops and so on.

 

Workstation and Gaming will stay off limits due to crappy driver support from vendors.

The only way to improve the situation is to change the Linux kernel license where people arent allowed to build 6 gorrillion custom distros that all suck and linux foundation + GNU release one distro, that way drivers will be released for one stable distribution that everyone uses.