[Mini benchmark] FTB Monster on Ubuntu - screen driver matters! (AMD Radeon)

TheReduxPL

Active Member
Jun 8, 2013
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So, since I was installing Ubuntu 14.04 today, I wanted to show you how imporant it is to use proprietary drivers instead of open-source ones. It's even more important than on Windows!
My GPU is Radeon HD7770 and my CPU is Intel Core i5-3350P - nothing fancy here.
A super simple explanation of difference between these two (for Radeon GPUs) :
- Open-source (aka radeon) is a driver that is integrated in the operating system, it's not made by AMD
- Proprietary (aka amd or fglrx) a driver made by AMD, needs to be downloaded and installed manually
In general, radeon driver offers higher compatibility with older chipsets and multi-screen configurations. The fglrx driver provides a way higher performance in 3D apps (but not always in 2D apps) but is recommended only for newer GPUs and also sometimes causes problems with multi-screen configurations.

tl;dr? Do you need an evidence? Just look at those: http://imgur.com/a/8kqRw (first is open-source, second is proprietary)
The first screenshot is made on Ubuntu running the open-source driver. After all chunks get loaded, the framerate oscillates between 5-10 fps which is pretty self-explanatory. I didn't even try to join a server. Also the game literally disappears when I try to switch to full-screen mode. Unplayable (until you reduce the graphical settings).
The second one, as you might have expected, is made when proprietary drivers are installed. Results? 90-120 fps. On a server I play I'm getting the acceptable amount of 30-50 fps in my base and 80-100 fps over my base. On full-screen mode the framerate becomes more stable. Fully playable even after turning smooth lighting on.
Graphical settings that were used to make this "mini benchmark": http://imgur.com/a/8kqRw
Why is "Smooth Lighting" off? On open-source driver, game became not just sluggish but also unstable, making random crashes even when waiting these 5 minutes for chunks to load.

Well, that's it. In case if anyone of you was wondering about the performance difference in FTB Monster or Minecraft in general. :)
 

BSMK

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
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Yeah, the open source drivers in Linux are crap (especially for gaming).
 

lenscas

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Jul 31, 2013
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I used to run Ubuntu for a very short time and switched to debian for personal reasons I then did a strange discovery in regards to drivers.
on ubuntu the open source drivers where a mess to say the least and they couldn't handle anything.
The Proprietary drivers on the other hand were able to handle most things, however it didn't feel like it went smooth.

Now since I switched to debian jessie it is quite different.
It turns out the GPU that I have from amd is no longer supported for Linux so I can't use the Proprietary drivers for my debian install and thus went with the open source ones. And in debian they work a lot better then when I used them for ubuntu and even out perform the Proprietary ones as it now feels smooth.

With this I want to say that only one test tells nothing. I am now however also wondering if ubuntu is not part of the problem.
 

BSMK

New Member
Jul 29, 2019
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And in debian they work a lot better then when I used them for ubuntu and even out perform the Proprietary ones as it now feels smooth.

With this I want to say that only one test tells nothing. I am now however also wondering if ubuntu is not part of the problem.

Hmm, interesting. Correct me if I am wrong but Debian is known to use older versions of apps in favor of stability.
Maybe this has something to do with the default drivers working better?
 

lenscas

Over-Achiever
Jul 31, 2013
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Hmm, interesting. Correct me if I am wrong but Debian is known to use older versions of apps in favor of stability.
Maybe this has something to do with the default drivers working better?
Maybe, but when I switched debian jessie just came out of testing, or to be more precise I switched at the same day it came out of testing.