The debate between AMD and NVIDIA has raged for years, especially among gamers. But a recent exploration into the world of Linux gaming has revealed a surprising shift in the performance landscape, with AMD GPUs showing a clear advantage. This post delves into the findings of Tech YES City's recent Linux gaming experiments, exploring the performance differences, the challenges of Linux gaming, and what it means for the future of PC gaming.
A Journey into Linux Gaming
Tech YES City's initial foray into Linux gaming was a learning experience, highlighting some common pitfalls for newcomers. Two key mistakes were identified: not enabling Steam Play (Proton) compatibility and mischaracterizing the process as emulation rather than translation (using DXVK - DirectX over Vulkan). Thanks to helpful comments from the YouTube community, these issues were quickly rectified, paving the way for more accurate and insightful testing.
Choosing the Right Distro: Bazzite and Pop!_OS
The search for the ideal Linux distribution (distro) led to Bazzite, a highly flexible OS offering various configurations, including SteamOS and a traditional desktop experience. While the SteamOS version of Bazzite initially presented a hard-locked vsync issue, the desktop experience proved much more fruitful, removing the vsync limit and allowing for proper benchmarking. Ultimately, after all the testing, Tech YES City found themselves returning to Pop!_OS, appreciating its user-friendly desktop experience.
The Benchmarking Process
To accurately compare performance, Tech YES City tested a range of games on both Windows 10 and Linux (Bazzite and Pop!_OS) using both AMD (RX 7900 XTX) and NVIDIA (RTX 4090) GPUs. Games tested included Cyberpunk 2077, Rift Breaker, Black Myth: Wukong, and Strange Brigade. To ensure consistent results, in-game benchmarks were used, although some initial attempts to use MangoHud resulted in stuttering and were abandoned in favor of a "vanilla vs. vanilla" approach.
Key Findings: AMD's Linux Dominance
The benchmark results revealed a clear trend:
- AMD: AMD GPUs demonstrated near-identical or even superior performance on Linux compared to Windows 10. In some cases, like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, the RX 7900 XTX performed better on Linux. This suggests that Linux may be less resource-intensive than Windows, allowing AMD hardware to perform closer to its full potential.
- NVIDIA: NVIDIA GPUs, on the other hand, consistently showed performance losses on Linux, sometimes significant (up to 20% in some cases). This discrepancy is likely due to NVIDIA's closed-source driver model, which hinders seamless integration with Linux.
Game-Specific Observations:
- Cyberpunk 2077: AMD performed nearly identically on both operating systems, while NVIDIA showed a noticeable performance drop on Linux. Ray tracing performance was significantly worse on both platforms under Linux.
- Rift Breaker: This was a surprising outlier, with NVIDIA performing similarly on both operating systems at 4K. However, AMD lagged slightly behind in this specific title.
- Black Myth: Wukong: AMD delivered almost identical performance on both operating systems, while NVIDIA again lagged behind, especially at 1440p.
- Strange Brigade: This title presented some initial booting issues on the AMD side, requiring manual selection of Proton 9.0. Once resolved, AMD performed well, but a persistent 120 FPS lock at 4K hampered results on Linux.
The DXVK Factor and Intel's Approach
The tests also shed light on the role of DXVK and how different manufacturers approach driver development. It's suggested that Intel leverages DXVK's source code within their Windows drivers to improve compatibility with older DirectX games, effectively using Vulkan on Windows for these titles. This contrasts with AMD and NVIDIA, who optimize their drivers specifically for each game.
The Biggest Hurdle: Anti-Cheat Software
Despite the advancements in Linux gaming, a major obstacle remains: anti-cheat software. Popular multiplayer titles like Fortnite, Valorant, and GTA 5 are currently incompatible with Linux due to their anti-cheat mechanisms. This limitation significantly hinders wider Linux adoption among gamers who prioritize these titles.
The Future of Linux Gaming
Despite the anti-cheat issue, the future of Linux gaming looks promising. Valve's support through Steam and the Steam Deck has accelerated development and improved compatibility. The performance gains seen with AMD GPUs on Linux are compelling, and if the anti-cheat hurdles can be overcome, Linux could become a serious contender in the PC gaming landscape.
Conclusion
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