Clayton wrote:
Question is... is the only realistic solution to recompile? Yuck. I can do this, but... it has been a while.
I really do not consider that the solution is to recompile the kernel. I could do it but I haven't recompiled a kernel for zonks, just like you.
Actually it was dead easy to do. It hasn't changed since the Stone Age (last time I built my pown kernel was probably about that long ago). It's well documented here: http://en.opensuse.org/Configure%2C_Build_and_Install_a_Custom_Linux_Kernel (although the steps could use some updating and minor tweaking). Total time to rebuild the kernel was about 1h20m including the time spent poking around in the options just to see what was there.
The result - as i said in a previous post - was a 40% increase in performance in OpenGL apps. I see no difference on the desktop... only in the games.
The test app used was Call Of Duty 4 running on Cedega 7.0.0, and using the "timedemo" feature running a pre-recorded multiplayer game session. The FPS was recorded with full AA 4x and all graphics options on high with the default kernel and then with the rebuilt kernel. There was a 37% increase in FPS with the new kernel.
C.
I've spent the past several days fooling around with recompiling the kernel (as per suggestions) and doing some testing. I do not play games and do not have the 'timedemo' testing app. you mention so cannot provide speed results equivalent to yours. However, I can provide the results produced by glxgears[1] (see below). My system is 32-bit, running oS11.1 with KDE4.2RC1; CPU is Athlon XP 3200 and the video is an nVidia 6600GT. It took 1hr39min to compile the (new) kernel. The default/pae kernel had the Timer Frequency set to 275 Hz which I reset to 1000Hz; I also reset the CPU Family to correctly reflect the AMD I have. After the compiled kernel was installed I found that I was getting very poor results when running glxgears[1]. To see if the results would change I did 2 things: * compiled nVidia drivers 188-06, 188-17 and 188-22 against the new kernel; and * turned ON and OFF the Composite setting in /etc/X11/xorg.conf for each nVidia driver. The results are: Driver Composite OFF (fps) Composite On (fps) 188-06 ~3650 ~1722 188-17 ~3650 ~1730 188-22 ~2900 ~1752 Note the drop in fps for 188-22 when Composite was OFF (but the slight increase for ON). For all the tests the driver in xorg.conf was nvidia and not the simple nv. There is one more (important, for me at least) factor about the 188-22 driver (see also next paragraph) - which happens to be the latest driver from nVidia: I have a digital TV card installed, use either kaffeine or xine, and found that with the -22 driver even with Composite OFF the High Definition (HD) channels had their picture shimmering and wobbling like jelly on a plate. The channels were not watchable. Switching back to the 188-17 driver all HD channels were perfect irrespective of whether Composite was OFF or ON. Re HD channels. Before I recompiled the kernel I could not really successfully watch any HD channels because the picture always pixielated and the sound dropped out/stuttered/made clicking noises. This problem is now gone with the new compiled kernel and the picture and sound are now perfect[2]. Hope the above are of use to you and to others. As far as I am concerned I will now recompile the kernel each time there is a new one available. [1] I know that glxgears is not a benchmarking tool but it's the only one I have to use. [2] Just for information: in kaffeine one can set the Deinterlace Quality and mine is set to the third highest setting. Ciao. -- "With the portion of mankind that is above average one may speak of higher things; with those below it, one may not." Confucius -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org