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Thread: Any Linux d00ds here?

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Default Any Linux d00ds here?

    I prefer to use Ubuntu for all my gaming purposes and my P4 is not cutting it. I've got 1gb of RAM but the graphics are of the stale variety. I'd like to build the most modern Ubu box I can but am worried about compatibility with cutting edge graphics cards.

    Can one steer me in the right direction?
    Robot, fight like a chicken!

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    Pear (Level 6) Sabz5150's Avatar
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    AMD has let loose of the ATI code for their vidcards... infact their latest video card shipped with Windows and Linux drivers. nVidia has fairly decent, albeit closed, driver support. Via's Unichrome (usually integrated into cheap boards) is fully supported, along with mpeg hardware decoding for those chips that support it.

    Unless you have a way out there oddball card, you'll be fine.

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    ServBot (Level 11) roushimsx's Avatar
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    You don't want a top of the line card, anyway. It's just not worth it (the price to performance ratio blows). Keep the budget under $300 on the high end for the graphics card (aim closer towards $200 than $300) and do a little review hunting to make sure that you're getting the best bang for your buck. An nVidia GTX260 will set you back under $250 and an ATI 4870 will run you a bit more, but it looks like both work without too many problems under Ubuntu.

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    unless you want to do like professional 3d rendering you dont really need a top of the line graphics card in your Linux box. There aren't alot of games that run natively under 'nix, you can run them in wine or one of its derivatives but honestly the performance hits and tons of compatibility issues make it a bit of a pain in the ass. Id say pick up a card that WAS top of the line like a 9800 pro or something thatll dole out more than enough for most of your needs.
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    Having run my desktop on linux for the last 10 years, i have to ask what on earth you plan on playing?

    I guess there are some openGL based games with native support, but I'd be hard pressed to name any AAA titles from the last year.

    Start with what you want to play, and we can recommend some specs.

    EDIT: Although I just found out that neverwinter nights II runs fairly well under WINE. I might try to resurrect my characters after i blew away my windows partition...
    Last edited by ProgrammingAce; 11-05-2008 at 11:29 PM.

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    Apple (Level 5) MrSparkle's Avatar
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    i thought nwn2 ran natively under linux or was that just the first game?
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    Kirby (Level 13) Push Upstairs's Avatar
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    I have an 8500GT in my computer, except I don't run Unbuntu.

    Its not top of the line and still I think that is more than necessary for Linux.

    Possibility is infinity! You must be satisfied!

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    I use ubuntu now and then and have used linux somewhat regularly for a few years now. Not really for gaming (neverwinter sure but anything else?) a GTX260 or ati 4870 would be brilliant but high end stuff just avoid (like triple SLI-who needs that!)

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    Peach (Level 3) aclbandit's Avatar
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    I'm an Ubuntu Linux user, have been for a few years now. I absolutely love the OS, beats the crap outta Windows in terms of performance and stability.

    The only problem that most people have, of course, is games. However, I've managed to get all but one of my PC games (that one being Lost Planet-- go figure, it's a "Games for Windows") running under Linux.

    If you're looking for graphics cards, I strongly urge you to look at nVidia. Their Linux support has always been top-notch, and even if the Ubuntu default install for them doesn't work, there's a great program called Envy that always gets that new nVidia card working ^^

    I'm currently running an 8800GTS, and I can do Half-Life 2 at maxed settings under WINE or Crossover Games (thanks to that recent post letting me know that it was free for a day, lol).

    nVidia is easily the way to go for a Linux gaming box like mine.

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    Pear (Level 6) Sabz5150's Avatar
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    I use Gentoo. Bow before me

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Quote Originally Posted by ProgrammingAce View Post
    Having run my desktop on linux for the last 10 years, i have to ask what on earth you plan on playing?
    Well I will make an attempt to play through Wine:

    Dawn of War 2
    Starcraft 2 (have NO idea if it will run but I'd like the specs to be up there)

    Here are Linux Apps that I want to run at full speed:

    Urban Terror (right now I have to turn off everything and it chugs at around 20fps)
    World of Padman
    True Combat Elite
    Robot, fight like a chicken!

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    well if were going to turn this into a distro pissing contest :P, i use slackware and have been using slackware since version 3.3 or so.

    *edit* the only other native gave i can think of with decent 3d rendering and some popularity under linux is that addictive penguin racing game lol.
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    Pear (Level 6) Sabz5150's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrSparkle View Post
    well if were going to turn this into a distro pissing contest :P, i use slackware and have been using slackware since version 3.3 or so.

    *edit* the only other native gave i can think of with decent 3d rendering and some popularity under linux is that addictive penguin racing game lol.
    I started with Slack That was where I stuck until I found Gentoo about two years ago. How is that distro doing these days?

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    ServBot (Level 11) kedawa's Avatar
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    Linux is a great kernel, and Ubuntu is a really polished OS, but Windows really is the only reasonable option for PC gaming.

    If I had my way, everything would be compatible with BSD Unix, but I live in the real world, so I suck it up and use Vista for gaming.

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    haha you dont have to SUCK IT up that hard , windows vista is a horrible operating system, ill just come out in the open and state that i have not hated an operating system that much since windows ME. And as for how slackware is these days, its alright, its kind of moving in the direction of other distros unfortunatly each major release feels less and less like slackware to me, maybe i'm just stubborn but theres something about its grittiness that always appealed to me. I personally still stick with the version 8 releases for the most part.
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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Well if you could help me with this I'll be on my way. The computer is a Dell Dimension 2400. It's a bit older (Pentium 4, 2.8ghz), 1gb RAM (maxed out), but it's got integrated video.

    Based on the specs I've received from Dell (http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m_en/specs.htm) I get video specs such as this:

    Bus types: PCI
    Bus speed: PCI: 33 MHz
    PCI connectors: three
    PCI connector size: 120 pins
    PCI connector data width (maximum): 32 bits

    I suppose one of the advantages of PCI is that its pretty dead and the absolute best graphics cards are on the clearance rack. What would be a champion PCI videocard to use that will still play nice with Ubuntu?
    Robot, fight like a chicken!

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    Cherry (Level 1) Nophix's Avatar
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    Well, as for the pissing contest, I use Backtrack 3, what now B@#$%es!!! I will pwn you!

    Ok, now that the formality is over...lol

    I have my laptop booting Ubuntu and Vista Home. Ubuntu owrks fine with the onboard ATi card in it, as does Vista.

    Our primary machine is running XP. I had it dual booted with Linux, attempting to get some things to work and migrate, but ultimately it failed. Some games will run OK under WINE, but not great. World of Warcraft was epic fail, and my wife can't live without it. So, that was out. The 8800GT works great under Ubuntu, however, when you can get the games running.

    In the end, OpenGL just cannot compete with DirectX right now. The games that do run under Linux will run better under DirectX on Windows.

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    Cherry (Level 1) Nophix's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by courtesi96 View Post
    Well if you could help me with this I'll be on my way. The computer is a Dell Dimension 2400. It's a bit older (Pentium 4, 2.8ghz), 1gb RAM (maxed out), but it's got integrated video.

    Based on the specs I've received from Dell (http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...m_en/specs.htm) I get video specs such as this:

    Bus types: PCI
    Bus speed: PCI: 33 MHz
    PCI connectors: three
    PCI connector size: 120 pins
    PCI connector data width (maximum): 32 bits

    I suppose one of the advantages of PCI is that its pretty dead and the absolute best graphics cards are on the clearance rack. What would be a champion PCI videocard to use that will still play nice with Ubuntu?
    Standard PCI bus cannot actively support video. Any PCI card you get will run slower than the native onboard card for that machine. Save the money and put it towards a different system with PCIe support.

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    How on earth did you end up with a pentium 4 and no AGP slot? I haven't messed with PCI in about a decade, but with a 33 mhz bus, you might be shit out of luck.

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Quote Originally Posted by ProgrammingAce View Post
    How on earth did you end up with a pentium 4 and no AGP slot? I haven't messed with PCI in about a decade, but with a 33 mhz bus, you might be shit out of luck.
    ! My mother in law gave it to me when my Macs motherboard died. Hey it was free!

    It's an alright surfing computer. But even Linux games run like a dog on it.
    Robot, fight like a chicken!

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