State of 3d video, which vendor has best support?

[KlaymenDK]

Hi, this is my first post here.

For the first time in a long time, I am building a new computer (ref), and I am quite confused about which vendor delivers the best support -- Intel, nVidia, or Ati?

My needs are:

• 2xDVI,[/*:m:20wcqto9]
• low idle power consumption (ie. heat), and[/*:m:20wcqto9]
• adequate 3D performance for BZFlag.[/*:m:20wcqto9]

Currently, I'm looking at a (Sapphire) Radeon HD 3850 [Edit: no I'm not, anymore; now I'm leaning towards "something" from nVidia], mainly due to its power profile. But then I read that "radeonhd" support is only so-so, and I'm unsure if it's the best use of my money.
[Edit: I'm looking for basically any old card- or motherboard-based graphics that will fulfil the above requirements.]

It's frustrating that all Google results for "anything-bsd" + "anything-graphics" are from 2002-2006 ... I can't seem to find a RECENT, authoritative guide to graphics cards under BSD.

I'm so out of touch. Li'l help please? :cry:

[vermaden]

nVidia cards will work with binary driver.

Intel mobile chip X3100 works beatifully, but its desktop brother X3000 does not work at all, also dunno about 2xDVI I have read some info about addons that adds additional DVI to the Intel card.

There are no binary drivers for ATI on FreeBSD (blame ATI) and open source drivers support only 2D mostly, maybe 3D partially for older cards, radeonhd driver also supports plny 2D vurrently.

VIA / S3 stay away from it until there will be working open source complete drivers (linux.via.com.tw).

Conclusion

Get nVidia card and be happy.

I would suggest 9600GSO 768MB RAM.

[KlaymenDK]

nVidia cards will work with binary driver.

Yeah I keep reading that, but as far as I understand it that's only for 2D, and as such I'd end up with a mighty expensive not-3D graphics solution...

Intel mobile chip X3100 works beatifully, but its desktop brother X3000 does not work at all, also dunno about 2xDVI I have read some info about addons that adds additional DVI to the Intel card.

This is for a desktop system. Basically, I don't care one whit whether the graphics are onboard or plug-in, as long as it will work well in FreeBSD. Except, as a separate card, it'd be easier to recover from a bad purchase choice. On the other hand, I suspect that cards draw way way more power than onboard chipsets?
But also, when reading motherboard listings, there are something like 40 different Intel and nVidia chipsets, and I'm simply quite overwhelmed.

There are no binary drivers for ATI on FreeBSD (blame ATI) and open source drivers support only 2D mostly, maybe 3D partially for older cards, radeonhd driver also supports only 2D currently.
VIA / S3 stay away from it until there will be working open source complete drivers (linux.via.com.tw).

I've been reading up on radeonhd in other places, and it too is definitely a "mighty expensive not-3D graphics solution", so I've promptly dropped all intentions of going Ati, the others were never even on my radar. Which leaves Intel and nVidia, I guess.

Conclusion - Get nVidia card and be happy. I would suggest 9600GSO 768MB RAM.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm sceptical. It's the old balance between finding something new enough to be still for sale, yet old enough to have drivers available. And this seems to be a very new card, so I wonder about driver support.

What's worse, according to reviews this card will draw >180 watts at idle, that's more than the rest of this (planned-24/7) computer and not acceptable (unless that's the situation for all cards nowadays?).

Maybe I should see if someone has a card for sale that's a couple of years old? I seriously don't need a heavy gamer's card (I mean, it's just for BZFlag fer cryin' out loud...).

I do realize I sound like a newbie, but my last 3D card was a Voodoo :roll: so I'm not exactly on top of the game here.

Thanks you so much for reading this far and I hope to get another reply.

Best Regards,
Klay

[vermaden]

Originally Posted by vermaden

nVidia cards will work with binary driver.

Yeah I keep reading that, but as far as I understand it that's only for 2D, and as such I'd end up with a mighty expensive not-3D graphics solution...

Its for 2D, 3D amd 2D accelration using 3D and so on, even wine games run without problems.

Originally Posted by vermaden

Intel mobile chip X3100 works beatifully, but its desktop brother X3000 does not work at all, also dunno about 2xDVI I have read some info about addons that adds additional DVI to the Intel card.

This is for a desktop system. Basically, I don't care one whit whether the graphics are onboard or plug-in, as long as it will work well in FreeBSD.

Motherboards with Intel GMA 3000 GFX will work with Intel driver on FreeBSD (946GZ / Q965 / Q963) only Q965 has dual independent display support

Motherboards with Intel GMA 3100 GFX will work with Intel driver on FreeBSD (G31 / G33 / Q33 / Q35)

I do realize I sound like a newbie, but my last 3D card was a Voodoo :roll: so I'm not exactly on top of the game here.

[/quote]
Voodoo is also working, at least my Voodoo3 2000 AGP worked, even with 3D

Regards
vermaden

[KlaymenDK]

Originally Posted by KlaymenDK

Originally Posted by vermaden nVidia cards will work with binary driver. Yeah I keep reading that, but as far as I understand it that's only for 2D, and as such I'd end up with a mighty expensive not-3D graphics solution...

Its for 2D, 3D amd 2D accelration using 3D and so on, even wine games run without problems.

Again, I learn something. I appreciate this very much. Thank you!

Originally Posted by KlaymenDK

Originally Posted by vermaden Intel mobile chip X3100 works beatifully, but its desktop brother X3000 does not work at all ... . This is for a desktop system. ...

Motherboards with Intel GMA 3000 GFX will work with Intel driver on FreeBSD (946GZ / Q965 / Q963) only Q965 has dual independent display support
Motherboards with Intel GMA 3100 GFX will work with Intel driver on FreeBSD (G31 / G33 / Q33 / Q35)

I just found this: FreeBSD 7.0 supports the following Intel graphic chipsets: G965/Q965/GM965/GME965/GME945. Support for G33/Q35/Q33 is also included, but disabled due to lack of testing.

Originally Posted by KlaymenDK

I do realize I sound like a newbie, but my last 3D card was a Voodoo.

Voodoo is also working, at least my Voodoo3 2000 AGP worked, even with 3D

If I still had it I'd try it.

Butwaitjustaminutenow -- THANKS FOR JOGGING MY MEMORY!! :idea: I just realized I have another card lying around here somewhere [...10 minutes of digging later...] actually, I have four MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 cards (review link for my own ref). I think they're 128Mb models, even (the lower-left ones in these pics).

Oh man oh man oh man, I hope these still work! I know that most if not all of them have pretty busted fan bearings. No matter, if I will be able to use one of them, I will put a passive heat sink on it (if I can find one that fits).

Wheee ... tinkering time.

Oh, vermaden? I so owe you a beer. Thanks, mate!

[vermaden]

I just found this: FreeBSD 7.0 supports the following Intel graphic chipsets: G965/Q965/GM965/GME965/GME945. Support for G33/Q35/Q33 is also included, but disabled due to lack of testing.

That page is pretty outdated, propably even pre FreeBSD 7.0 information, search lists.freebsd.org for Q35 and other Intel chipsets, most of Intel chipsets work, the ones that do not work are for sure these: G965 (I have one) G35 (maybe works...) and G45 (not works because its too new).

Butwaitjustaminutenow -- THANKS FOR JOGGING MY MEMORY!! :idea: I just realized I have another card lying around here somewhere [...10 minutes of digging later...] actually, I have four MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 cards (review link for my own ref). I think they're 128Mb models, even (the lower-left ones in these pics).

Its pretty old one, so remember to use legacy drivers of the new one would not work, this one propably: http://freshports.org/x11/nvidia-driver-71xx

Oh, vermaden? I so owe you a beer. Thanks, mate!

Heh, You are welcome

[KlaymenDK]

Originally Posted by KlaymenDK

I just found this ...

That page is pretty outdated ... search lists.freebsd.org ... most of Intel chipsets work ...

Thanks, just when I thought I had it, the hunt for a definite supported-hardware list goes on. Oh well! :wink:

Originally Posted by KlaymenDK

... I just realized I have another card ... MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 ...

Its pretty old one, so remember to use legacy drivers of the new one would not work, this one propably: http://freshports.org/x11/nvidia-driver-71xx

I know it's old, it's been sitting in a drawer for years and years. :wink: Thanks for the driver tip, though!

I just threw it into my current machine for a while, but that didn't go so well:
- first of all, it's a low-profile machine and the card isn't :roll: but I could make use of the DVI connector with a DVI-to-VGA converter 8) (so now I also know that it can do VGA on the DVI, which is nice), and
- second, I did some quick temp readings (with a cheapo IR meter) on the back of the card: it said about 54*C for maybe 5 minutes, then the monitor mysteriously went into sleep even though I had been working on the machine. :?

Also, it turns out there's only a single motherboard for sale in Denmark that supports both SATA2 and AGP; it seems incredibly unknown, or at least un-talked-about. :?

So as I said ... the hunt for a definite supported-hardware list goes on. Thanks so far.

[vermaden]

Also, it turns out there's only a single motherboard for sale in Denmark that supports both SATA2 and AGP; it seems incredibly unknown, or at least un-talked-about. :?

ASRock is ASUS division for cheap OEM hardware, same as Asustek is cheap laptop division of ASUS. I would not buy that motherboard, AGP is not as that good to stick with it, unless you do not have a cash to get better motherboard or graphics card.

[KlaymenDK]

That's what I was thinking.

I would have done it if it had been a clear solution; but I'm going to go on harassing the Internet until I find a board+card that I like.

FYI: I'm looking at Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3R (but I'm keeping ASUS P5B-VM SE in mind).
As for graphics, I'm considering an Inno3D Geforce 9600 GT Accelero S1M (or, on the low-end, the Asus P5B-VM SE onboard).

[vermaden]

BTW: http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/cvs- ... 93604.html