Disappointing frame rate after switching to nouveau

mhelvens · 2015-05-13 08:42:42

Hi all,

I switched from the nvidia drivers to nouveau recently. Things generally work, but the frame rate I get is disappointing. I don't have hard numbers, but it's clear that everything is 'stuttery', especially when dragging windows around and such. I'd love to get a diagnosis. Here's my info:

# lspci -vnn | grep VGA -A 17
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: NVIDIA Corporation GK104 [GeForce GTX 770] [10de:1184] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
	Subsystem: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. [MSI] Device [1462:2990]
	Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 40
	Memory at f6000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
	Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=128M]
	Memory at e8000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=32M]
	I/O ports at e000 [size=128]
	Expansion ROM at f7000000 [disabled] [size=512K]
	Capabilities: [60] Power Management version 3
	Capabilities: [68] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit+
	Capabilities: [78] Express Endpoint, MSI 00
	Capabilities: [b4] Vendor Specific Information: Len=14 <?>
	Capabilities: [100] Virtual Channel
	Capabilities: [128] Power Budgeting <?>
	Capabilities: [600] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0001 Rev=1 Len=024 <?>
	Capabilities: [900] #19
	Kernel driver in use: nouveau
	Kernel modules: nouveau

# glxinfo | grep OpenGL      
OpenGL vendor string: nouveau
OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NVE4
OpenGL core profile version string: 3.3 (Core Profile) Mesa 10.5.5
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 3.30
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile
OpenGL core profile extensions:
OpenGL version string: 3.0 Mesa 10.5.5
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.30
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL extensions:
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.0 Mesa 10.5.5
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.00
OpenGL ES profile extensions:

I'm not sure how to parse the renderer string here. Is this software or hardware rendering?

Also, my user is in the video group.

Thanks in advance!

Lone_Wolf · 2015-05-13 12:03:40

OpenGL renderer string: Gallium 0.4 on NVE4

Gallium is Hardware rendering.

Having user in video group is normally not needed with systemd, does it make a difference if you remove user from video group ?

"Stuttery" (especially when dragging windows) is often related to WM/DE , compositing and such.
What WM/DE and compositor (some WMs -like KWin & Mutter- have compositing built-in, others need a separate one) are you using ?

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2015-05-13 12:05:31)

mhelvens · 2015-05-13 16:39:27

Lone_Wolf wrote:

Having user in video group is normally not needed with systemd, does it make a difference if you remove user from video group ?

I don't have the opportunity to try this right now.

"Stuttery" (especially when dragging windows) is often related to WM/DE , compositing and such.
What WM/DE and compositor (some WMs -like KWin & Mutter- have compositing built-in, others need a separate one) are you using ?

I'm running Gnome 3. Triple monitor, if that helps.

I wonder if I'm overstating the problem. Some people might not notice anything amiss. But I notice the difference, having just come from the binary nvidia drivers, which had silky smooth compositing.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-05-13 08:42:42

Disappointing frame rate after switching to nouveau

#2 2015-05-13 12:03:40

Re: Disappointing frame rate after switching to nouveau

#3 2015-05-13 16:39:27

Re: Disappointing frame rate after switching to nouveau

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