[ale] Building the perfect Linux end-user systems.

[Dow_Hurst]

Since I've worked with high end graphics doing molecular modelling, I have to weigh in on this!  Just can't resist...

To have a great Linux gaming box is pretty simple.  Just require a Nvidia FX or Quadro based graphics card.  The better the card the faster the rendering with the native nvidia driver.  I've been beta testing the new 9xxx driver for Linux and have found that several minor but long standing bugs are now solved.  There are a some screen artifacts and a memory limit problem that Nvidia is working on.  However, the stable 8xxx series are still great for typical games built for Linux.  I wouldn't worry about Windows based games since that isn't what your providing the system for.  If they want that then they should buy Windows and let you do a dual boot system.  No virtual machine yet supports accelerated graphics so that is out for games.

Make note that the Nvidia graphics cards in Linux are fully supported, stable, and have great capabilities.  Don't consider ATI as they haven't taken Linux seriously so haven't provided a decent stable driver yet.  It is coming because it has to, but give it a couple of years.

Stick with Intel wifi but watch out for the very latest chipsets.  You'll have to purchase and test to guarantee a system will work.  You might want to research what Linux hardware vendors are selling such as Emperor Linux, or Rcubed, or Dell.  Intel seems to have realized the importance of Linux support so their hardware will be supported within a reasonable amount of time.  I've never had a problem with a Dell Precision Workstation loaded with Redhat.  I can always get Suse loaded up just fine on one of those and have full hardware support.  The Centrino platform is well supported for Linux in laptops.  Dell has Latitudes and Inspirons as well as Precision notebooks with nvidia graphics.

If your into providing a very state of the art machine and want nvidia then www.dynamism.com was offering Panasonic models with nvidia chips.  They had 6 hour battery life yet were 4lbs or less.

When I look at a low, middle, and high end system I always base it on nvidia graphics.  A FX5200 runs our modelling software as well as a Quadro FX3450 even though the price is hundreds of dollars different.

Last point for supporting nvidia over ATI or Intel graphics:  everyone loves GoogleEarth and the latest nvidia driver allows it to run on my laptop with the FX6400Go w/TurboCache chip. 

One last thought on wifi:  the latest 2.6.18rc5 kernel has a broadcom wifi driver for the 43xx versions such as were in Dell Inspiron 8500 laptops.  The Truemobile 1300 is supported.  I got a laptop running with that config.  If anyone needs a howto I could post that.
Dow




-----Original Message-----
>From: "Michael B. Trausch" <fd0man at gmail.com>
>Sent: Oct 6, 2006 2:47 PM
>To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
>Subject: [ale] Building the perfect Linux end-user systems.
>
>I have been talking with a friend of mine, and we've had this idea for a
>little while to determine what would be a set of ideal configurations
>for Linux machines that would be targeted to end-users.  Something along
>the lines of a low/medium/high end set of configurations, to be able to
>fit different target "audiences."
>
>The major problem with this idea is that neither of us really know where
>to start -- neither of us are typical end-users, and so we don't really
>know what to look for in terms of putting together something for a
>target audience.  Of course, we know that people like to play games, and
>that is a bit of a problem, it would seem.
>
>Given that not all games run on Wine or even CrossOver, it would seem
>that for die-hard gamers, the only real considerable solution would be
>to include a copy of Windows under an emulator or something.  That is a
>pretty ugly scenario, though.  Anyway, it would seem that no matter what
>targets we are looking at, we cannot really build a machine for a gamer,
>because there is no real way to make 3D intensive Windows games run at
>native speeds under a Linux system.
>
>Anyway, in building systems, what have y'all found to be the best
>hardware, both in terms of performance and compatibility, for running
>Linux systems?  Motherboards, 3D-graphics hardware, chipsets, etc.?
>
>(As far as 3D hardware goes, by the way -- does anybody know if there
>are standalone video boards that use the i8x0 family of chipsets?  I
>have only seen those on motherboards with Intel chipsets, and they do a
>very good job with video display, but I don't want to restrict myself to
>Intel-based systems, either...)
>
>	-- Mike
>
>-- 
>Michael B. Trausch <fd0man at gmail.com> - Jabber: fd0man at livejournal.com
>
>Demand freedom: Use open and free protocols, standards, and software.
>


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