Is 3d acceleration available with Intel GMA 3100 (AM64)?

[ghost77]

Hi All,

Had tested FreeBSD on my old desktop (Athlon 1.1Ghz with 512MB Ram) and is very happy with the OS. However the current mainboard is giving some weird issue, occasionally it fails at the BIOS startup.

I'm planning to build a new budget desktop PC running on FreeBSD 7.1_REL AMD64. Since Dual Core price is dropping, I will likely goes for the cheapest Intel Dual Core 2200 CPU.

The Desktop PC is mainly for web surfing, email, Internet Messaging and some C++ using VIM.

The mainboard I'm looking at is Asus P5KPL-AM /PS and Gigabyte G31M-ES2L. Both have on-board Intel GMA 3100 GPU.

Tried searching on google, mailing lists and forum. XF86-video-intel driver from ports appears to support 2d acceleration, and compiz fusion does run. But there isn't much information on 3d acceleration for this GPU. Most information is pertaining to i386 version too.

Will like to find out how if 3d acceleration is possible with this on-board GPU, or at the minimum is Compiz Fusion possible on this GPU with 7.1_REL (AMD64 version).

Any comments on this will be much appreciated. Will be nice if anyone having similar Intel GPU and running AMD64 share their experience.

Thanks in advance.

[vermaden]

Originally Posted by ghost77

I'm planning to build a new budget desktop PC running on FreeBSD 7.1_REL AMD64. Since Dual Core price is dropping, I will likely goes for the cheapest Intel Dual Core 2200 CPU.

The mainboard I'm looking at is Asus P5KPL-AM /PS and Gigabyte G31M-ES2L. Both have on-board Intel GMA 3100 GPU.

Here is the list of most recent Intel GMA's:


There are also G45/G43/G41 but they are to pricey currently IMHO.

I personally have Intel Q35 at my motherboard (along with Intel Gigabit NIC which is rare on cheap boards).

Everything works great I got about 1000FPS @ glxgears, WINE is succesfully running Fallout 2 etc ... but its i386 and I did not tried amd64 (since I have 'only' 2GB of RAM so I do not need 64bit here).

If you insist on G31, then get at least G33 which comes with ICH9 southbridge (newer, less heat, etc) while G31 comes with ICH7 a really old and bigger TDP one (from the times of 945G), so at least take G33, but I encourage you to take Q35 Intel based motherboard with Intel Gigabit NIC.

I personally have Intel Q35 + Core 2 Duo e6320 + 2 x 1GB RAM 800 (5-5-5-15) + DVDRW + 1 x 7200RPM 3.5 HDD and this box comsumes 62W @ idle and 83W @ max load, so ots pretty 'green' also.

The difference between Gx5 / Gx3 / Gx1 like (G45/G43/G41) and (G35/G33/G31) is that Gx5 gets best GMA with hardware accelration lighting and so and movies accelration (like HD) , Gx3 gets this GMA without this accelration and movies, and Gx1 is like Gx3 but with ICH7 instead of something newer.

Qxx shipsets are like Gx3 but with Intel NIC mostly and with lowered TDP.

... and btw, G965 (X3000) is not supported @ FreeBSD, I had one some time ago, but X3100 @ my laptop flies beatifully with FreeBSD.

[ghost77]

Hi vermaden,

Thanks for the information. Sadly, the only G3x still available in the shop here is the G31 GPU. I'm pondering if its worth the dollars going for G45 (Q45 is not available too, I guess they are just not in demand here).

The price difference between a G31 and G45 is about USD$70 here......
I know this is ultimately a choice I have to make, but will like to hear your experience if the difference between Gx1 and Gx5 is noticeable in FreeBSD.

Just a side question (probably a stupid one as well), i386 version of FreeBSD will detect and make use of both core in Dual core CPU? Start laughing......

Thanks in advance.

[vermaden]

Thanks for the information. Sadly, the only G3x still available in the shop here is the G31 GPU.

Order by internet/ebay/etc I alsways buy the "online way".

I'm pondering if its worth the dollars going for G45 (Q45 is not available too, I guess they are just not in demand here).

Someone with G45 will have to prove that it is supported @ FreeBSD, until that I will stick to G31/G33/Q35.

Just a side question (probably a stupid one as well), i386 version of FreeBSD will detect and make use of both core in Dual core CPU? Start laughing......

i386 is optimized to work at 8 cores and does rather well also at 16 cores, the only downside with i386 i you will have at most 4GB RAM.

[ghost77]

Thanks for the suggestion. However I'm still more comfortable purchases things on a real life store. Nothing against online shopping, just personal preference here.

Will likely go for G31 in this case. Once again, thanks a lot for all the help here.

[vermaden]

You are welcome mate.