From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Mar 5 19:40:46 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 77C4F106567A for ; Wed, 5 Mar 2008 19:40:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsdlists@gmail.com) Received: from el-out-1112.google.com (el-out-1112.google.com [209.85.162.176]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 34BD28FC15 for ; Wed, 5 Mar 2008 19:40:45 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from fbsdlists@gmail.com) Received: by el-out-1112.google.com with SMTP id v27so1824531ele.12 for ; Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:40:45 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; bh=FrwhePgDOXjqgqjU481ZB7rTUbMKOIzexxk+JLjZuNE=; b=gplsI4sLn9WemaJnNgh9ZUrjQ9vpXZgNZwzdiRImny5pJlyZzbGwuD04q1InI+YysSrlpV18cvBdZJez0xkD6l5gGa9oaYFjIueWflgvIExpCGtc9+Sphrby4hY9LSZsEHTqt6vqUsU3EkHj3WixXQmiECbfuyFQKPmY1W7VLsU= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:to:subject:cc:in-reply-to:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition:references; b=b03BODg/wz4bum5bw+ZYsjofM6iBRKNxWheb5wUkkx34fTk0/3waUaR1/iwvng0r6/GmTjpP/dggRGxBgiSgcu3RCPo88wMWmx4rqgPkhASyFEled7TubScoKmRe5ewCpp3kmZajep4AT73CsUtZJwNjpJ+cm4rw+Bk9GvqoH5g= Received: by 10.141.211.13 with SMTP id n13mr1650225rvq.184.1204744292136; Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:11:32 -0800 (PST) Received: by 10.140.161.21 with HTTP; Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:11:27 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <54db43990803051111x18672c5fx710f62bf86abd7aa@mail.gmail.com> Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 14:11:27 -0500 From: "Bob Johnson" To: "Isaac Mushinsky" In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline References: <200803050036.33579.itz@mushinsky.net> <20080305171303.GA35180@slackbox.xs4all.nl> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: amd64 or i386 for desktop use? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:40:46 -0000 On 3/5/08, Isaac Mushinsky wrote: > On 3/5/08, Roland Smith wrote: > > > > On Wed, Mar 05, 2008 at 12:36:33AM -0500, Isaac Mushinsky wrote: > > > I have new hardware (Abit ip35-pro, Intel Q6600), and was contemplating > > > installing FreeBSD/arch, but now realise that I am going to have some > > > problems. > > > > > > My nvidia card will not be of much use (GeForce 8500GT), since > > nvidia-drivers > > > are not there for amd64, and the open source nv driver does not even > > support > > > XVideo extension for these cards. I can downgrade to a nv 7xxx series > > card, > > > which works better with the open driver. I do not mind loss of 3D > > support, > > > but would need basic things like mplayer. > > > > > > Any ATI card up to and including the 9250 (rv280) is fully supported on > > amd64, 3D and all. (I know because I've got one :-) > > > > [...] > > Thanks a lot. Trouble is, new hardware does not even have an AGP slot for > those cards. I don't mind to go without 3D, though, and it appears some > newer cards (R5xx/R6xx) have decent drivers otherwise. > > Yes, I also want to go amd64 because I can. Besides, it will be a fresh > install, and if ever, this is the right time to switch. Where can I get a decent driver for ATI chipsets (e.g. RG516)? The radeonhd driver does not support hardware acceleration, and so far it doesn't work properly with my brain-dead RG516 card (which tells radeonhd that there are no monitors connected), leaving me with the vesa driver, which is pretty limiting but at least is better than nothing. Although this was planned to be an amd64 system, I'm forced to use i386 because the HP BIOS won't boot FreeBSD amd64 (I will never voluntarily have anything to do with another HP system after my experience with this one). My nVidia-based system works (although not as well as it did with older nVidia drivers), but it is an older card on an i386 system. I don't know what happens with newer nVidia chipsets. - Bob