The AMD Radeon RX 6000 series pays tribute to class-leading Linux support

When AMD and Nvidia launch new graphics cards, technology enthusiasts and reviewers are quick to test how the news performs, and with few exceptions, the focus of these tests is on Microsoft’s Windows operating system. For a smaller group of users, however, performance and overall user experience with Linux distributions are of greater interest, and how the two graphics giants’ hardware approaches open source.

► Read also: SweClocker’s test of Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT “Big Navi”

AMD’s recently launched graphics cards Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT “Big Navi” offer new architecture in RDNA 2, and long-awaited competitive performance set against rival Nvidia. Where Nvidia has long had performance advantages over AMD, the latter company has invested more in quality drivers for Linux-based operating systems. This seems to continue with the Radeon RX 6000 series, as the Youtube channel Level1Linux calls the news given purchases for Linux users.

Level1Linux is powered by Wendell Wilson, which highlights various hardware and software solutions around Linux-based operating systems. This section focuses on AMD’s new performance card Radeon RX 6800 XT, which not only offers class-leading performance on Linux but also a significantly smoother user experience. An example of an improved experience is that resetting the graphics card in virtual machines, so-called PCI Express reset, now works without problems.

When it comes to gaming performance, the Radeon RX 6800 XT has been tested in a computer system with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X processor. The software in the equation is a host system in the form of Ubuntu Linux 20.04, which then runs a virtualized instance of Windows 10 which is given direct access to the graphics card via the VFIO interface. Wendell Wilson lists a number of impressive game results with the current configuration, including image update over 100 FPS in the game Doom Eternal.

Linux drivers for Ubuntu 20.04 were made available the same day the Radeon RX 6800 cards were launched, something Wendell Wilson praises the company for. This means that the user can install the graphics card, associated driver and game client Steam and be able to start playing without the need for manual hand-laying with a deeper configuration. Performance is not stated to be at the same level as achieved with Windows systems, but is stated to be superior to all other hardware in the Linux context.

When the focus shifts to games that run in nativeversion on the Linux system, the Radeon RX 6800 XT once again shows impressive results. In the game Civilization VI with a resolution of 4K UHD and graphics settings on Ultra, the card reaches an average image update around 50 FPS. This rises to about 54 FPS at the medium level. In the game Tomb Raider (2013), the average image update lands at 193 FPS with 4K UHD and maximized graphics settings.

Good news for anyone considering playing Linux with AMD hardware. However, getting an actual Radeon RX 6800 card is not as obvious, as AMD’s newcomers sold out less than an hour after the start of sales. However, the company promises that reference models will be manufactured and sold until the beginning of 2021, and those who do not get one will have the opportunity to buy partner-made graphics cards that will start selling shortly.

Are you playing on Linux, and have experienced problems with previous generations of hardware from AMD or Nvidia? Could the video’s tribute be what makes you invest in the Radeon RX 6000 series?