How bad is Optimus Support Right Now?
Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:19 am
Ok, so let me start with how I ended up in this situation. I've been without a computer for about 6 months now. About a month ago I started looking into purchasing one, and also made the decision that I would finally like to make the switch to Linux. With the current addition of Steam I can get my Indie game/ Source Engine game fix without having to use Windows. When I first started looking into computers I was planning on a desktop, and my research led me to the conclusion that an Nvidia graphics card would be a better choice than ATI from a driver standpoint. About a week ago I made the decision to go with a laptop instead, due to the small 1 bedroom apartment my girlfriend and I share. With a laptop I have no real need to purchase a desk. So when I chose my laptop, I assumed (shame on me, I know 
) that the driver situation was the same for laptops...
My budget was $700. The good news is I found quite a good deal on a Lenovo G780 with 6 gigs of ram, an i7, and an Nvidia 635m. I really don't think I could get anything better for the price. The bad news is it's Optimus. Since I ordered it I was looking into more detail on installing Linux Mint onto this particular machine, and that's when I learned about the Optimus issues for the first time.
I've looked into it, and I know about the Bumblee fix, but the impression I got is that it can cause a lot of crashes and some pretty poor frame rates. I also stumbled upon an article talking about the "Reverse Optimus" solution, but haven't been able to find how it works for people. I guess my question is is the Optimus situation at a point where it's fairly usable or should I stick with the preinstalled copy of Windows 8 (*shudder*), until things get a little better. I know one of the big things with Linux is encountering problems and finding ways to overcome them, but with the Optimus situation it seems like there's only so much a user can do until Nvidia makes some improvements of their own.
) that the driver situation was the same for laptops...My budget was $700. The good news is I found quite a good deal on a Lenovo G780 with 6 gigs of ram, an i7, and an Nvidia 635m. I really don't think I could get anything better for the price. The bad news is it's Optimus. Since I ordered it I was looking into more detail on installing Linux Mint onto this particular machine, and that's when I learned about the Optimus issues for the first time.
I've looked into it, and I know about the Bumblee fix, but the impression I got is that it can cause a lot of crashes and some pretty poor frame rates. I also stumbled upon an article talking about the "Reverse Optimus" solution, but haven't been able to find how it works for people. I guess my question is is the Optimus situation at a point where it's fairly usable or should I stick with the preinstalled copy of Windows 8 (*shudder*), until things get a little better. I know one of the big things with Linux is encountering problems and finding ways to overcome them, but with the Optimus situation it seems like there's only so much a user can do until Nvidia makes some improvements of their own.