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Best value motherboard and graphics card combo that's compatible with Ubuntu. . .

  • 06-10-2011 3:00pm
    #1
    Cmc29
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 94 ✭✭


    I have been wanting to get a new desktop but having looked around and been checking hardware back and forth on pre built computers i've figured i'd probably get a better spec'ed computer if i were to build it myself.

    My two main concerns are the motherboard and graphics card compatibility. I would like to build something that will last me for the forseeable future. I am not a gamer but i would like a dedicated graphics card that is fairly decent as i want to future proof myself somewhat and with the new desktop environments making use of 3d graphics, i'd like to have to option to try them out to the fullness of the capabilities.

    Does anyone know any safe bets for motherboard and graphics card combinations. I'll be looking for a 64bit motherboard. I am currently running Ubuntu 10.04 and tend to stick to LTS releases. Would be a big help to get the ball rolling. Also does anyone know any good place to get them, online or otherwise? Will be spending more than i should so i want to get the best value i can :P Cheers.


Comments

  • #2
    Stuxnet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,739 ✭✭✭Stuxnet


    http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/catalog


  • #3
    petehackett101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭petehackett101


    You mignt want to consider the MSI 890GXM-G65 motherboard. This mboard actually uses the AMD chipset which moves onto the graphics card. Probably the best value for money without trading off on spes is the AMD sapphire RADEON HD 6850 1GB PCI-E card. These are fully compatibile with each other and the second PCI slot om the mboard leaves you open to expanding your graphics capability if and when you need to! Best offers I could see for the graphics card is on komplette.ie for around 137 but you might get it on ebay cheaper and the mboard will set you back roughly 90 bones! You will need a fairly decent processor like maybe an intel i5 to get the most out of the setup. Bear in mind these components are not high end but at the same time they should do you he trick!


  • #4
    eth0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,635 ✭✭✭eth0


    I've had fierce problems with anything ATI. Right now using the open source 3d driver but its apparently a good bit slower than the proprietary driver

    the prop driver always gives trouble with kernel versions it doesn't like (recent ones) and other times it gives trouble randomly, but the open source one hasn't given me any trouble yet

    still if i had the choice i'd go for nvidia + their proprietary driver since it doesn't give nearly as much trouble. just this laptop happens to have integrated ati


  • #5
    croo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 1,336 Mod ✭✭✭✭croo


    eth0 wrote: »
    still if i had the choice i'd go for nvidia + their proprietary driver since it doesn't give nearly as much trouble.
    This would have been my take on things too until recently. So long as it had the nvidia label you could usually forget about driver issues with linux.

    But I recently purchased a new laptop with nVidia graphics and I have been forced to re-evaluate this belief. My new laptop has nVidia's new(ish) "optimus" chipset and nvidia have said, not only is it not supported but they have no plans to support it! So there is little support from nvidia for linux there.

    Now, on the desktop optimus is most probably not a likely option but still it does indicate nvidia's commitment to linux!

    So it was a little problematic to get my optimus laptop working - though I have all working as I like now, but something that became clear to me while resolving this problem was in most cases, unless you are gaming or using CAD perhaps, there is no need for the nVidia graphics! I always liked a nice compiz candy driven UI myself (if only for the "Scale" & "Expo" functions), but actually the integrated graphics on modern intel CPU is very capable of providing enough power to do this (or decode movies) without any need of the nvidia gpu.

    And there was the added advantage for a laptop user in that when I enable the nvidia gpu I get, your typical, 3 hours of life, but when I disable the nvidia gpu and rely purely on the IGP of the intel i7 cpu I can get over 6 hours of battery life!

    Anyway, I would ask what the OP wishes to do graphics wise - perhaps that additional graphics card is not required!

    PS. another possible reason to add to the list for using the more powerful graphics card is to support multiple monitors!


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