I am using an IBM x3400 server as a workstation and am now running openSUSE 13.2 x86-64 with KDE 4.14.5 desktop having just upgraded from13.1.
I do not do games or use any fancy 3D rendering and so everything was OK with 13.1 but I have been having symptoms which have been ascribed to my video adaptor. This is a built-in AMD ES1000. It is very basic because as a server, graphics needs are low but the device is so old now it is no longer supported and even generic open source drivers are suspect.
With the upgrade to 13.2 the symptoms, such as uncontrolable scrolling in Dolphin have become intollerable so I have purchased a graphics card, a Radeon HD6450, to plug into a PCIe slot.
Before I do this however there are some issues on which I seek guidance please.
There is not, as far as I can see, any means of turning off the on-board graphics controller from the BIOS. Is this essential?
If I do plug in the new card and boot is there anything I can or must do to ensure the correct driver is used.
Grateful for any advice on this while I continue to read on related matters.
If I do plug in the new card and boot is there anything I can or must do to ensure the correct driver is used.
If you didn’t disable it somehow (by adding “nomodeset” to the boot options e.g. or setting a different driver in Xorg’s config), the correct radeon driver should be used automatically.
And radeon should support that card quite well I think, even regarding OpenGL.
Hi Wolfi,
Many thanks. I have just uploaded my current Xorg.0.log file by way of wrapping up my last thread on Dolphin scrolling which you identified as a symptom of graphics problem.
As I stated there, nomodeset is included in my Failsafe kernel parameters but not my Optional ones. Am I right in assuming the Failsafe options are not presently being used? Should I now include nomodeset in the Optional parameters before inserting the card?
Am I also right in assuming (hoping!!!) the boot process will discover the new card?
A little bit of knowledge … I had read that PCI-E x16 card would still work in x8 slot. Not true unless slot is designed with open end etc. So I have a new graphics adaptor which will not fit!!!
It is quite difficult to find PCI-E x8 graphics adaptors and possible options are no longer available as the chips keep being improved.
I have not found any Radeon AMD/ATI cards. I have found a couple of Nvidia based cards, GeForce GT 630 (out of stock) GT 720 and GT 730. I am looking for fanless and that also limits the range but meanwhile these can be power hungry devices. I assume however that this is only when working hard. If I go for the GT 720/730 which look like they might be available are they supported in 13.2 on x86-64 machine?
Alternatively there are 2 PCI -X slots available. I also read that a normal PCI card will fit in these working at lower performance. There are plenty of graphics cards on Ebay but I don’t want to get a legacy card which is no longer supported. Can anybody suggest a mid range card which would serve my modest needs and remain supported for a few more years please.
If you can stuff it into the machine it should work. But you do have to use the proper connectors and things have been changing again. Just little reminders from the manufacturers that they want you to buy new hardware
As I stated there, nomodeset is included in my Failsafe kernel parameters but not my Optional ones. Am I right in assuming the Failsafe options are not presently being used? Should I now include nomodeset in the Optional parameters before inserting the card?
Again, the Failsafe options are only used if you select “failsafe” or “Recovery Mode” in the boot menu.
And the point of this is (among other things) to use a generic graphics driver that should work even when the normal one (radeon in your case) doesn’t work correctly.
Am I also right in assuming (hoping!!!) the boot process will discover the new card?
Yes.
Hm, I didn’t even know that x8 graphics cards even existed…
I have not found any Radeon AMD/ATI cards. I have found a couple of Nvidia based cards, GeForce GT 630 (out of stock) GT 720 and GT 730. I am looking for fanless and that also limits the range but meanwhile these can be power hungry devices. I assume however that this is only when working hard. If I go for the GT 720/730 which look like they might be available are they supported in 13.2 on x86-64 machine?
Yes.
But you probably would need to install the proprietary nvidia driver for those. The open source nouveau driver still has many problems…
Alternatively there are 2 PCI -X slots available. I also read that a normal PCI card will fit in these working at lower performance. There are plenty of graphics cards on Ebay but I don’t want to get a legacy card which is no longer supported. Can anybody suggest a mid range card which would serve my modest needs and remain supported for a few more years please.
Yes, a PCI card would be an option as well, in particular if your needs are not that high.
I cannot really recommend you particular models though, but every Radeon should be well supported, and nvidia cards starting from the GeForce FX (GeForce 5) series. Older ones are not supported by current nvidia drivers, but might work with nouveau or nv, or not.
For other vendors I cannot really tell.
Intel should be well supported too, but I don’t know whether they have dedicated graphics cards or how easy they are to get.
Other cards are probably very problematic.
