Hello. I've been thinking about buying parts and setting up a really nice linux box. New motherboard, 64 bit AMD CPU, nice graphics card, etc.

Who has better drivers and support, Nvidia or ATI?

Thanks for the help.

it's a personal prefernce but I feel nvidia has better linux support

never a problem here with nvidia, good step by step install guide on their site.

I'm sorry to say that nVidia has much, much better driver support for almost all their line of video cards. ATI drivers for Linux are poor because they only have support for their high-end graphic cards. Also ATI does not have any support for TV out, capture, dual monitor, or RF control. ATI has good acceleration for video files, so this one little advantage makes setting them up for HTPC environments makes people want them even more. I would wait four years until ATI increases their Linux support.

I recommend nVidia for first time Linux users because they are a lot easier to install then other video cards like SIS and ATI.

For Linux 3d acceleration driver, nVidia is the way to go.

last time i checked if you were runing x.org you could not even load ati's drivers without major modification

Nvidia kicks ass to ATI when it comes to Linux....Installing & configuring an ATI card is pain in the butt, really....It took me more that one week to get 3D on my old radeon 9500 and rh9.
Switched to nvidia fx5900 and works like a charm....really easy instalation...the only thing i didn't like that much is that you have to edit the x server config file while ATI's installation do it automatically. This can be a problem to some newb on Linux....but apart from that, they work great.

Well...

I have a Radeon 9600 Pro and I have had a nightmare of a difficulty in configuring it to work with Linux with full 3D and 2D acceleration. My cousin, who has an NVidia GeForce4 MX 440SE got it to work in the first attempt...
Best to go with NVidia cards if you're a serious user of Linux (at least till ATI comes up with some better drivers).

i havent had trouble with either, used nvidia for a few years, 32mb card, and i upgraded earlier this year to a radeon 9600xt and runs fine.

If using a 64-bit CPU, only Nvidia provides matching 64-bit drivers.

Although in reguards to one of the earlier posts, my ati driver does do tv out and dual monitors thank you. I can even watch a movie while playing ut2003...

Any hey if the drivers are more difficult to install, u sure learn a lot about them. If its too easy doesn't it remind you of a windoz box?

peace out

I would go for nvidia, as they support almost all there cards with one driver (the same as in windows). Even the really old cards have a linux driver. The only card that i didn't find no support for is the nvidia RIVA 128. But knowing this card is about 7 years old this is normal . However this card is supported by the build in NV driver from linux.

I recently switched from Nvidia to ATI without thinking. I wish I had though...I got the card working now but it takes a lot more time. Next card will be a Nvidia again if ATI doesn't improve their linux support.

nvidia all the way. Just read user comments when ATI release new driver versions. People find the drivers not that stable, though they have improved a lot.

It's true that you learn a lot when you get something to work if it's specially difficult, but it should not be like that. For Linux to compete with windows, should be as easy as wndows...That's the point (IMHO), having an "easy" SO as windows with the strength and security of Linux.
What's the point of that "if it's not difficult it's windows style and it sucks..."? we don't want to be always difficult...we know it's more than windows, but we reallly apretiate (at least me) when you con do the things in an easy way.

"For Linux to compete with windows, should be as easy as wndows..."

This only holds true for the personal preference of a particular distro of linux. Its about choice! I like the low-level stuff, those who don't use fedora/red hat. And thus I feel that knowledge gained can only be good... imagine if every user was trained up to a LPC level 2/3? I personally didnt find it hard to install my driver the day they were released (almost 2 yrs ago).

What i mean to say is that it doesn't matter how easy something is to install or use, the underlying fundamentals of the OS still need to be known at some point. The better you know those the easier your life is made. We should strive to educate the people, not make them as dumb as windoz users!

And on another point ATI have one thing right, you dont have to fiddle with the XF86 Config file. Unlike Nvidia. Not to mention the fact that Nvidia drivers where once as crap (sometimes worse), if you can remeber that far back.

peace out