NVIDIA Graphic Cards and Linux
 

Hello all,
I am looking to upgrade my old MBP and have been using Ubuntu alongside Mac OS. I do have the broadcom wifi card so I have encountered the issues of getting the correct drivers to enable the card (albeit, it just seems to randomly start working, once I download enough stuff from different forum post).
Which leads me into my question, I play games on my laptop and would prefer to have a more powerful NVIDIA Graphics card opposed to an Intel card which I have seen on some more "reasonable" priced models. But what kind of issues am I going to have going forward running Ubuntu with the NVIDIA Graphics card, I have read some horror stories and read from some people that it isn't an issue.

I use NVIDIA based hardware myself, and other than screen tearing (which is easily fixed) issues, I have not had any other major issues. I don't use Ubuntu though, so I can't speak for that particular distro. NVIDIA based card's are well supported in Linux, but for multimedia related uses and gaming you will need the NVIDIA driver (from NVIDIA themselves) installed.

Hope this helps.

JSB, thanks for the information! Is the driver I need from NVIDIA difficult to acquire? This would be something I would need to utilize a program like GIMP, I assume. All my gaming would be done on a Windows partition so that shouldn't be an issue.

In answer to your first question, it depends on your distro. I would say for Ubuntu, it should be in Ubuntu's repo's, if so, just go into Ubuntu's "software center" (it may be called something slightly different) or wherever in Ubuntu, you install software and do a search for "nvidia".

You probably don't need it for GIMP (I don't see why you would anyway). As it should only be required for 3D rendering (which games normally require).

Ubuntu's repository probably has it. The nvidia binary runs great from nvidia's website. I use it but I seriously suggest you get it from Ubuntu because I don't know Ubuntu. You can find which driver version you need by visiting nvidia and searching for your graphics card model.
http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Nouveau (open source nvidia driver) performs better in some instances on older hardware. You just don't mix and match. If nvidia binary is used nouveau needs to be blacklisted.

It really depends on what card you have. If nvidia only provides legacy drivers for your card then nouveau driver might be the one you want to use.

nvidia-settings fixes video tearing via full composition pipeline option if using nvidia binary.

It is very simple in Ubuntu, one just uses additional drivers (typing drivers in dash will find it) and then installing through that. I have never had a problem with nvidia in Linux. Most of what I see/read is issues with newer cards but that usually gets fixed quickly.

My Lenovo laptop has the Optimus (intel nVidia hybrid) and it all works great on ubuntu and everything was installed for it using additional drivers.

Thank you all very much for the help, I appreciate it. My concerns of NVIDIA cards has been vanquished.