xorg-driver/xf86-video-ati-6.14.0: Worse performance since last update

[O. Hartmann]

On 03/08/11 19:32, Roland Smith wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 08, 2011 at 07:16:05PM +0100, O. Hartmann wrote:
>> Since the last update of Xorg stuff, including the
>> xf86-video-ati-6.14.0, the video performance of all of our
>> AMD/ATi-driven boxes went worse.
>> The bad performance also occur with the recommendations made in
>> ports/UPDATING for driver "radeon". Without those recommendated adding
>> of options even with a working xorg.conf file the performance stays worse.
>
> The recommendations have been removed from UPDATING; with the exception of the
> "DynamicPM" option, all the others are at their default settings and therefore
> not necessary.

All right, I already adjusted my xorg.conf towards the initial state ...

>
>> Worse means: using vlc (also after recompilation after upgrades made!),
>> videos are massively bumpy and can not be watched with vlc-screen fully
>> expanded to 1900x1200 pixel with HD4830 graphics card - this worked
>> perfectly before.
>
> Check out the logfile '/var/log/Xorg.0.log' if you see anything unusual.

Well, for the untrained eye there seems nothing wrong, except the 
non-existent acceleration ... see below.

>
>> Moving windows around now looks like having chunks of video content
>> floating around - as on unaccelerated/slow graphics boards.
>
> When looking at the logfile '/var/log/Xorg.0.log', does it say the following;
>
> (II) RADEON(0): Acceleration enabled
> (II) RADEON(0): Set up textured video

I see this:

(II) RADEON(0):   MC_FB_LOCATION   : 0x00ef00d0 0x001f0000
(II) RADEON(0):   MC_AGP_LOCATION  : 0x003f0000
(==) RADEON(0): Backing store disabled
(WW) RADEON(0): Direct rendering disabled
(EE) RADEON(0): Acceleration initialization failed
(II) RADEON(0): Acceleration disabled

>
> Personally, I have built this port with one of the patches removed. In my case
> the patch in question hung my machine every time! (there was quite a large
> thread about it on the mailing-list) Try removing the patch
> /usr/ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati/files/patch-src-radeon_driver.c and
> re-install the driver. If that works you can make the change permanent like
> this:
>
>      # cd /usr/ports/x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati/files
>      # truncate -s 0 patch-src-radeon_driver.c
>      # chflags schg,sunlnk patch-src-radeon_driver.c
>
>
> Roland

Well, yesterday or two days ago there was a change of the port 
x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati. The file patch-src-radeon_driver.c has gone. 
But the problems still occur (but not that harsh as before). I realize 
on all AMD driven graphicsystems this "bumpyness", even on those 
graphics cards, HD4830, which are supposed to deliver a acceptable 
performance for every day's usage, show now a kind of being cut-off and 
they are no longer faster than the crappy HD4670 or HD4770 which we also 
use in some FBSD 9.0 boxes.