[DESKTOP] Minimum recommended graphics resources for Kubuntu 22.04 for a non-gamer?

[ineuw]

My ASRock Z590 "Steel Legend" Intel is an entry level gaming mb, equipped with a Pentium Gold 6400 4GHz processor, 16GB of DDR4 and Intel onboard video. After several attempts at using Kubuntu and KDE, over the past 10+ years, I gave up because insufficient graphics resources. What GPU speed and memory I should consider when buying a better and faster video card.

[jglen490]

I'm not a gamer, and I've had lots of PCs and Laptops with onboard video. In no case has Kubuntu failed to run for "insufficient graphics resources". What actual errors, or other indicators were presented to you in any of those failures?

[claydoh]

I agree. I think my previous laptop had Intel 610 graphics, same as your Pentium Gold. No graphical issues at all. Heck my 10 year old Intel laptop has no issues, either . My 2016 HP mini PC with Intel 500 graphics has run three monitors.

One thing you might check is increasing the amount of memory allocated to video in your bios settings.

Intel graphics have the best overall Linux support.

If you do decide on an upgrade, a CPU would be a no-brainer. A 10th gen i5 would be a reasonably priced option that adds more cores and clock speed. It would have Intel 630 instead of 610. Nothing significant, but a step up .

An 11th gen i5 would have 730 graphics, a bit more of a bump.

Even an i3 10th Gen might be a good step up over the gold , with the same graphics built in.


I also have a feeling most GPUs *might* be bottlenecked by that Gold CPU, except for low end ones that might not perform any better than the iGPU , though this might not be noticeable in daily non gaming usage

[TinyTim]

My ASRock Z590 "Steel Legend" Intel is an entry level gaming mb, equipped with a Pentium Gold 6400 4GHz processor, 16GB of DDR4 and Intel onboard video. After several attempts at using Kubuntu and KDE, over the past 10+ years, I gave up because insufficient graphics resources. What GPU speed and memory I should consider when buying a better and faster video card.

Do you use proprietary drivers?
I publish large format posters for a publisher. For me to able to use Kubuntu/Ubuntu for this production I have to use a Nvidia proprietary driver. It is impossible to do what I do with the standard installed Nouveau open source drivers. *My respects to the hard working dedicated open source programmers.

[Qqmike]

Just for running Kubuntu as an OS (with the usual apps and tasks)? I've always just used on-board Intel graphics, since 2007, with no issues whatsoever.

[GreyGeek]

Do you use proprietary drivers?
I publish large format posters for a publisher. For me to able to use Kubuntu/Ubuntu for this production I have to use a Nvidia proprietary driver. It is impossible to do what I do with the standard installed Nouveau open source drivers. *My respects to the hard working dedicated open source programmers.

What ever works. My previous PC had an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M, which ranked 401 out of 740 GPU's available at the time. That put it in the low end of medium. I used NVidia's proprietary driver for that chip. I installed it using Ubuntu's "ubuntu-drivers install" and I've downloaded and installed Nvidia's proprietary Linux driver. IMO, the downloaded proprietary driver was better. It ran everything I threw at it at a reasonable speed, including the games I mention below.

My current PC is an HP with the Intel Mesa Intel® Xe Graphics chip. It runs Gaia Sky, Universe Sandbox^2, Minecraft and other games at frame rates up to 120+. It uses the i915 driver and associated firmware, but "developers are looking into updating the i915 graphics kernel with a Xe-based kernel graphics driver that will help support integrated and discrete Intel graphics cards with an estimated launch as quickly as next year." Next year is this year, but I don't know what the state of the new driver is in. I moved to Debian 12 in June and I'm running the 6.4 kernel. The modinfo for the i915 is larger than most mods.

[ineuw]

I receive errors when installing a theme and the video issue was the first thing came to mind, then the internet connection and then the theme itself. GreyGeek thanks for the i915 info. which I also need to explore.

[claydoh]

I receive errors when installing a theme

This had nothing to do with graphics, but well known bugginess with plasma and the KDE Store, where the themes come from.

[jglen490]

My HP laptop is much like GreyGeek's, and uses the Intel iRIS Xe graphics with the i915 video module. i915 is a very good driver, in terms of stability and utility, including some gaming situations as GG noted, though it is not intended for some really high end graphics applications. What claydoh says correct. Not every visual problem is a video system error.