bad gaming performance when running compiz (nvida gt-240)

[LostinSpacetime]

I was playing Oilrush in Ubuntu 11.10 without problems at the highest detail level. After upgrading to 12.04 the performance got much worse and I'm having tearing like artifacts even if I go to the lowest detail level. The artifact looks like a 400x400px block in the center. I also noticed this when watching some ProjectM visualizations with Clementine. These problems do not occur with Ubuntu2D.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: xorg 1:7.6+12ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-20.32-generic 3.2.12
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-20-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
.proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Ist ein Verzeichnis: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0'
.proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: ""
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:

ApportVersion: 1.95-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: [core,composite,opengl,decor,mousepoll,wall,place,vpswitch,resize,compiztoolbox,gnomecompat,snap,blur,put,imgpng,obs,grid,move,regex,animation,session,expo,unitymtgrabhandles,workarounds,fade,ezoom,scale,scaleaddon,unityshell]
CompositorRunning: compiz
Date: Sun Mar 25 22:45:36 2012
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: precise
DistroVariant: ubuntu
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes, whatever it takes to get this fixed in Ubuntu
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20120219)
MachineType: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD MS-7599
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=de_AT:de
 LANG=de_AT.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-20-generic root=UUID=011cf804-406b-4e6e-85da-5af3a48c097c ro quiet splash nomodeset vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: xorg
Symptom: display
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
XorgConf:
 Section "Device"
  Identifier "Default Device"
  Option "NoLogo" "True"
 EndSection
dmi.bios.date: 09/04/2010
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V1.13
dmi.board.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: 770-C45 (MS-7599)
dmi.board.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV1.13:bd09/04/2010:svnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:pnMS-7599:pvr1.0:rvnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:rn770-C45(MS-7599):rvr1.0:cvnMICRO-STARINTERNATIONALCO.,LTD:ct3:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: MS-7599
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.2-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu35
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu2
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu2
version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu7
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.17.0-1ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

Bug is still present in Beta2. Nvidia driver has been updated to 295.33.

[Tim Shannon (shannon-timothy)]

Yeah, the issue affects me. Gtx295 here, and the performance issues are interesting, as it does not appear to impact the frames per second, but the game definitely lags.

The issue doesn't happen with gnome shell, or unity2d.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

The bug is very much present in 12.10 and now that Ubuntu dropped Unity2D in 12.10 there is no sane way for me to play any games.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

I think this should be solved by bug 988079, so will make it a duplicate of that. A fix is coming in Unity 5.16.

If performance is still inadequate then consider using the unredirect fullscreen windows setting. But beware it is broken right now and requires a workaround. See bug 980663 for details.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

This bug is not a duplicate of bug 988079.

This is a compiz bug since it appears with compiz even if the unity plugin is deactivated. With Unity2D now dropped in 12.10, the only workaround is to temporary unredirect fullscreen windows when starting a game. (thank you Daniel for the hint)

I want to add, that I'm having these performance issues even if I don't start the game in fullscreen. There is a framedrop of around 20% but the gaming experience is actually much worse because of the tearing artifacts (no effect if VSync is activated) and also the framerate being very uneven.

As mentioned before, this bug is a regression since it appeared with 12.04 and is still present in 12.10.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Tearing should be fully fixed with bug 901097, when compiz 0.9.8.0 is released.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

This bug is not a duplicate of bug 988079. It appears with compiz even if the unity plugin is deactivated. The only workaround is to temporary unredirect fullscreen windows when starting a game. (thank you daniel for the hint)

I want to add that the same problem appears even if I don't start the game in fullscreen mod. I get a ~20% framedrop but, what is much worse for the gaming experience, the framerate is very uneven. Also tearinglike artifact appears and vsync doesn't effect it.

As I mentioned before, this bug is a regression since it appeared with Ubuntu 12.04 and is still present in 12.10.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

sorry for the double post.. I got confused with my browser tabs. :)

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

I've just freshly installed Ubuntu 12.10 again. I didn't add any PPA's and I'm testing with default settings since I've also created a new user. The performance in 12.10 got much worse in comparison with 12.04. Playing Oilrush in 12.04 I get 30FPS while in 12.10 I get barely over 10FPS. I still have tearing (even if bug 901097 is fixed now) but at least this gets fixed with the unredirect fullscreen windows setting.

Please tell me if I can help with further testing.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

With ProjectM visualizations I get further performance drop with 12.10 as well.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The fix for bug 901097 has not been released to any Ubuntu version yet. Please wait until that arrives before we treat this bug as separate.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

LostinSpacetime:

The issue you describe with "The artifact looks like a 400x400px block in the center" is bug 1012401

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

Thank you Daniel, this is exactly what I'm experiencing. I've done further testing and I found out, that the performance regression going from 12.04 to 12.10, is due to the nVidia PowerMizer locking the card at the Performance Level 1.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The description says this bug is about upgrading 11.10 -> 12.04, not 12.10. Please clarify what Ubuntu version you are running and whether you still have any problems other than bug 1012401.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

Sorry for the confusion.

The bug appeared after upgrading (fresh installation) from 11.10 to 12.04 and is still present in 12.10. While this bug is about the performance regression (lack of responsiveness, uneven frame rate), bug 1012401 is about the ghosting rectangle. I've experienced the performance regression only in combination with the square artifact, so it's very possible that it's the same bug.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, let's ignore bug 1012401 because it's a separate bug and unlikely to have a direct causal link to this one.

Now, you say the nvidia powermizer issue was new in 12.10. So either:
  (a) It's not a relevant detail because this bug was against 12.04; or
  (b) Powermizer is the issue and it actually first appeared in 12.04, not 12.10.

Which is it?

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

it's (a)

and I'm experiencing the lag and the square artifact even after updating to compiz - 1:0.9.8.0-0ubuntu1

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

On bug 901097 it says "Add option to use glXSwapBuffers on every frame". Is this similar to the option in CompizConfig: Workarounds->Force full screen redraws (buffer swap) on repaint? If I enable this, the square artifact disappears, but the lag remains. Only the option "unredirect fullscreen windows" fixes this issue.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes, the two features are similar. However the resolution to bug 901097 is much more efficient, and hopefully faster. So after you have that fix, you definitely want to make sure "Workarounds->Force full screen redraws (buffer swap) on repaint" is turned off.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

This is what I'm experiencing with compiz - 1:0.9.8.0-0ubuntu1:

out of the box -> ghosting square and lag (with and without activated Vsync in game)
Force full screen redraws (buffer swap) on repaint -> no square but the lag remains
unredirect fullscreen windows -> perfect

I also tested when running gnome shell and everything was perfect. Should I do another "ubuntu-bug compiz" or anything else?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

That's enough for now thanks. This bug needs a fresh pair of eyes to decide what to do next.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

This bug is completely fixed with the 310.14 nvidia driver which is not yet in the ubuntu repositories.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Reassigned to nvidia-current as per comment #25.

[LostinSpacetime (lostinspacetime)]

This bug got fixed since compiz introduced auto unredirect fullscreen windows.