Ubuntu 11.10 Review: Benchmarked Against Windows 7

[Guest]

Talking about the results, I think Ubuntu won it's own share of tests versus Windows 7. Unfortunately, I think Ubuntu is one of the worst Linux distros out there to be tested, and it doesn't represent what REAL Linux is.

First of all, its kernel is really VERY unoptimized. Windows has a 300Hz tick ratio, whereas Ubuntu is configured with a more "server-alike" 100Hz tick ratio [try to use preemptible Ubuntu kernel with a 300Hz/1000Hz tick ratio (or CK's BFS) to see what's good for gaming and encoding/decoding tasks ;-) ]

Secondly, it's known that using compositing affects the performance of gaming with NVidia cards+Linux combo. You can find that evidence in Phoronix (a linux-friendly benchmarking site).

Finally, as Ubuntu is a 6-month release distro, and not a "rolling-release" one, some of their packages are already obsolete and might not reflect the performance of newer packages. So, as a suggestion for the next tests, I'd like to see some Linux vs Windows benchmarks with 2 different distros. One of them could be Ubuntu (as the worst-case scenario), the other one could be something more optimized like Arch Linux (I suggest ArchBang), Gentoo, or the more popular PCLinuxOS.

Cheers

 

[adamovera]

@mitch074:
I used FAT32 simply because it's the filesystem that most USB keys ship with

 

[tuch92]

I've been using 11.10 for a few months now and while configuring things I accidentally broke Unity to the point of not being able to bring it back without a full reinstall. Rather than go through all that I switched it over to Gnome3. Best accident ever made. Unity was good but had a small list of nuances that just bothered me enough. Gnome3 has all the good of Unity and fixes everything else. 11.10+Gnome3 is the best I've used (Over Windows 98 and onward, Ubuntu 9.04 and onward, and plenty of other Linux distros). Windows 7 seems to take much more time for me to do what I want (I have to use it for engineering work frequently).

 

[cookoy]

Outside of work requirements, Linux should be adequate for most of my home-personal needs.

 

[rebel1280]

Also Linux does not play well with Netflix

 

[Gamer Dude]

[citation][nom]nekromobo[/nom]You cry for this, dispate all the hardware incompabilities of for example Android? You want DOS-autoexec-config.sys-tweaking back? I want to play games and do my stuff, not administrate my operating system FFS.[/citation]
[citation][nom]dspider[/nom]Technically speaking, Windows 8 isn't out yet. So he didn't do anything wrong. Apart from installing beta software that could potentially mess up his files (with all the bugs and whatnot).[/citation]
I aspire to be a big Criminal one day just like Apple, Microsoft and Warren Buffet. Ya I have ripped copy of Windows I ripped the serial key opps.

 

[Gamer Dude]

[citation][nom]dspider[/nom]Technically speaking, Windows 8 isn't out yet. So he didn't do anything wrong. Apart from installing beta software that could potentially mess up his files (with all the bugs and whatnot).[/citation]
Nope no bugs for Windows8 is theoretically it ts a carbon copy of Windows7 with a few mobile device integration useless crapapps added on that can be turned off completely so what you are left with is essentially a carbon copy of Windows7. PS I did the same thing with Windows7 Release Candidate Beta back in the day then I bought an OEM Copy of Windows7 when it was released to market cause then I already knew that going from Win XP to 7 was a smart choice. I did not steal anything Microsoft stole from me cause I could have just as easily went to Ubuntu cause I like it and it's FREE and does everything I need it to but I am hooked on Windows like Rick James is to powered.

 

[andywork78]

I was wait this review for long time.
Good review and nice bench.
Linux are getting better and better.
Soon we will have a chance to jump over to linux.
Future linux will run win and mac software both without having a trouble. (i hope)
However thx u tom's.
I love this review !!!

 

[Gamer Dude]

[citation][nom]andywork78[/nom]I was wait this review for long time.Good review and nice bench.Linux are getting better and better.Soon we will have a chance to jump over to linux.Future linux will run win and mac software both without having a trouble. (i hope)However thx u tom's.I love this review !!![/citation]
it never will run mac or win sofware and you dont want it to cause then it would not be what makes it so great FREE AND OPEN SOURCE.

 

[peevee]

Were both OSes installed on the same partition? Because the placement of the partition matters on a regular HDD.

And why all the ancient hardware? Because Linux has drivers for them?

 

[ubercake]

Unix always seems like the kid people always talk about as such:
"He's brilliant, though he never applied himself".

The early 2000s seemed like a time when Unix made a run, but these days Snow Leopard seems more of an encroachment on the OS market than any flavor of Unix for the home or business user.

 

[peevee]

And where are browser/Flash/Silverlight tests? After all a lot of people spend a lot of time browsing.

 

[peevee]

[citation][nom]andywork78[/nom]Linux are getting better and better.Soon we will have a chance to jump over to linux.Future linux will run win and mac software both without having a trouble. [/citation]

First heard this one, like, 20 years ago. I guess Linux runs DOS and Win3.0 apps perfectly by now.

 

[XZaapryca]

Linux (Fedora in my case) did everything I wanted it to, except play games. WINE kind of worked, but there were always issues and problems. After four months I finally went back to Windows on my main system. ATM, gamers use Windows.

 

[Guest]

I use ubuntu for ages on an old laptop stuffed with software and documents (now on lastest build).
I use a windows7 high end system with loads of software on it do you hear me coming?
A windows with software is SLOW. My "ole" laptop takes of like a jet with Ubuntu and runs
for hours on one charge of the battery.
These test results may be correct with an "empty" system.

(pls forgive my english)

Grts,

W.

 

[Guest]

I stopped reading at "Linus Torvalds decided to skip what should have been kernel 2.8, signaling big-enough changes to merit a major dot-oh release."
FYI, the 3. kernel bump was simply to commemorate it's 20 years anniversary, it included virtually no changes compared to the previous kernel.

 

[adamovera]

[citation][nom]peevee[/nom]Were both OSes installed on the same partition? Because the placement of the partition matters on a regular HDD.And why all the ancient hardware? Because Linux has drivers for them?[/citation]
Each OS was installed on its own identical hard drive. The graphics cards might be somewhat old by the standard of today's hardcore PC gamer, but considering the games available for the cross-platform comparison, I think they're appropriate.

 

[adamovera]

[citation][nom]peevee[/nom]And where are browser/Flash/Silverlight tests? After all a lot of people spend a lot of time browsing.[/citation]
On the way, stay tuned.

 

[aaab]

Ok Firstly, why were you using such outdated hardware for these tests? Personally I would like to see how ubuntu does with the latest and greatest.

I also think it would be very intersting to see how the bulldozer does in linux. Would be nice to see how well/poorly linux supports more cores.

 

[nrundy]

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS (Ubuntu's refined/polished enterprise-class release) will do doubt perform much better than 11.10.

 

[Gamer Dude]

[citation][nom]aaab[/nom]Ok Firstly, why were you using such outdated hardware for these tests? Personally I would like to see how ubuntu does with the latest and greatest. I also think it would be very intersting to see how the bulldozer does in linux. Would be nice to see how well/poorly linux supports more cores.[/citation]
8 cores have been supported for a long long time already before BD

 

[aaab]

[citation][nom]Gamer Dude[/nom]8 cores have been supported for a long long time already before BD[/citation]

I realize this. BD isn't a traditional 8 core and would be interesting to compare how it does on linux. Both linux and windows support way more than 8 cores, which is nothing new.

 

[aaab]

[citation][nom]Gamer Dude[/nom]8 cores have been supported for a long long time already before BD[/citation]

Sorry re read my comment, support isn't the correct word I was looking for. I'm going to rephrase

'Would be nice to see how well/poorly linux utilizes more cores vs windows.'

 

[gondor]

The early 2000s seemed like a time when Unix made a run, but these days Snow Leopard seems more of an encroachment on the OS market than any flavor of Unix for the home or business user.

You do realize that MacOS kernel is based on BSD, itself "UNIX-derivative" ? The Snow Leopard you tout is as much of "UNIX" as the reviewed Ubuntu distribution is.

 

[molo9000]

[citation][nom]gondor[/nom]You do realize that MacOS kernel is based on BSD, itself "UNIX-derivative" ? The Snow Leopard you tout is as much of "UNIX" as the reviewed Ubuntu distribution is.[/citation]

Actually, Mac OS versions 10.5 and later are POSIX compliant and UNIX certified and therefore allowed to use the UNIX trademark.

I think Linux is almost completely POSIX compliant, but not 100%. Someone correct me, if I'm wrong.