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OpenGL vs Vulkan in Mad Max, re-tested

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Since Feral Interactive have fixed up the OpenGL renderer in the Mad Max [Steam] Beta, here are some fresh OpenGL vs Vulkan tests.

I already cleared up the issue before and included some manual testing, see here.

These new tests are re-done using their benchmark feature, which is unique to the Linux version. This should now give a much more accurate look at how OpenGL fares against Vulkan in some heavy areas of the game.

Also, Feral have now made public how they have worked around a Linux performance issue. You might remember my post about tuning your CPU performance governor for Vulkan games, well this is partly where that came from (as well as Serious Sam). Essentially, to prevent the CPU performance being reduced due to less CPU use with Vulkan, Feral are spinning their rendering thread while waiting for the GPU (see here).

Benchmarks
OpenGL Vulkan Mad Max - Camp - Hollow Point (redone)Antergos Linux, 1080p, i7 5960x, 980ti NormalHighVery High Vulkan 241OpenGL 225Vulkan 171OpenGL 148Vulkan 136OpenGL 121 241225171148136121 04998147196245 Average FPS

Here we have a performance difference of between (approx) +6% to +15% when using Vulkan.

OpenGL Vulkan Mad Max - Stronghold – Tyrant’s Lash (redone)Antergos Linux, 1080p, i7 5960x, 980ti NormalHighVery High OpenGL 96Vulkan 77Vulkan 70OpenGL 48Vulkan 60OpenGL 43 967770486043 020406080100 Average FPS

Here we have a performance difference of between (approx) -20% to +45% when using Vulkan. Looks like there's an odd issue with Vulkan performance there, but I'm not the only one who has seen Vulkan sometimes do a little worse.

OpenGL Vulkan Cutscene - Hope, Glory, and Dog is Dead (redone)Antergos Linux, 1080p, i7 5960x, 980ti NormalHighVery High Vulkan 253OpenGL 228Vulkan 161OpenGL 149Vulkan 135OpenGL 131 253228161149135131 051102153204255 Average FPS

Here we have a performance difference of between (approx) +3% to +11% when using Vulkan.

OpenGL Vulkan Cutscene - Landmover (redone)Antergos Linux, 1080p, i7 5960x, 980ti NormalHighVery High Vulkan 277OpenGL 260Vulkan 180OpenGL 170Vulkan 155OpenGL 153 277260180170155153 056112168224280 Average FPS

Here we have a performance difference of between (approx) +1% to +6% when using Vulkan.

Some thoughts: A fair amount of their time during the Beta so far has likely been spent fixing up the regressed OpenGL side and when taking into consideration Vulkan is considered "Beta", it's likely Feral has optimizations left to do with Vulkan.

You might not think much of a 5% increase, but for people on lower-end hardware a 5% increase can mean a world of difference. I've seen a few people on GOL and Reddit say Vulkan has made it go from sluggish to smooth, which is a clear win.

We also have to consider that the OpenGL renderer in the Mad Max beta has also seen some optimizations since the original release. The original release doesn't have the benchmark mode, so we can't test that in the same way along side the beta.

Then there's also the drivers, Vulkan drivers are new and evolving and likely have their own sets of issues to be fixed. Some of which could affect performance. Sure Vulkan is supposed to have smaller drivers, but with so few Vulkan games out no driver has truly been tested.

Be sure to share your latest results in the comments, I'm keen to see what it's like on your systems too.

Finally, Feral are keen for feedback, email them direct here: [email protected] Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Benchmark, OpenGL, Vulkan | Apps: Mad Max
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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Linuxwarper Apr 4, 2017
Thanks for this! I can't wait to see the performance difference when Vulkan implementation for the game has matured significantly.


Last edited by Linuxwarper on 4 April 2017 at 11:35 pm UTC
melkemind Apr 5, 2017
I get frame drops into the 50s and 40s while driving. Is it because my CPU is too slow? I have an i5 3350P, with an Nvidia GTX 970.

The max fps is better with vulkan, but the minimum seems to be the same, which makes the experience less smooth, even with settings turned all the way down. Is there any way to get a consistent 60 fps?
Mountain Man Apr 5, 2017
Oh well, I guess the doubling and tripling in performance was too good to be true. Still, some improvement is better than no improvement. I'm just looking forward to the day when developers start using Vulkan from beginning to end so that we don't see Linux gaming performance lagging significantly behind Windows.
fagnerln Apr 5, 2017
I ran the benchmark and strangely OGL is near Vulkan in averange FPS. But "in real life", things are different, in OGL, FPS drops to below 20fps, my cpu struggles as hell even on lowest settings. To be fair, the game was unplayable.

Now the game runs at 40~60fps on high settings. You can't measure a CPU overhead with an i7.

I hope that Feral upgrade their older games too (TR runs badly even on lowest)

Using fx6300 + 750ti
psycho_driver Apr 5, 2017
Quoting: liamdaweAny work they do on their Vulkan rendering will get it ready for future ports I'm sure.

I really hope this work is back-ported to Shadow of Mordor since it uses roughly the same engine.
edddeduck_feral Apr 5, 2017
Quoting: psycho_driverI really hope this work is back-ported to Shadow of Mordor since it uses roughly the same engine.

The engines are completely unrelated custom engines written by two seperate developers. They are not as related as XCOM and XCOM 2 for example.


Last edited by edddeduck_feral on 5 April 2017 at 5:57 am UTC
Eike Apr 5, 2017
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Quoting: edddeduck_feralThe engines are completely unrelated custom engines written by two seperate developers. They are not as related as XCOM and XCOM 2 for example.

Vulkan for XCOM, XCOM 2 and XCOM 3 on Linux confirmed! Yay!
Geppeto35 Apr 5, 2017
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: edddeduck_feralThe engines are completely unrelated custom engines written by two seperate developers. They are not as related as XCOM and XCOM 2 for example.

Vulkan for XCOM, XCOM 2 and XCOM 3 on Linux confirmed! Yay!

XDDD
Cmdr_Iras Apr 5, 2017
It would be nice to see the same benchmarks for a system with a less powerful CPU. No offence to Liam here the benchmarks are nice to see but his CPU is a beefy one and thus was probably less affected by the CPU bound issue when using OpenGL than someone using an i5 say, I think that could show even better gains as the benefit will release the GPU more from bottlenecks.
jsa1983 Apr 5, 2017
Quoting: fagnerlnYou can't measure a CPU overhead with an i7.

That's the point. The CPUs used in the testing seem quite beefy. I myself have noticed frame rate improvement and much more smoothness with a AMD FX 8370 (low single core performance). I haven't tested the fixed OpenGL of the beta, but will do once I get some free time.
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