The conversation around gaming on Linux has evolved significantly in recent years, thanks to the dedication of passionate developers working on the Linux kernel and open-source graphics stack. This progress has been further bolstered by the introduction of the Steam Deck, a handheld gaming device that runs on Linux. Many of these developers are employed by companies like Valve and Red Hat, while others are enthusiasts who volunteer their time to ensure that Linux gaming continues to improve. This ongoing effort has led to a notable performance victory for Linux over Windows in certain gaming scenarios.
Recently, I had the opportunity to test the performance of the Framework 13 laptop, equipped with the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and the AMD Ryzen 7 7480U, on both Windows 11 and Fedora 40. The results of my testing were genuinely surprising and shed light on the progress that Linux has made in the gaming arena.
The Framework 13 system I tested featured an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor with Radeon 780M Graphics, 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, and dual-boot capability with Windows 11 Home and Fedora Linux 40. Despite its integrated graphics, the Framework 13 proved to be capable of gaming, albeit with some compromises in resolution and quality settings for more demanding titles.
To ensure a fair comparison between Windows and Fedora, I set both operating systems to „Performance“ power profiles and conducted multiple benchmark runs. On Fedora 40, I ran a system update before testing, using only the default kernel and graphics drivers included in the distribution. On Windows 11, I updated the Radeon 780M driver to the latest version available at the time of testing.
I tested several games on both operating systems, including Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Total War: Warhammer III, Cyberpunk 2077, and Forza Horizon 5. In the case of games with native versions for both Windows and Linux, Fedora 40 demonstrated higher average framerates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, while Windows had a slight edge in Total War: Warhammer III.
The most surprising results came from Cyberpunk 2077, a game that was run on Fedora 40 using the Proton compatibility layer. Despite the inherent performance penalty of running Windows games on Linux, Fedora 40 managed to outperform Windows 11 by a small margin, even more so when utilizing AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR).
In the case of Forza Horizon 5, a DirectX 12 game developed by Microsoft, Windows 11 had a performance advantage over Fedora 40. However, the fact that a modern racing game could run smoothly on a Linux laptop with integrated graphics is a testament to the progress that has been made in Linux gaming.
These results provide an interesting glimpse into the evolving landscape of Linux gaming compared to Windows. While these benchmarks may not be representative of every gaming scenario, they highlight the significant strides that have been made in improving gaming performance on Linux. As the development of Linux gaming continues to progress, it will be exciting to see how it competes with Windows on laptops equipped with dedicated GPUs from AMD and Nvidia.