Best Practice/Advice for maintaining/configuring Graphics Drivers?

I'm just wondering if I need to look at my graphics drivers and adjust anything?

Nothing is broken!

just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to maintain/configure graphics drivers? Best practices, do's and don't s, etc. Whatever documentation you suggest I read up on.

I guess these tips could apply to any piece of hardware on a computer.

Where should I look to find the proper drivers for specific hardware?

Here is my garuda-inxi. I'm assuming I'll need some information from here, most likely hardware identification.

garuda-inxi
mdoverl@mdoverl i
╰─λ garuda-inxi
System:
Kernel: 6.0.10-zen2-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
root=UUID=35b1927f-308f-40c8-8e49-adf1b6d5ab3c rw rootflags=subvol=@
quiet
cryptdevice=UUID=2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c:luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c
root=/dev/mapper/luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c quiet splash
rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
resume=/dev/mapper/luks-e0141a34-b4b2-493b-88b1-893f9cda231a loglevel=3
ibt=off
Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.26.4 tk: Qt v: 5.15.7 info: latte-dock
wm: kwin_x11 vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
Type: Desktop System: Dell product: XPS 8940 v: N/A
serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 3 serial: <superuser required>
Mobo: Dell model: 0KV3RP v: A00 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Dell
v: 2.10.0 date: 09/14/2022
CPU:
Info: model: Intel Core i5-10400 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Comet Lake
gen: core 10 level: v3 note: check built: 2020 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
model-id: 0xA5 (165) stepping: 3 microcode: 0xF4
Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 tpc: 2 threads: 12 smt: enabled cache:
L1: 384 KiB desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 1.5 MiB desc: 6x256 KiB
L3: 12 MiB desc: 1x12 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 3502 high: 4138 min/max: 800/4300 scaling:
driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 2900 2: 4093 3: 2900
4: 4138 5: 4100 6: 4100 7: 2900 8: 4103 9: 2900 10: 2900 11: 4100 12: 2900
bogomips: 69597
Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Vulnerabilities:
Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
Type: l1tf status: Not affected
Type: mds status: Not affected
Type: meltdown status: Not affected
Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via
prctl
Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer
sanitization
Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced IBRS, IBPB: conditional, RSB
filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence
Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel CometLake-S GT2 [UHD Graphics 630] vendor: Dell driver: i915
v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports:
active: HDMI-A-2 empty: DP-1,DP-2,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0
chip-ID: 8086:9bc8 class-ID: 0300
Device-2: NVIDIA TU116 [GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER] vendor: Dell
driver: nvidia v: 525.60.11 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 520.xx+
status: current (as of 2022-10) arch: Turing code: TUxxx
process: TSMC 12nm built: 2018-22 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16
link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:21c4
class-ID: 0300
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.4 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.5
compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X: loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: nouveau
alternate: fbdev,intel,nv,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: :0
screens: 1
Screen-1: 0 s-res: 5760x2160 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 1520x570mm (59.84x22.44")
s-diag: 1623mm (63.91")
Monitor-1: HDMI-1-0 pos: primary,right res: 3840x2160 hz: 30 dpi: 61
size: 1600x900mm (62.99x35.43") diag: 1836mm (72.27") modes: N/A
Monitor-2: HDMI-2 pos: left res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 70
size: 698x392mm (27.48x15.43") diag: 801mm (31.52") modes: N/A
API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.2.3 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CML
GT2) direct render: Yes
Audio:
Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel
v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_skl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
chip-ID: 8086:06c8 class-ID: 0403
Device-2: NVIDIA TU116 High Definition Audio vendor: Dell
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16
link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:1aeb
class-ID: 0403
Sound API: ALSA v: k6.0.10-zen2-1-zen running: yes
Sound Interface: sndio v: N/A running: no
Sound Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 running: no
Sound Server-2: PipeWire v: 0.3.61 running: yes
Network:
Device-1: Realtek vendor: Rivet Networks driver: r8168 v: 8.051.02-NAPI
modules: r8169 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 3000
bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:2600 class-ID: 0200
IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter
vendor: Dell driver: ath10k_pci v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s
lanes: 1 bus-ID: 04:00.0 chip-ID: 168c:0042 class-ID: 0280
IF: wlp4s0 state: up mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: anbox0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
Device-1: Qualcomm Atheros type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-14:4
chip-ID: 0cf3:e009 class-ID: e001
Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter>
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 11.38 TiB used: 29.53 GiB (0.3%)
SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Crucial model: CT500P1SSD8
size: 465.76 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s
lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: P3CR013 temp: 35.9 C scheme: GPT
ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Seagate model: ST8000AS0002-1NA17Z
size: 7.28 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
type: HDD rpm: 5980 serial: <filter> rev: AR15 scheme: GPT
ID-3: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Seagate model: ST4000LM024-2AN17V
size: 3.64 TiB block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
type: HDD rpm: 5526 serial: <filter> rev: 0001 scheme: GPT
ID-4: /dev/sdc maj-min: 8:32 type: USB vendor: Dell model: Recovery USB
size: 7.43 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B type: N/A
serial: <filter> rev: 1100 scheme: MBR
SMART Message: Unknown USB bridge. Flash drive/Unsupported enclosure?
Partition:
ID-1: / raw-size: 439.93 GiB size: 439.93 GiB (100.00%)
used: 29.53 GiB (6.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 254:0
mapped: luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c
ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
used: 752 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 maj-min: 259:1
ID-3: /home raw-size: 439.93 GiB size: 439.93 GiB (100.00%)
used: 29.53 GiB (6.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 254:0
mapped: luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c
ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 439.93 GiB size: 439.93 GiB (100.00%)
used: 29.53 GiB (6.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 254:0
mapped: luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c
ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 439.93 GiB size: 439.93 GiB (100.00%)
used: 29.53 GiB (6.7%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 254:0
mapped: luks-2d2f6df3-908a-471a-bab8-ca7384cd7e1c
Swap:
Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 23.21 GiB used: 1.8 MiB (0.0%) priority: 100
dev: /dev/zram0
ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 25.53 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
priority: -2 dev: /dev/dm-1 maj-min: 254:1
mapped: luks-e0141a34-b4b2-493b-88b1-893f9cda231a
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 49.0 C pch: 47.0 C mobo: 48.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 795 fan-2: 990
Info:
Processes: 370 Uptime: 3h 18m wakeups: 0 Memory: 23.21 GiB
used: 8.95 GiB (38.6%) Init: systemd v: 252 default: graphical
tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 2112
libs: 574 tools: octopi,pamac,paru pm: appimage pkgs: 0 Shell: fish v: 3.5.1
default: Bash v: 5.1.16 running-in: konsole inxi: 3.3.23
Garuda (2.6.10-1):
System install date:     2022-11-30
Last full system update: 2022-12-01
Is partially upgraded:   Yes
Relevant software:       NetworkManager
Windows dual boot:       Probably (Run as root to verify)
Snapshots:               Snapper
Failed units:            systemd-networkd-wait-online.service

Garuda Linux is a distro that focuses quite a bit on the out-of-the-box experience and user-friendliness, although the latter is definitely something that needs some work I'd say. Seems like your Graphics drivers have been configured automatically when you installed your system and you're good to go!

You have 2 GPUs, a dedicated and integrated GPU. At all costs avoid software such as optimus-maanger, trust me. We have a neat wiki article explaining how you make use of your dedicated GPU dynamically: Switching between integrated and dedicated graphics | Garuda Linux wiki

6 Likes

Thank you. After reading that, the only thing I might have to do is add the DRI_PRIME=1 %command% parameter for games.

If I were you I'd read the wiki page and especially the wiki page headings one more time :sweat_smile:

1 Like

Switching between integrated and dedicated graphics

How to take advantage of your dedicated NVIDIA/AMD GPU

I’m guessing this article doesn’t apply to me because it doesn’t mention Intel.

It does apply to you, you have 2 GPUs after all, a dedicated NVIDIA GPU with proprietary drivers and an integrated Intel GPU

I’m reading this today

You.. really don't have to. You're just going to do stuff that Garuda Linux already does automatically. Just follow the wiki article I sent you, please..

I apologize.

I'm autistic and having a challenging time focusing on simple tasks right now. Give me a day or two and my brain should snap out of this foggy state. I also have a lot of last minute stuff to prepare at work today before the day is over.