Recent testing has revealed that AMD’s Ryzen 9000 processors exhibit commendable performance under Linux, particularly when compared to Windows 11. The German tech site PC Games Hardware (PCGH) conducted a thorough examination of the Ryzen 7 9700X, juxtaposing its performance on Nobara Linux 40 against Windows 11 24H2 while gaming. The results indicated that Linux outperformed Windows by a margin of approximately 5% to 10% across various popular titles, with the exception of World of Warcraft, which showed only a 2% advantage for Nobara.
Beyond gaming, the performance of applications also favored Nobara, with programs like 7-Zip running faster. Synthetic benchmarks, such as Geekbench, echoed similar results, showcasing a 5% to 10% increase in speed, although Handbrake was an outlier where Windows 11 demonstrated superior performance.
Additional Insights from Phoronix.com
Neowin highlighted additional insights from Phoronix.com, which benchmarked not only the 9700X but also the 9600X under Ubuntu. Their extensive analysis, encompassing nearly 400 benchmarks, revealed that the 9700X outpaced the 7700X by a factor of 1.15, while the 9600X was 1.25 times faster than its predecessor. Phoronix.com noted the impressive raw performance of the Ryzen 9000 series, particularly when considering CPU power usage.
Analysis: Here Come the Caveats…
While the results from the Nobara Linux versus Windows 11 comparison are promising for the Linux community, it is essential to approach these findings with a degree of caution. The testing conducted by PCGH represents a singular perspective, and the scope of comparisons—especially regarding applications—remains limited, primarily focusing on a selection of synthetic benchmarks.
It is also crucial to recognize that Nobara is a gaming-centric distribution based on Fedora, and it is being evaluated against Windows 11 24H2, which is still in preview mode. This version is live on select Copilot+ PCs, but these devices do not run the complete version of the operating system. Consequently, the full 24H2 update, expected to be released in the coming months, may enhance the performance of Ryzen 9000 CPUs on Windows, potentially altering the current landscape.
Despite these considerations, the performance of Nobara and the Ryzen 9000 series in Linux, as detailed by Phoronix.com, is undeniably encouraging for those contemplating a shift to an alternative operating system. However, Windows 11 users should remain optimistic, as the forthcoming 24H2 update may still require further optimization. Additionally, Microsoft’s operating system offers numerous advantages beyond performance, particularly in terms of compatibility with a wide array of PC games.
Ultimately, individuals considering a transition to Linux must weigh various factors carefully, regardless of whether they possess a new Zen 5 processor or not.
