Windows / Linux Anecdote

K-Moss

"I use a flicker free IPS monitor on my PC. It works great with Window, zero eyestrain problems but if I install Linux on the same setup, it is unusable. Just a few minutes use makes me ill. Does anyone know a way a PWM sensitive person can use linux without eyestrain problems please?"

Thoughts?

Donux

K-Moss Linux on right machine can be awesome experience. But, usually it means you better use it with machine that does not have known problems such as pwm or aggresive dithering. In old days, ubuntu for example was amazing refuge from windows, even on bad laptops. But now, I can not even use intel gpu tools anymore, it does not work on ubuntu/mint. So I can not force PWM rate I want as it used to be with other versions and older machines.

Sunspark

Many variables.. font rendering settings, screen refresh settings, etc. I customized both and while much better I can tell it is not the same.

Compositor, etc. makes a difference too. There is no magic bullet and Linux drivers are never as good as Windows ones.

K-Moss

Sunspark So strain with Linux is much more prevalent than strain with Windows? I'm currently using Ubuntu and don't notice anything too bad, but I wonder if I will get more comfort using Windows.

Sunspark

On my hardware configuration, yes. On different hardware, impossible to say.

K-Moss

Sunspark Interesting. Does the massive Linux community of developers not feel the strain you feel? Is your hardware common or rare?

Sunspark

My hardware is old. As for their strain, you could ask the same question of the even larger Windows and Mac pool.. it exists, they either find a solution or do something different.

K-Moss

Donux I read:

"Windows 11 bothers me and a lot of others on otherwise safe hardware."

So Windows 11 is not a sure victory for eye comfort enthusiasts. Maybe Ubuntu is just as good. Windows 10 allegedly is better.

"Some people find windows 11 to be straining while certain builds of 10 are much better. after build 1507 of win10 things got funky with builds after that. 1809 seems to be the safer win10 build. Its something with how the screen renders everything + possible OS level dithering. DirectX/DWM issue possibly."

It's all so time consuming and frustrating.