In a recent exploration of the performance capabilities of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 SoC, a comparative analysis was conducted between Windows 11 and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Linux on the ASUS Zenbook S16. Both operating systems were evaluated under their default settings, utilizing the same hardware configuration, which included 24GB of RAM. The testing environment was consistent, with AC power supplied throughout the benchmarking process.
Graphics Performance Insights
The initial focus was on the graphics benchmarks, specifically assessing the Radeon 880M graphics integrated within the Ryzen AI 9 365. Utilizing synthetic benchmarks that support both OpenGL and Vulkan, the performance of the AMD RDNA3.5 graphics was scrutinized. Historically, Windows has held a performance edge at launch, but the results indicated that Linux’s graphics capabilities were surprisingly competitive right from the start.
- In the Unvanquished cross-platform game, Ubuntu 24.04 with Linux 6.10 and Mesa Git outperformed Windows 11 significantly.
- For the YQuake2 game utilizing its Vulkan renderer, the Mesa RADV driver demonstrated superior performance compared to the official AMD Windows Vulkan driver.
- In the demanding Furmark benchmark, while OpenGL performance was comparable across both platforms, the Vulkan API performance favored the Mesa RADV open-source driver.
This strong showing from the open-source AMD Radeon graphics driver stack on Linux was unexpected, particularly given the historical context of Windows outperforming Linux in similar scenarios. Further gaming tests are anticipated in future articles.
Cross-Platform Benchmarking Results
Turning to other benchmarks, the results were mixed:
- OpenJDK Java benchmarks consistently favored Linux over Windows 11.
- In LZ4 compression tests, Windows 11 surprisingly outperformed Ubuntu.
- JPEG-XL image decoding showcased Linux’s strength in single-threaded scenarios, while Windows excelled in multi-threaded decoding.
- WebP image encoding and ASTC texture compression encoding were notably faster on Windows 11, diverging from typical cross-platform performance trends.
In the realm of 3D rendering, results varied based on the specific model used. While Blender slightly favored Ubuntu, the proprietary V-RAY renderer was 15% faster on Linux, contrasting with the Indigo renderer, where Windows took the lead.
Video Encoding and Compression Performance
When it came to video encoding, the performance was largely balanced. H.265 video encoding with Kvazaar showed parity between the two operating systems, while the SVT-AV1 AV1 video encoder favored Ubuntu. The 7-Zip compression tasks revealed Linux’s superiority in compression speed, yet Windows excelled in decompression.
Overall, the performance outcomes were tighter than usual, with Windows 11 achieving more wins than typically observed in previous comparisons. The geometric mean across over 100 tests indicated that Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with Linux 6.10 was less than 3% faster than Windows 11, suggesting a near parity in performance.
This initial analysis highlights the commendable performance of the AMD RDNA3.5 graphics on Linux, which bodes well for potential applications in handheld gaming consoles and other devices. However, the CPU and system performance revealed a notable advantage for Windows 11, raising questions about whether this trend is specific to the Strix Point architecture or indicative of broader improvements across the Zen 5 lineup. Continuous monitoring of Linux patches and AMD performance optimizations will be essential in the coming weeks and months.
