Hello everyone,
I'm new to Linux. I used the CachyOS distro for a short time and didn't encounter any problems with Geometry Dash on it. However, on Zorin OS, I'm experiencing significant lag when playing the game.
For context, I'm using an RTX 3080 GPU, 32 GB of RAM, and an Intel 13th generation processor; a 240 Hz monitor unlocked to 360 FPS in-game.
I am using the Nvidia 580.95.05 driver.
I installed Geometry Dash via Steam and ran it with GE-Proton 10.25, Proton Experimental, and Proton Hotfix, but I always encounter the same issues.
I haven't been able to identify the cause of this very significant lag (the game seems to be running at 30-45 FPS instead of 360, even though it detects that it is running at 360 FPS).
Can you give me some possible solutions that I could try? Thanks in advance!
Hello. I looked up GD, and it appears to come with a speed cap of 60-FPS by default, though it shouldn't be running at 30 to 45 FPS on a platformer side scroller, with an Nvidia 3080 powerhouse GPU! If the game is modified with the in-game tools, you could get up to 240 FPS. The game absolutely will not do 360 FPS, its in regards to timing issues, and you will get 0 benefit with that anyway. Here's a video I found on the subject.
Additionally, since you are running an Nvidia GPU, 2 things I want you to do...
(1) Restart your computer, go into the BIOS, and disable Secure Boot.
(2) When your at the login screen, click on your name, then a gear icon appears, click it, and switch to Xorg, AKA, Zorin OS Desktop, not Wayland!
(3) Once in the OS, launch the Nvidia X Server Settings APP, and adjust the power options to full performance, this will likely require a restart to finalize.
Secure Boot is a Windows only security feature, which when enabled, typically causes issues, with Linux interfacing with hardware components. It revolves around signed driver processes, whom you guessed it, the Microsoft overlords, are the ones doing the signing.
And as I am sure you also have guessed, Microsoft don't like to sign for anyone else but them. Their way of trying to keep people on Windows, cause they don't believe you should have a choice. This is why were on Linux, to get away from that garbage. Its good that Secure Boot is off.
I'll start by saying this: THANK YOU for taking the time to find out more and help me with this rather specific issue!
As for the usefulness of 360 FPS in Geometry Dash, I won't go into detail; but I'm an experienced GD player, and I know the impact of FPS on the game's physics, which is particularly unusual in this game. Don't worry about it, I didn't choose 360 FPS randomly (in any case, I have exactly the same problems at native 240 FPS).
1 -> Secure Boot, already disabled on my end (I dual boot via a separate disk on Windows, by the way).
2 -> Desktop environment, I'm currently running x11, not Wayland, and I don't see the gear you're talking about on the login screen
3 -> OK settings applied, unfortunately no difference
Typically with Flatpak Steam, its best to use GE for flatpak, among Proton settings. If Steam was running when you clicked the Proton-GE community build box, once installed, restart Steam.
icon appears, click it, and switch to Xorg, AKA, Zorin OS Desktop, not Wayland!
