reports from the GPU trenches

[nia <nia%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

greetz,

I recently built myself a new workstation and hit eBay to find cheap
netbsd-suitable GPUs. These generally cost under 30 USD, are fanless,
and are suitable for basic netbsd usage like smooth 1080p video
playback and simple 3D. They were generally only sold to OEMs and not
to the consumer gaming market, though they're fine for low-end gaming.

I guess this could also be useful if you're looking for simple video
output for your file server, kiosk, or other project.

NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 - nouveau is stable and tear-free. This surprised
me because I have previously tried GT 640s which panicked.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 - nouveau panics on boot.

AMD Radeon HD 6450 - radeon works, but there seems to
be a problem with texture memory corruption. Not sure
if this is a driver or hardware issue with my card.

	Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"

in xorg.conf cleans everything up except OpenGL applications.
Video playback is fine with the "xv" video output, which
mpv recommends only as a fallback.

I will report back shortly with information on the Radeon HD 5450
(AKA the classic netbsd developer workhorse) and Radeon HD 7350
when I find a DVI cable. These old radeons may remain useful
well into the future due to the terakan driver...