The NVIDIA NVK Vulkan driver for Linux has received a significant update that will significantly improve gaming performance by implementing implicit pipeline caching. This optimization method allows the video card to reuse rendered content and pipeline configurations. This eliminates the need for pipeline reprogramming and improves performance.
The introduction of implicit pipeline caching is part of a comprehensive MESA 24.1 update that includes further optimizations to the NVK driver as well as other Linux-based architectures Phoronix, a well-known benchmarking and performance analysis site, reported that this update brings «significant improvements», with the source emphasizing implicit pipeline caching as one of the defining changes.
While the exact impact of implicit pipeline caching on game performance has not yet been fully quantified, early tests indicate a noticeable improvement. The combination of this optimization with the recently added sparse memory support in the NVK driver positions MESA as a serious alternative to proprietary drivers such as RADV Vulkan for Radeon GPUs. The NVK driver has proven to be a powerful and efficient option for Linux users looking for the best gaming performance.
Source: Igor`s Lab