I see very similar issue, but with Core i7 Sandy Bridge, Intel HD Graphics 3000 built in, which makes me think - this is nothing to do with NVidia, but rather with Compiz. The desktop effects like moving between virtual desktops is buttery smooth and the suddenly it goes very jerky and slow. It stays this way, until I go into CCSM and disable unity plugin, then re-enable it back - it is buttery smooth again.
I think, this is related - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/888039 Some details about my setup: I'm using 2 displays of different sizes and resolutions: 1920x1200 + 1600x900. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Desktop Packages, which is subscribed to nvidia-graphics-drivers in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1032187 Title: Major OpenGL performance degradation over time Status in NVIDIA Drivers Ubuntu: New Status in “nvidia-graphics-drivers” package in Ubuntu: Confirmed Bug description: I have a fully updated Ubuntu 12.04 x64 installation with Nvidia driver 302.17 enabled. The system contains an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 video card. The problem I notice is that hardware acceleration stops some while after log in. Immediately after reboot, GLXgears reports up to 3000 FPS. After a few minutes to hours, hardware acceleration stops, which is e.g. noticable by a sluggish response from the user interface. E.g. typing an e-mail becomes impossible, since the letters appear too slow on the screen. Re-running GLXgears in that case reports about 23 FPS. I noticed that the problem does not occur if I keep GLXgears running on the background. I can't find any unusual things in /var/log/xorg.0.log that give hints about what is happening during the occurance of the error. --- .proc.driver.nvidia.gpus.0: Error: [Errno 21] Is a directory: '/proc/driver/nvidia/gpus/0' .proc.driver.nvidia.registry: Binary: "" .proc.driver.nvidia.version: NVRM version: NVIDIA UNIX x86_64 Kernel Module 302.17 Tue Jun 12 16:03:22 PDT 2012 GCC version: gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5) .proc.driver.nvidia.warnings.fbdev: Your system is not currently configured to drive a VGA console on the primary VGA device. The NVIDIA Linux graphics driver requires the use of a text-mode VGA console. Use of other console drivers including, but not limited to, vesafb, may result in corruption and stability problems, and is not supported. .tmp.unity.support.test.0: ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu11 Architecture: amd64 CompizPlugins: No value set for `/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins' CompositorRunning: None DistUpgraded: 2012-05-02 09:32:18,284 DEBUG enabling apt cron job DistroCodename: precise DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04 DistroVariant: ubuntu GraphicsCard: NVIDIA Corporation GF104 [GeForce GTX 460] [10de:0e22] (rev a1) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller]) Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device [1043:835e] InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Beta amd64 (20110330) JockeyStatus: xorg:nvidia_current - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (Proprietary, Enabled, In use) xorg:nvidia_current_updates - NVIDIA accelerated graphics driver (post-release updates) (Proprietary, Disabled, Not in use) MachineType: System manufacturer System Product Name NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia Package: nvidia-graphics-drivers (not installed) ProcEnviron: TERM=xterm PATH=(custom, no user) LANG=en_US.UTF-8 SHELL=/bin/bash ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-27-generic root=UUID=e1c2ab31-a577-44ac-a6e0-a29562c3716f ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-27.43-generic 3.2.21 Tags: precise ubuntu Uname: Linux 3.2.0-27-generic x86_64 UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-05-02 (96 days ago) UserGroups: dmi.bios.date: 02/22/2011 dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc. dmi.bios.version: 1401 dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M. dmi.board.name: P8P67 dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer INC. dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890 dmi.chassis.type: 3 dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr1401:bd02/22/2011:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKComputerINC.:rnP8P67:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion: dmi.product.name: System Product Name dmi.product.version: System Version dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.7.8-0ubuntu1.2 version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs 20090808ubuntu36 version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.32-1ubuntu1 version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 8.0.2-0ubuntu3.1 version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 8.0.2-0ubuntu3.1 version.nvidia-graphics-drivers: nvidia-graphics-drivers N/A version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.11.4-0ubuntu10.6 version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.0-0ubuntu1.2 version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:6.14.99~git20111219.aacbd629-0ubuntu2 version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.19.0-0ubuntu1~xup1 version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:0.0.16+git20111201+b5534a1-1build2 To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/nvidia-drivers-ubuntu/+bug/1032187/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~desktop-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
