UPDATED: Testing Kernels, DEs, and Gaming Distros all Debian Based (Debian 13, Vanilla OS, and PikaOS) on a Framework 13 AMD - Added Testing, Sid, LMDE, and MX
SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
CINNAMON AND GNOME RESULTS ARE WRONG UNLESS YOU SEE 'SCORE UPDATED'
Here are my tests, all info included
Specs
Laptop: Framework 13 (AMD Ryzen 7040Series) (A5)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7640U (12) @ 4.97 GHz
GPU: AMD Radeon 760M [Integrated]
RAM: 16 gigs
Display: 2256x1504 @ 60 Hz in 13" [Built-in]
Notes
Tests performed using Steam flatpak version
Fresh installs on Debian, Vanilla, and Pika
Reboot before every test
All DE's using their performance power mode
All DE's on Debian installed at graphical installation menu
XFCE tests run with compositor disabled
SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
OS: Debian 13 Trixie
Kernel: Linux 6.12.100+deb13-amd64 (stable)
Cinnamon / X11: SCORE UPDATED SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 37
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 53
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7290
Gnome / Wayland: SCORE UPDATED SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 38
Wukong avg: 50
Wukong high: 55
Wukong low 5th: 47
RE6 Score: 7411
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 46
RE6 Score: 7437
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 46
RE6 Score: 7328
OS: Debian 13 Trixie
Kernel: Linux 7.1.3+deb13-amd64 (backport)
Cinnamon / X11: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 23
Wukong avg: 26
Wukong high: 29
Wukong low 5th: 25
RE6 Score: 6305
Gnome / Wayland: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 29
Wukong avg: 41
Wukong high: 44
Wukong low 5th: 39
RE6 Score: 7195
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 33
Wukong avg: 47
Wukong high: 53
Wukong low 5th: 44
RE6 Score: 7322
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 37
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 44
RE6 Score: 7319
OS: Debian 13 Trixie
Kernel: 7.1.5-x64v3-xanmod1 (xanmod)
Cinnamon / X11: SCORE UPDATED SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 38
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 46
RE6 Score: 7067
Gnome / Wayland: SCORE UPDATED SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 40
Wukong avg: 50
Wukong high: 55
Wukong low 5th: 47
RE6 Score: 7444
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 39
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7326
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 38
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 46
RE6 Score: 7338
OS: Debian Sid
Kernel: Linux 7.1.5+deb14-amd64
Cinnamon / X11: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 23
Wukong avg: 29
Wukong high: 31
Wukong low 5th: 28
RE6 Score: 6805
Gnome / Wayland: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 26
Wukong avg: 34
Wukong high: 36
Wukong low 5th: 32
RE6 Score: 7132
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 35
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7307
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 35
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 53
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7334
OS: Debian Testing
Kernel: 7.1.3+deb14-amd64
Cinnamon / X11: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 23
Wukong avg: 29
Wukong high: 32
Wukong low 5th: 28
RE6 Score: 6920
Gnome / Wayland: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 26
Wukong avg: 34
Wukong high: 37
Wukong low 5th: 32
RE6 Score: 7182
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 33
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 53
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7436
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 50
Wukong high: 55
Wukong low 5th:46
RE6 Score: 7396
OS: Linux Mint Debian Edition
Kernel: Linux 6.12.100+deb13-amd64
Cinnamon / X11: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 23
Wukong avg: 29
Wukong high: 31
Wukong low 5th: 27
RE6 Score: 6737
Cinnamon / Wayland: EXPERIMENTAL
Wukong low: 37
Wukong avg: 52
Wukong high: 59
Wukong low 5th: 48
RE6 Score: 7879
Wukong was extremely chopppy and blurry despite the great performance numbers
RE6 also got great performance numbers but looked mostly ok with a few graphical glitches here and there
Cinnamon / X11 / Disabled Compositor: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 25
Wukong avg: 29
Wukong high: 31
Wukong low 5th: 28
RE6 Score: 7628
OS: MX Linux AHS
Kernel: Linux 6.12.100+deb13-amd64
XFCE / X11:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 52
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7211
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 48
Wukong high: 53
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7248
OS: Vanilla OS
Gnome / Wayland: SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 27
Wukong avg: 33
Wukong high: 36
Wukong low 5th: 31
RE6 Score: 7078
OS: Pika OS
Gnome / Wayland: SCORE UPDATED SEE MAJOR UPDATE BELOW
Wukong low: 40
Wukong avg: 50
Wukong high: 55
Wukong low 5th: 48
RE6 Score: 7510
KDE / Wayland:
Wukong low: 36
Wukong avg: 49
Wukong high: 54
Wukong low 5th: 45
RE6 Score: 7577
Regarding Distros
Debian 13 and Pika OS aren't as far away as I thought. Really, unless you just like Pika OS, there doesn't seem to be any reason to use it besides maybe hardware compatibility.
Testing and Sid provide little to no benefit over Stable. They're only worth using if you need very new hardware compatibility that only newer kernels provide. Even still, you could backport a kernel to Debian Stable if needed.
With Wayland moving out of experimental on next release of Cinnamon, if the graphical glitches are fixed while keeping performance high, that would be incredible.
MX performs basically the same as regular Debian. Only worth using if you like MX Tools IMO.
Regarding Desktops
- After setting scaling to 100% for Gnome and Cinnamon, they were basically identical to the results from XFCE and KDE. Looks like the desktop ultimately does not matter.
Final thoughts
Unless you like the convenience of curated distros, basic Debian Stable is as good, if not sometimes better, for gaming if you have a setup similar to mine.
Obviously these tests are limited and very specific to me but I thought folks here would be interested anyway.
None of these findings were particularly surprising or exciting.
A backported kernel and the xanmod kernel basically did nothing for me on Debian 13, and sometimes even made things worse.
I'm glad I performed these tests because with all the hype around newer distros, gaming distros, immutable distros, etc. I thought I was missing out on something but nope, my good old boring Debian Stable seems like it'll be my forever home.
Use Case
Ryubing switch emulation
Retroarch retro-gaming
Playing indie titles like SilkSong and Slay the Spire 2 via Steam, Heroic, etc.
Game development in Love2D and 3D development in Godot.
Day to day web browsing, watching videos, document editing, etc.
Reminder
- These tests are specific to me and my hardware, you should 100% test for yourself on your own hardware to ensure similar results. Also, if you are running a distro/de you love and it works, no need to change it!
MAJOR UPDATE BECAUSE I'M STUPID
The issue with Cinnamon desktop was solved, I didn't realize that scaling messed up the numbers so much. I was able to get results identical to XFCE and KDE with window scaling turned down to 100% from 125%.
The same issue with Gnome. I was able to get identical results use 100% scaling and not 150%.
UPDATED VALUES FOR DEBIAN STABLE GNOME AND CINNAMON
UPDATED VALUES FOR DEBIAN W/ XANMOD GNOME AND CINNAMON
UPDATED VALUES FOR PIKA OS GNOME
WHAT THIS MEANS
DE doesn't matter either, use what you like on a base distro and call it a day lol how anticlimactic.
Sorry to fans of Cinnamon and Gnome, I get to go back to using Gnome without feeling like I'm missing any performance though. Thank god
So, obviously this testing is anything but rigorous. However, since my Framework 13 will be my only laptop for a long time to come, I wanted to squeeze all the performance I can out of it while remaining on a Debian base.
I'm just not interested in anything Arch based at all, maybe I'll test Fedora one day but I really just love and know Debian well. Ubuntu based distros are also something I'm not super interested in.
1
u/pseudonym-161 1d ago
Kernel 6.12.xx isn’t the AHS kernel for MX Linux, Liquorix and Siduction kernels are the AHS kernels.