# Does FreeBSD support kernel mode setting on Intel's Haswell?



## neelwebs (Jun 11, 2013)

I'm planning to assemble a new desktop PC and am planning to use Intel's Haswell chips. I want to know if I can use kernel mode setting on Intel's Haswell's integrated graphics, or will I have to buy a nVidia card just to use FreeBSD.


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## zspider (Jun 12, 2013)

neelwebs said:
			
		

> I'm planning to assemble a new desktop PC and am planning to use Intel's Haswell chips. I want to know if I can use kernel mode setting on Intel's Haswell's integrated graphics, or will I have to buy a nVidia card just to use FreeBSD.



If you can, buy nVidia, it has the best support. You can also buy relatively cheap re-branded nVidia cards.


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## wblock@ (Jun 12, 2013)

But NVidia does not have KMS.  Intel does.  I don't know about Haswell, whether it is already supported or not.  (I'd be happy to test, just need a motherboard and processor...)


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## SirDice (Jun 12, 2013)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> But NVidia does not have KMS.


I do always build X.Org with KMS turned on (and WITH_NEW_XORG). But I'm not sure if the x11/nvidia-driver actually makes use of it or not. It never caused any problems in any case.

As for an Intel GPU there's some information on the wiki, though it may not be up to date. Perhaps the best place to ask if a particular GPU works or not is to ask on the freebsd-x11@ mailinglist. 

https://wiki.freebsd.org/Xorg
https://wiki.freebsd.org/Intel_GPU


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## wblock@ (Jun 12, 2013)

Just did some searching, and found some places that say proprietary NVidia drivers kind-of support KMS, but only partially.  Others say they do not support it.


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## zspider (Jun 12, 2013)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> But NVidia does not have KMS.  Intel does.  I don't know about Haswell, whether it is already supported or not.  (I'd be happy to test, just need a motherboard and processor...)



That's actually a good point. My experience with Intel is good, native FreeBSD applications seem to work well.

Even if Haswell isn't supported yet, I don't think it will be that difficult to get it going, since the most difficult requirements have been met.


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