So I was watching Episode 206 of the Tek and logan said that he uses GNOME because it's the most compatible for things like gaming (I think, maybe I misheard).
I did some brief research and found a video that tested a bunch of different DEs and the benchmarks were in favor of LXDE (although I'm not a big fan of LXDE), however MATE was in close second. Most DEs were well within range of each other though only varying by a few frames in most benchmarks.
So I was just curious to figure out what the consensus is on this topic. For reference I currently use XFCE which actually scored the lowest on this dude's benchmarks. I couldn't find any other sources that were contemporary enough that would speak to this in one fashion or another.
Are there ways I can configure XFCE to be better performing, or should I choose a different desktop environment? I've had issues playing games using the native Steam client. The only game that's actually worked using steam in my experience are Faster Than Light and Grim Fandango, all others just won't boot at all. To put things in context I have Intel graphics (I believe HD4000). Haven't really tried PlayOnLinux to test out WINE compatibility, haven't felt the urge to yet.
These games do work under windows however, so I know they run. Games I've tried to run on linux include: Civ V, Kerbal Space Program, and the demo for Project Zomboid, but honestly my testing hasn't been that extensive.
However choosing different DE's wont dramatically increase FPS or make them work if they did not work on another DE. If games do not run on your setup it may be hardware related or you may have outdated packages or some other software thing.
I'll do some searching but their are guides out their that inform you on how to take the crud out of XFCE.
I did a test build with Sabayon and XFCE. It benched higher than the GNOME install once switched to propritary nvidia drivers and fullscreen compositing was disabled.
My real question is will I be able to play games that I wouldn't otherwise play with GNOME?
I'll do my own testing eventually probably, but I want to know if it's because I'm running intel graphics with shitty drivers or something or if it's the DE. Because games like Civ V and Kerbal Space program just straight up won't start.
Idk about the OpenGL requirements for those games specifically but you might want to look into whether your drivers for intel graphics support the necessary OpenGL version. I have a few games that only play properly with my dedicated Nvidia card just because of that.
I think a good example of a game that has issues depending on your DE is Trine 2, but honestly while I appreciate the support Frozenbyte has given Linux maybe I'm wrong but I think it's their fault more than it is the DE.