Phoronix compares the performance of multiple diageforce graphics cards on Windows 7, Ubuntu12.10 (Unity6.4.0 + Compiz), and Kubuntu12.10 (KDE4.9) in the same hardware configuration. The results show that NVIDIA private drivers in the Unity/Compiz and KDE Desktop environments are not inferior to those in Windows by default. Recent desktop environment evaluation
Phoronix compares the performance of multiple NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards in Windows 7, Ubuntu 12.10 (Unity 6.4.0 + Compiz), and Kubuntu 12.10 (KDE 4.9) with the same hardware configuration. The results show that NVIDIA private drivers in the Unity/Compiz and KDE Desktop environments are not inferior to those in Windows by default.
According to recent desktop environment evaluations, Ubuntu's Unity desktop is much slower than GNOME/KDE/Xfce/LXDE desktop. Sam Spilsbury of Canonical/Compiz acknowledges the problem, indicating that it may take six months or longer to fix it.