Solved how to switch between dual graphics?!!

[visruth]

Hi
I have integrated Intel HD 4400 & dedicated 2GB Nvidia GT740M in my lappy. I have an HP Pavilion 15. HP guys told me the nvidia graphic card get automatically activated on plugging the power to ac and converts to low power integrated card while on battery.
But, is there any way I can manually switch between graphics permanently especially while playing games?

 

[Boozad]

The GPUs will switch automatically from the Intel to te nVidia when gaming, that's how it's supposed to work. The Intel will be the default GPU when going about general day to day tasks, the nVidia GPU will kick in when more graphics power is required. Why would you want to switch manually, and permanently?

 

[mikolajek]

In fact you may choose which card should be operating but this prevents the auto-switch feature. However, if you decide to do so, run nVidia Control Panel and go to "Manage 3D Settings". There you will find a drop-down lost labelled "Preferred Graphics Processor", where you can select the card you want to operate as the only one.

Some manufacturers (e.g. Dell which I have) deliver also some options to control switchable graphics via BIOS.

Unfortunately there's no option to manually switch the cards, just to permanently select the one you want to use.

 

[visruth]

The GPUs will switch automatically from the Intel to te nVidia when gaming, that's how it's supposed to work. The Intel will be the default GPU when going about general day to day tasks, the nVidia GPU will kick in when more graphics power is required. Why would you want to switch manually, and permanently?

Here at my place the power outage happens quote often randomly & intermittently. So my system power shuttle between ac adapter & battery. it causes visible change in grphics while playing games which is quite irritating. I don't play games for hours and hours. By permanently I meant that is I could manually do the switch myself which will not depend on power settings for the time im playing.

thanks

Visruth

 

[visruth]

In fact you may choose which card should be operating but this prevents the auto-switch feature. However, if you decide to do so, run nVidia Control Panel and go to "Manage 3D Settings". There you will find a drop-down lost labelled "Preferred Graphics Processor", where you can select the card you want to operate as the only one.

Some manufacturers (e.g. Dell which I have) deliver also some options to control switchable graphics via BIOS.

Unfortunately there's no option to manually switch the cards, just to permanently select the one you want to use.

Instead of making the switch globally via NVidia control panel, would the specific game graphic setting change done through program settings in NVidia have the expected change in the graphics?

Im asking this cos I have made changes for the asphalt 8 airborne in this instance to use NVidia only through its control panel, but still im getting recurrent graphic freezes while im playing the game. its too frustrating man.

thanks

Visruth

 

[mikolajek]

Instead of making the switch globally via NVidia control panel, would the specific game graphic setting change done through program settings in NVidia have the expected change in the graphics

You may create customized profiles for specific applications (just use the tab "Program settings") - they will turn on the chosen card when running a specific application. However, in order to so you need to have to set automatic graphics card switching in the "Global Settings" tab.

 

[visruth]

Instead of making the switch globally via NVidia control panel, would the specific game graphic setting change done through program settings in NVidia have the expected change in the graphics

You may create customized profiles for specific applications (just use the tab "Program settings") - they will turn on the chosen card when running a specific application. However, in order to so you need to have to set automatic graphics card switching in the "Global Settings" tab.

Hey mikolajek

thanks for the response. nvidia global settings is already in auto-select. I had changed specific game graphic setting to nvidia only through program settings in nvidia control panel. But im still getting the recurrent graphic freeze as i used to get when no specific graphic setting was assigned earlier for this game.
How can i get rid of the freeze. Its frustrating to get stuck up while on play n start all over again. How can i know if the game uses NVIDIA only for in-actuality? any help would be tahnkful everyone...

thanks

Visruth

 

[mikolajek]

What comes to my mind first, is that you may have your Intel built-in card set as primary in BIOS. Unfortunately I don't know how it looks in HP BIOS case, but it may be possible (in my Dell I have only the option to disable Intel and run solely on nVIDIA). That would cause the game to run on Intel graphics and freeze as it wouldn't serve its needs.

Another option is that auto-recognition feature doesn't work correctly and fails to switch to nVIDIA card when gaming. The problem is that it is a hardware issue so it would need interaction with support to resolve...

 

[visruth]

What comes to my mind first, is that you may have your Intel built-in card set as primary in BIOS. Unfortunately I don't know how it looks in HP BIOS case, but it may be possible (in my Dell I have only the option to disable Intel and run solely on nVIDIA). That would cause the game to run on Intel graphics and freeze as it wouldn't serve its needs.

Another option is that auto-recognition feature doesn't work correctly and fails to switch to nVIDIA card when gaming. The problem is that it is a hardware issue so it would need interaction with support to resolve...

Thanks for the response mikolajek. In my bios I cant touch anything upon. its uefi in win 8.1 i'm using. in the setup everything is disabled out (only readable) except date & time & I cant see any graphic card written over there. and no switchable option.
About hardware issue...I don't see any errors in device manager though, drivers are all updated from hp site though.
Is ther any option that I can use expecially any apps or s/w so that I can see which graphic card is in use while playing games real-time? I had tried installing msi afterburner, hwinfo64, riva tuner etc followed their installation procedures n all but was unsuccessful...
any help would be nice...


thanks

Visruth

 

[mikolajek]

Well, if it is only a hardware malfunction related to cards switching, you most likely won't have any sign of that in the Device Manager It would display warning related to drivers issues, hardware conflicts etc. But if both cards operate correctly, only the Optimus module is broken (in nVidia it detects heavy load and switches to nVidia's card), it may not detect it.

To see whether it is nVidia card that causes trouble, enable GPU icon in the tray and monitor it while playing (you will haved to switch to windowed mode I'm afraid). You may find instructions on how to do that here - it's for Acer's laptops, but it is not brand-specific and works on any hardware.

You may also use tool mentioned in this thread - it's in useful determining which applications are being rendered by which hardware.

 

[visruth]

Well, if it is only a hardware malfunction related to cards switching, you most likely won't have any sign of that in the Device Manager It would display warning related to drivers issues, hardware conflicts etc. But if both cards operate correctly, only the Optimus module is broken (in nVidia it detects heavy load and switches to nVidia's card), it may not detect it.

To see whether it is nVidia card that causes trouble, enable GPU icon in the tray and monitor it while playing (you will haved to switch to windowed mode I'm afraid). You may find instructions on how to do that here - it's for Acer's laptops, but it is not brand-specific and works on any hardware.

You may also use tool mentioned in this thread - it's in useful determining which applications are being rendered by which hardware.

Hi mikolajek

thanks for the help.i did what you told me about enbling gpu icon from NVidia. ya it worked though I had to look for gpu activity from taskbar each n every time. Im using win. 8.1 update 1 & there is no windowed version available for asphalt 8...im not able to do window it so. anyway when I looked for gpu activity in between play sadly it is NONE written in the notification though I have completely assigned the game graphics to Nvidia though NVidia control panel. I don't know what to do now.

thanks

visruth