Laptop with Switchable graphics... UGH!

[clerick]

I picked up a newish laptop and was hoping to use it to play AH. I discovered after the fact that it has an integrated Intel GPU as well as a mobile ATI 6650 that it is supposed to switch between for power saving or power (stupid stupid stupid idea).

When I boot up AH it only sees the Intel card even though I've gone into the switching software and specified the ATI card.

Any thoughts, suggestions etc?

[pembquist]

my lenovo laptop has an NVidia card and auto switches but you have to specify what programs use what video, the auto seems to prefer the onboard.  Also, very important, my laptop has a physical switch that you have to switch to power the video card. I have forgotten about it twice and been completely stumped by 9 fpm rates until somehow the memory floated up.  Kinda like leaving the parking brake on and wondering what that smell is and why the car doesn't accelerate like it usually does.

[clerick]

my lenovo laptop has an NVidia card and auto switches but you have to specify what programs use what video, the auto seems to prefer the onboard.  Also, very important, my laptop has a physical switch that you have to switch to power the video card. I have forgotten about it twice and been completely stumped by 9 fpm rates until somehow the memory floated up.  Kinda like leaving the parking brake on and wondering what that smell is and why the car doesn't accelerate like it usually does.

Appreciate the input. There is no physical switch to worry about. From what I'm finding online it's been a nightmare for other users as well.  I was just hoping that the uber geeks that troll this board would have a solution.

[deadstikmac]

Right click the game and run as administrator should allow you to switch the gpu used also with right clicking the launcher for the game.

[clerick]

I installed a GPU monitor and it looks as if AH is actually using the better GPU. What is throwing me off is that when you open the program and select "video settings" from the clipboard it only shows the integrated GPU.

I guess I don't know if i have an issue or not at this point.

I tried running as administrator and it doesn't give me the ability to choose a GPU, that seems to only exist in ATI's CCC.

[deadstikmac]

 

[clerick]

Yep, that was me for the last few hours.

this has to be the dumbest idea ever. Give me a multicore GPU instead of this ATI/Intel hybrid nonsense....

[Bizman]

I was just hoping that the uber geeks that troll this board would have a solution.

I don't know if I qualify...

First I'd look at the power saving options and set them to "best performance" at least when the laptop is connected to mains. It won't hurt to scroll through all settings involved to the "best" profile, there might be something concerning the video card choice. Those settings seem to be somewhat brand specific.

[clerick]

I don't know if I qualify...

First I'd look at the power saving options and set them to "best performance" at least when the laptop is connected to mains. It won't hurt to scroll through all settings involved to the "best" profile, there might be something concerning the video card choice. Those settings seem to be somewhat brand specific.

Went down this road too. I have poured through every setting I can find and you would think that there would be a way to say "Ignore the Intel crap completely and use the ATI foreverz," but there isn't.

[titanic3]

1. Make sure you have drivers from the laptop's manufacturer instead of AMD's.
2. Right click My Computer, go to graphics properties, change the settings there.
3. Go into your bios, change the graphic settings there.

It could be either 3 of these solutions, though I would try #1 last.

[deadstikmac]

Ya disable it in bios might be a bad idea... It would "force"?

[titanic3]

I don't know about laptops but I would assume there's a similar settings in the bios to desktops.

On my PC, if you go into the bios, you can either select "Automatic", "Onboard" or "Dedicated VGA" (or something similar like that). See if there's a setting like that and change it to the dedicated GPU.

[Denniss]

AMD Vision Engine control center, power, switchable graphics, it may have already listed the actual game executable or you need to add it and set to high performance.
Several games have problems to properly detect a switchable graphics as they usually only pop-in once the game swiches into 3D Mode and stay hidden otherwise.


http://images.anandtech.com/doci/6243/amd-enduro-slide-06.jpg

[clerick]

Thanks for all the input. I've been able to verify that it is using the ATI GPU for AH2 it's just that AH2 isnt "seeing it" in the graphics set up. I'm leaving well enough alone i think.