Force GeForce card on Laptop

[karyritter]

How do you force a laptop to only use the Geforce display. Alienware laptop currently uses Intel HD Graphics and Nvidia Geforce GTX 980M. I want to only use the 980M graphics card.




This issues is I'm trying to run an Oculus Rift and it will not recognize the Nvidia card as a display, 'render-only display device. I have tried to force high-performance graphics in the Nvidia Control Panel with no success.

 

[Joshua Martin]

Usually you can't on make the discrete GPU the only one used on laptops. Nvidia Optimus' purpose is to use the integrated graphics until you start gaming and then it switches over. You can however force certain programs to use the Nvidia GPU when it's launched. To do that, right click on the desktop and go to Nvidia Control Panel. Click on 'manage 3D settings'. Select either global or per program and adjust accordingly.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Joshua is right, you must allow your Alienware to use HD graphics when high-performance graphics isn't necessary.

You'll gain nothing by "forcing" high-performance graphics for normal Windows operations and tasks, and if you disabled the Intel HD graphics chip, Windows won't start.

The whole point of having dual, switchable graphics on a mobile computer is that one (the Intel one) consumes much less battery power than the other, so there's the potential for the battery to last longer between charges when you don't need powerful graphics performance.

All you need to do is assign the Nvidia card to those apps or games which need it.

 

[CelicaGT]

Alienware usually has a hotkey assigned for just this purpose, it will ask you to reboot after. Then it will physically attack your heatsink, fan, ears and battery until you give in and re enable the intel graphics.