How to get games, etc to recognize switchable graphics?

[dacar92]

Hi all,

I hope I placed this in the correct section. If not, please move it. I just bought a laptop with an I5 processor and a Radeon 6650m video card and on board Intel HD graphics with switchable graphics capability. This seems have advantages and disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is that when my system is scanned, by a game or by a website, the scan does not pick up the video card. How can I get these scans to recognize the card and not just the onboard graphics? Windows 7 home premium.

Thanks in advance

 

[Vanderbilt]

Switch to Radeon 6650m while the scans.

 

[refillable]

Tell your particular laptop maker to disable the switchable graphics forever.

 

[dacar92]

How do you switch graphics manually? This is W7. I have found how to assign "best performance" or "power saver" performance. I assigned the Blizzard scanner (for opting in to the Diablo 3 beta) but it still did not see the Radeon 6650M graphics card and instead scanned the Intel graphics built in chip.

Thanks

 

[bieepbioop]

I have the same problem. Same type of processor and graphics card. No setting allows the cards to switch. It's frustrating because I only got this system for the 2GB dedicated graphics card.

 

[87ninefiveone]

I'm not sure what you guys have, but my HP ENVY 17 has Intel/AMD 6850M switchable graphics and I've got no issues switching back and forth. All it takes is a right click on the desktop then selecting "Configure Switchable Graphics".

The only thing I can say is that at least in my case I have to use the HP provided drivers for the 6850M, regular AMD drivers won't allow me to use the switchable graphics option.

 

[bieepbioop]

I've got an Acer 7750G-6662. I tried installing drivers from the Acer website and that didn't work. I've also heard you can switch to the discrete card in the BIOS but the only two options I have are integrated and switchable.

 

[dacar92]

I have the same machine, the Acer 7750G-6662. You can change the switchable graphics to use the video card for certain applications by right clicking on the desktop and then going to configure switchable graphics.

But I need to find out how to turn off switchable graphics completely and use the card permanently if I choose to. Then switch back again at my own leisure. Can anyone help with that?

Thanks for the input so far!

 

[87ninefiveone]

I don't know if Acer is the same, but with HP drivers telling your PC to use the discrete card will stick until you tell it not to. The whole process is manual, and unless the BIOS defaults to the IGP at every boot it shouldn't ever switch from what you've set it to.

One thing you may want to check for in the switchable graphics menu (right click desktop and select it as previously mentioned) is something labeled "Automatically use IGP when on battery" or something similar, make sure this is unchecked and the drivers should never switch away from your selection.

Also to the OP, in order to have the Radeon card detected by Windows or a website like you said it must be the active card. When the Radeon card is active the Intel drivers and IGP won't be detected either.

 

[bieepbioop]

There's no was to manually switch on Acer, and on the Switchable Graphics menu on CCC, it doesn't have that option. And it's saying my CCC is up to date.

 

[87ninefiveone]

The option isn't in catalyst control panel. Right click your desktop and select "Configure Switchable Graphics". If it doesn't show up then you'll need to uninstall your current drivers, and reinstall whatever drivers Acer provides on their support site.

The driver install package from Acer includes both CCC and the Intel drivers and must be installed first to even have the option to use switchable graphics. Once that's installed you can reinstall updated Intel or CCC drivers over it, but the original package is what adds the context menu when you right click the desktop.

 

[bieepbioop]

It shows up but takes me to CCC when clicked. The only options there are to change programs to power saver or high performance, which doesn't seem to work.

 

[dacar92]

The only options there are to change programs to power saver or high performance, which doesn't seem to work.

This. Those options are used to assign graphics capability to applications. I tried this with the Diablo 3 Beta opt-in scan and it still did not pick up on the Radeon graphics card. Only the Intel graphics, which I assume is the on-board graphics (or Power Saver as described above)

I may have to call Acer on this one. If I do I will post here with whatever they say.

 

[bieepbioop]

I'm not sure about calling but emailing support doesn't get you anywhere. I haven't gotten a reply in 4 days.

 

[ogwarsaw]

For all of you who have the switchable graphics problem where your game doesn't recognize the right graphics card follow these steps

Hi guys,

I have an Acer Aspire 7750g with an AMD Radeon HD 7670M card and had the same problem with the switchable graphics. I found a solution on another forum.

What I did was to download and install a modded bios from Bios Mods Tools; - [http://www.bios-mods.com/BIOS]
Insyde -> A_A_7750_P5WE0117_UlkMenus_ByCamiloml.exe

Go into BIOS -> Advanced -> Video Configuration -> Pci Express Graphic -> Always Enable PEG [Enabled]

Go into BIOS -> Advanced -> Video Configuration -> Pci Express Graphic -> PowerXpress Setting [Muxed Fixed Scheme]

Restart

Now I can select which display card I want to use in Catalyst Control center -> Start -> Power -> Switchable Graphics

Refer to this forum if u hav any questions alot of us on this forum have fixed the issue, http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware-devices/185993-acer-laptop-switchable-graphics-using-i7-amd-radeon-13.html

 

[dacar92]

Thank you very much for the response to my old thread. Like some others in that thread I am very concerned about using a modded bios and will have to read the entire thread or at least the potions that concern this subject. At least I would probably wait for my warranty to expire before I did it in case of hardware issues within the warranty period.

Any other comments or thoughts from anyone on that thread and the use of a modded bios?