Question No output to external monitor depending on GPU setting in the BIOS ?

[JQM_]

Laptop model: Sager NP8358F2

Last year my screen broke and since then I've been using it as a "halftop", without the screen. So I took the screen off. It looks like a Commodore now. Kind of neat.

If the BIOS is set to "MSHybrid", the BIOS (and any non-OS menus, like Advanced Startup, GRUB, etc.) does not output to an external screen. Just an OS. Inside the OS, I see that the dedicated GPU, an RTX 2070 Super, is clearly the only one being used, proper behavior for HDMI/USB-C screen out.

If I set the BIOS to "Discrete", the BIOS (and any non-OS menus, like Advanced Startup, GRUB, etc.) DO output to an external screen. However the OS will not. Using TeamViewer, I can see see things, and that the OS doesn't even recognize there's actually a GPU! It only uses Microsoft's basic display driver, because it literally does not see a GPU, at all.

To my knowledge this feature I am describing is called the "MUX switch"?

My BIOS version, reported by the CMD command "wmic bios get smbiosbiosversion":
SMBIOSBIOSVersion
1.07.07LS1

I have tried output via USB-C and HDMI. Same results for both "MSHybrid" (Integrated) and "Discrete" (Dedicated) options. Is there any way to fix this?

 

[JQM_]

Update

So this is pretty interesting... Pardon my linking another forum, but I brought this up on a few different sites.

https://notebooktalk.net/topic/2400...-bios/?do=findComment&comment=50207&_rid=1895

A user there posted a diagram of how this laptop's MUX switch works, and a diagram of how the dGPU handles the settings. He suggested that it seems to be a VBIOS issue of it not waking up for some reason when set to "Discrete" in my BIOS.

So then I decided to try and switch to Discrete (with the help of flashlights, and TeamViewer), and update my drivers...

https://notebooktalk.net/topic/2400...-bios/?do=findComment&comment=50210&_rid=1895

It did work for a bit. Until I restarted. Then it boots back into not being detected/properly, like it isn't woken up.

If it's a VBIOS issue, what can be done here? Anything?

 

[JQM_]

I found something else that may be of interest. I figured out how to dump my VBIOS with GPU-Z. When I tried to upload it, to my surprise (as I looked around and did not find it at all), it's been uploaded already. Here it is.

Clevo's RTX 2070 Super Mobile VBIOS: https://www.techpowerup.com/vgabios/224041/224041

While I'm sure any possible fix for this would require Sager to send me new BIOS (as if I remember right VBIOS on a laptop are tied to the main BIOS) if anyone here can look at it to see if they spot an issue (if it's even possible, as I have no idea what's in these files if it's anything you can even diagnose), that would probably help them a lot, and me.

 

[JQM_]

It looks like Sager probably isn't going to help. They're claiming "The Nvidia GPU is down, it is not the bios issued..... we might need you to ship the laptop in for service.... sorry...." which seems... strange since this is the only GPU fault I am having.

It's also very irritating, as I went through this last year with their support when my screen initially broke and I can't afford repairs which they were estimating would be "a minimum of 400$, more if the backlight assembly on the motherboard is fried......". I doubt they've since made the repairs free.

 

[JQM_]

After several emails (Sager only replies once a day for some reason) of them asking for my address/phone/etc. to set up a replacement or repair (he wasn't clear), he finally said "charges may apply". They literally know I cannot afford a repair or replacement... we went through this ordeal last year... I also wouldn't be using a screenless laptop if I had endless cash, now would I, Sager?

I guess the issue can't be solved if the VBIOS are tied to my actual BIOS and Sager refuses to help.