Workstation graphics with integrated card

[Skalp]

Hi
I have Dell Precision 3510 workstation with integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 530 and also AMD FirePro W5130M. Workstation sits on Dell E-port Advanced II Docking station, where I have 2 23" Dell monitors connected with via DisplayPort (no adapters, simple DP to DP from dock to monitor).
Problem: I have every possible setting on High Performance/Maximize Performance when plugged in. Also most of the applications are set to Maximum Performace, rather than Power Saving (some of the apps settings in Advanced AMD settings are locked on Power Saving). But still the monitors are working with Intel integrated graphics and same with applications. I'm using AutoCAD everyday and the display responsiveness is bad. I'm also using a server program (log in, start apps and it runs on a reciever (Citrix Reciever)), which has even worse responsiveness - lots of display glitches.
I have tried lots of possible solutions, gone throu several guides from internet, none of which have hepled. Main solution doesnt work, cause 3510 doesnt have the option to turn off switchable graphics from BIOS. Other solutions, including different drivers also dont work. At some point, it showed me that i have Radeon R9 instead (from device manager and Radeon Pro settings), when i installed some other drivers. Final try - disable Intel graphics from Device manager - didnt work either. AMD FirePro settings were gone, instead i had Radeon settings, which prompted me that there is no display connected and I cant open it. From Display properties it showed me of using Microsoft General Display Adapter or something like that. When i ran AMD driver check, it suddenly enabled Intel graphics and everything was back as it used to be.
My aim isn't getting to use Eyefinity... I would be happy if my programs and external monitors would use AMD Graphics instead of integrated...

 

[hang-the-9]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

 

[Skalp]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

Thank you!
I had to do 4 restarts and uninstalls in order to remove the drivers completely. After that I took the latest ISV certified drivers and installed them. With that I got AMD Catalyst center. All the settings and everything was there, so basically nothing new. Then I took the latest 'regular' drivers from Dell webpage and I got back the AMD Radeon Pro and FirePro settings that I had when i first got the laptop.
When I start graphics monitor for switchable graphics, it shows that some applications use high performance (this means that they use FirePro?). But still there is no displays connected to AMD - all on Intel.

 

[hang-the-9]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

Thank you!
I had to do 4 restarts and uninstalls in order to remove the drivers completely. After that I took the latest ISV certified drivers and installed them. With that I got AMD Catalyst center. All the settings and everything was there, so basically nothing new. Then I took the latest 'regular' drivers from Dell webpage and I got back the AMD Radeon Pro and FirePro settings that I had when i first got the laptop.
When I start graphics monitor for switchable graphics, it shows that some applications use high performance (this means that they use FirePro?). But still there is no displays connected to AMD - all on Intel.

Don't know why the system won't see the displays once you get the drivers straightened out. Has this worked before? I read through the post and it does not sound like this ever worked.

 

[Skalp]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

Thank you!
I had to do 4 restarts and uninstalls in order to remove the drivers completely. After that I took the latest ISV certified drivers and installed them. With that I got AMD Catalyst center. All the settings and everything was there, so basically nothing new. Then I took the latest 'regular' drivers from Dell webpage and I got back the AMD Radeon Pro and FirePro settings that I had when i first got the laptop.
When I start graphics monitor for switchable graphics, it shows that some applications use high performance (this means that they use FirePro?). But still there is no displays connected to AMD - all on Intel.

Don't know why the system won't see the displays once you get the drivers straightened out. Has this worked before? I read through the post and it does not sound like this ever worked.

I got this laptop a week ago. After setting up the user and other things, I connected the dock with monitors and then laptop with dock. After that I started working out a way to use the monitors with AMD instead of Intel. So far, no solution.
Laptop itself doesnt have any DP, it has only one HDMI and one VGA. I dont have any active HDMI -> DP adapter with me either, to test, if its the dock, that prevents this from working...

 

[hang-the-9]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

Thank you!
I had to do 4 restarts and uninstalls in order to remove the drivers completely. After that I took the latest ISV certified drivers and installed them. With that I got AMD Catalyst center. All the settings and everything was there, so basically nothing new. Then I took the latest 'regular' drivers from Dell webpage and I got back the AMD Radeon Pro and FirePro settings that I had when i first got the laptop.
When I start graphics monitor for switchable graphics, it shows that some applications use high performance (this means that they use FirePro?). But still there is no displays connected to AMD - all on Intel.

Don't know why the system won't see the displays once you get the drivers straightened out. Has this worked before? I read through the post and it does not sound like this ever worked.

I got this laptop a week ago. After setting up the user and other things, I connected the dock with monitors and then laptop with dock. After that I started working out a way to use the monitors with AMD instead of Intel. So far, no solution.
Laptop itself doesnt have any DP, it has only one HDMI and one VGA. I dont have any active HDMI -> DP adapter with me either, to test, if its the dock, that prevents this from working...

Did you check with Dell support?

 

[Skalp]

Uninstall your graphics drivers, install the ones provided from Dell. Sounds like you installed drivers directly from AMD. Laptop drivers you only want to use from the laptop vendor to avoid issues. Using AMD reference drivers usually breaks dual graphics.

Thank you!
I had to do 4 restarts and uninstalls in order to remove the drivers completely. After that I took the latest ISV certified drivers and installed them. With that I got AMD Catalyst center. All the settings and everything was there, so basically nothing new. Then I took the latest 'regular' drivers from Dell webpage and I got back the AMD Radeon Pro and FirePro settings that I had when i first got the laptop.
When I start graphics monitor for switchable graphics, it shows that some applications use high performance (this means that they use FirePro?). But still there is no displays connected to AMD - all on Intel.

Don't know why the system won't see the displays once you get the drivers straightened out. Has this worked before? I read through the post and it does not sound like this ever worked.

I got this laptop a week ago. After setting up the user and other things, I connected the dock with monitors and then laptop with dock. After that I started working out a way to use the monitors with AMD instead of Intel. So far, no solution.
Laptop itself doesnt have any DP, it has only one HDMI and one VGA. I dont have any active HDMI -> DP adapter with me either, to test, if its the dock, that prevents this from working...

Did you check with Dell support?

I havent contacted them personally, but I have gone throu every thread in Dell's support forum, that includes FirePro, 3510 workstation and most of the threads that talk about multiple monitors, graphics issues and other things that are somewhat related to my problem.
Only thing, that I found is that

On workstation, AMD graphics never works alone. FirePro or RadeonPro is not a stand-alone chip, but a co-processor, that kicks in, when higher power is needed. You can't disable Intel HD graphics and run on AMD only. The AMD GPU is chosen on a per-application basis with the AMD control panel (and the context menu that shows up when you right-click on an application icon). However, it cannot operate by itself - ALL video data passes through the Intel GPU on its way to the screen (there is no physical connection between the AMD GPU and the display screen).

But that still doesnt explain, why AMD FirePro settings dont see external displays, if it can "communicate with display" throu Intel.

 

[James Mason]

AutoCAD uses the wrong graphics card
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/AutoCAD-uses-the-wrong-graphics-card.html

Note: Some computer systems may use a master-slave video configuration. Intel HD Graphics is the master and NVIDIA/AMD is slaved to it. All display signals go through the Intel chipset no matter what card is being used. With this configuration, the second option above is the only solution. The BIOS will not have a setting to disable dual graphics.

From your video driver control panel, manually set the proper GPU for AutoCAD to use (see Crash on systems with integrated (Intel HD) and discrete GPUs (NVIDIA/AMD)).
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Crash-on-systems-with-integrated-Intel-HD-and-discrete-GPUs-Nvidia-AMD.html

 

[Skalp]

AutoCAD uses the wrong graphics card

I have AutoCAD 2017. The hotfix there was for AutoCAD 2016, so I believe that with 2017 version there isnt any such problem, atleast from Autodesk.
Either way, I updated Intel HD graphics drivers, but regarding monitors, it didnt change anything.
But with AutoCAD, when i start grahpics monitor from AMD advanced settings, then it shows me that acad.exe uses high performance GPU (I guess its AMD).
But still all monitors can be seen in Intel settings, but not in AMD settings.

 

[James Mason]

Yes, because all monitors still have to pass through the Intel GPU, so if the intel GPU can't do something, any external monitors can't either.

 

[Skalp]

Yes, because all monitors still have to pass through the Intel GPU, so if the intel GPU can't do something, any external monitors can't either.

So whats the point of nice and powerful GPU if its power is limited by weak integrated GPU capabilities?