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Optimus on Hybrid Graphics


Nautis1100

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I'm new to this. Have a ASUS N61J and would like to start a game with the nvidia graphics so it will pick up on AA setting I've set in the control panel. At the moment it seems to start with the Intel graphics and use the nvidia later. Will this procedure fix that apart from the 2 problems?

Any progress on fixing the 2 problems with the text showing and the power not going down?

Thanks

Adriaan

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No not dead. I have had some family issues that I was taking care of for the past couple of weeks. I am currently playing catch up.

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No not dead. I have had some family issues that I was taking care of for the past couple of weeks. I am currently playing catch up.

Hi, I'm new here and I'm very interested in getting Optimus to work with the M11x! Great work so far!

Your custom inf file also works with the new Optimus drivers (189.79) but the overlay is still present and the switching (at least on my M11x) is not automatic. I can set program-specific options in the NVIDIA control panel (what video card to use for what program). Also, the GT 335 M is constantly on, which is a known issue.

Edited by dvx
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No not dead. I have had some family issues that I was taking care of for the past couple of weeks. I am currently playing catch up.

I am glad to hear that this project to update the older Hybrid systems to the new Optimus drivers has not been abandoned. I recently purchased a UL30VT and should receive it soon. When I do, I will be glad to help however I can. Thanks for the work so far Nautis. :)

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Guest Ashkan Eslamdoust

More confirmation on Optimus working on the M11x would be great.

I have it downloaded on my M11x and its working perfectly, I also have that text overlay when I play any games.

Is there any way to remove that? :)

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Guest Guest

No not dead. I have had some family issues that I was taking care of for the past couple of weeks. I am currently playing catch up.

I hope everything is okay. Thanks for your hard work on this.

Justin

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Not too much progress to report beyond what we already have. I have uploaded an INF for 257.15 with the only added benefit at least on the VPCZ11 being the delayed start seems to be fixed. Still have the overlay issue. Haven't received to many reports on power usage with 257.15.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello,

Do you think it could be possible to make automatic switching under MacOSX implemented in the new MacBook Pro's 15" and 17" with Geforce GT 330M and intel HD work under Windows 7 ?

as it seems that apple stated that its switching method will only work under OSX and in windows the Nvidia GPU will always be selected.

Thank you for you efforts,

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Guest Sergey

Hi!

I have Asus UL30VT laptop, being used in two "modes": (1) at home, connected to external screen via HDMI, and (2) outside, using internal screen.

I have installed 257.15 driver without problems, but it seems that NVIDIA GPU is turned off only partially. It's battery's lifespan is now ~ 5 hours, whereas it (really) was about ~ 8-9 hours with original Hybrid driver.

I have managed to test my GPUs with GPU-Z utility.

Test #1

No 'hard' application running, reconnecting HDMI cable:

GPUZ_2.png

As GPU-Z shows, NVIDIA's memory is really cleaned-out, but the other parameters (e.g. Clocks and VDDC voltage) not changed.

Test #2

HDMI connected, try to use some 'hard' applications (like AVC playing):

GPUZ_1.png

As GPU-Z shows, NVIDIA's "memory management unit" works well.

The second interesting result is that I have no NVIDIA watermark on ext. screen anywhere - in games, apps, NVIDIA Control Panel's "Preview" pane.

Test #3

Trying to launch GPU-Z while HDMI disconnected and no 'hard' application running:

GPUZ_3.png

GPU-Z crashes, trying to install it's driver. Err, looks like NVIDIA's GPU is (partially) powered off.

Test #4

HDMI disconnected, try to launch some of the 'hard' apps, like Photoshop or "Preview" pane.

Results:

NVIDIA watermark appears in every place, NVIDIA GPU is used for.

GPU-Z crashes on launch (why?).

Test #5

After played with HDMI and 'hard' applications, try to launch GPU-Z while HDMI connected

Results:

GPU-Z still crashes on launch, the same exception... Well, it seems I have broken it down and it will return alive after reboot only.

---------------------------------

P.S. Using the latest available GPU-Z version.

P.P.S. Is there a 'real' "NVIDIA TEST TOOL", so we could watch, which GPU is being used (and why :) ):

optimus-1.jpg

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Guest Sergey

Well, I suddenly notified the reason GPU-Z was unable to start. It was that it's another copy was already up and running in the background, but the icon was hidden by pleasing Windows Explorer :)

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Very detailed Sergey,

This helps a lot as I do not have an Optimus capable notebook. AFAIK the test tool that was provided to reviewers has never been released/leaked. One of the only ways I have seen of really identifying that it is working beyond the nasty overlay is using GPU-Z (which you already seem to be doing).

Here is the reply I got when I messaged one of the users on NBR with an Optimus notebook. I asked about the showing of both parts in device manager and how to identify that it is actually running. "Hi Nautis. Yes, under Optimus, *both* graphic drivers are seen as active in my device manager, though only one is really running.

I can tell which is running using GPU-Z and looking in the "Sensors" tab for which is under load. The only downside is if the IGP is set as the default and the discrete isn't running, then GPU-Z will only report seeing the Intel HD chip; even if I then launch an app that uses the discrete.

To get around this, I set the NVIDIA chip as the default, then GPU-Z sees *both* chips as constant potentials and can report on which is being used."

So this is at least the way it works on his.

-

With the help of some on NBR we have tested the M11xR2 (Optimus) drivers on the original M11x (Hybrid Graphics) and have gotten pretty much the same result as using any other Optimus driver.

-

As far as I have seen one of the only real differences between Optimus and Hybrid Graphics from a hardware perspective is the exclusion of the multiplexers needed for HG to function. I will post more on this in a bit.

There is a setting "DisableHybridMux" that is in the drivers but as far as I have heard from people it doesn't seem to do anything. Not sure exactly where it goes but the usual locations for Nvidia settings are (*will edit this with real locations in a sec* software, nvddklm, device) . If anyone can actually figure out what this setting effects, if anything, let us know.

-

The overlay seems to be triggered through the multiplexer that outputs to the notebook lcd. With any other output the overlay does not seem to be there. The multiplexer output may also be contributing to the lower battery times people are seeing.

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Hello,

Do you think it could be possible to make automatic switching under MacOSX implemented in the new MacBook Pro's 15" and 17" with Geforce GT 330M and intel HD work under Windows 7 ?

as it seems that apple stated that its switching method will only work under OSX and in windows the Nvidia GPU will always be selected.

Thank you for you efforts,

Hard to say really but it is definitely something that is beyond my skill set. I have not heard of any way to do it though. Something to remember is that Apples new dual GPU implementation is not exactly Optimus so even if you could get it to see both GPUs I am still not sure if it would work. Your first step would have to be removing whatever is in place to keep Windows from detecting both GPUs.

Good luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Any new progress now that the Optimus Test Tool has been outed?

Not really, there are a couple new things we are currently trying. It may never work 100% due to the multiplexer that is in the Hybrid Graphics notebooks and not in the Optimus but we will keep at it.

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Not really, there are a couple new things we are currently trying. It may never work 100% due to the multiplexer that is in the Hybrid Graphics notebooks and not in the Optimus but we will keep at it.

Thanks for the quick reply Nautis, and once again, thank you for all of your hard work on this.

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Guest pronow14x@gmail.com

I install both drive (Intel&NVDIA) it can finish but it don't have Optimus Context Menu and No Error

I try NVDIA TEST TOOL It show (Nvdia GPU:ON) but I try play my 3d game it don't use NVIDIA Graphic

plese help me

sorry I can use English a bit

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Hey guys, normaly visiting the "Hybrid Graphics Master Set" site, but I saw my model here in the inf file too.

So, are we talking about the NVidia Optimus functionality, supported just by ASUS & TOSHIBA laptops? Just as this site sais? I read the german site, but it sais, that ONLY with optimus the energy saving is that good. So I would gain more efficiency with using the optimus? Right now, with the 258.49 Hybrid Grafik MasterSet, NVidia card is going down with its MHz. Do I get more power in 3D Games when using optimus?

So as I see, officialy my Xi3650 is not supported with optimus, but is it possible to use the modded optimus drivers here? Can I cut off the watermark?

Would be interesting to know all that :-)

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No. If you install Optimus drivers, you will have both cards on at all times, and the nVidia card will not be doing anything. AFAIK, we haven't been able to backport Optimus to laptops with Intel Hybrid Power graphics(aka Hybrid Graphics).

edit: Some notebooks with GPUs that have had Optimus implementations in other notebooks,

I assume only the UL30VT, Alienware M11x and new Vaio Z will work but the other hybrid graphics notebooks have been included for those who may want to try it.

Those are the notebooks where Optimus is thought to possibly be able to work, however AFAIK, the nVidia GPU has not been able to power off and so there is no power saving.

Edited by namaiki
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Hello again!

Darmach, thanks, Optimus Tool seems to be very informative thing:

nvidia-test-tool.png

As I marked above, there are two executables (1-"Internal Use Only" and 2-"External OEM Only"), each for 32- and 64-bit OS, with more or little info. Works great!

That's on 257.15 modded beta drivers. But 258.96 (release) drivers are already available! What about them?

Sergey.

Edited by sersel
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As an addition to provided capabilities, I managed to create two command line files, that completely disables/enables discrete GPU for such situations as I know that I really need as long battery life, as possible, but not discrete graphics.

Both commands rely on Microsoft DevCon tool, that could be downloaded in x86 (standart package, but unfortunately only x86 and ia64, not amd64=x64) and x64 (extracted from Microsoft WDK) versions. Note, that x86 version launches on x64 machine and even shows right statistics and information, but could not change anything, e.g. read-only mode. So you need to install corresponding executable to Windows/System32 folder to use this thing.

Next, open Computer Management console and gather DeviceId of your NVIDIA device - PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0A74&SUBSYS_1AF21043&REV_A2 was mine for G210M. Well, we need not to use the complete ID, significant part of it - VEN_10DE&DEV_0A74 - will be enough, using asterisks in search pattern.

To disable my discrete GPU I use such command:

devcon disable *VEN_10DE&DEV_0A74*

And to get it back to work - the following:

devcon enable *VEN_10DE&DEV_0A74*

I saved this command lines to files, named DisableDGPU.cmd and EnableDGPU.cmd, then marked them to be run under Administrator privileges, and created shortcuts with beautiful icons and shortcut keys Ctr+Shift+D / Ctr+Shift+E.

Optimus driver and Test Tools works well, when disabling/enabling GPU, but open applications used DGPU, of course, need to be relaunched when disabling DGPU (window parts, rendered by DGPU, became white, apps not crashed).

I haven't compared battery lifespan with disabled and enabled discrete GPU in PowerSaver mode yet, but will do it soon to see the results.

Sergey.

Edited by sersel
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Make sure that you check whether power miser is enabled or not when checking power consumption.

eg, my laptop:

Intel only: 10W

nvidia lowest power state: 20W

nvidia higher power state - idle: ~38W

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Make sure that you check whether power miser is enabled or not when checking power consumption.
Excuse me, but did you mean hardware power miser, or nvidia's technology?

I found PowerMiser Manager tool, it could change PowerMiser settings, but how to measure power consumption, by hardware power-miser?

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Sorry, I meant nVidia's technology where the core clocks and voltage are reduced.

I was measuring power consumption by running the laptop on battery and using BatteryBar to check discharge rate. I do not have a wall powermeter.

Edited by namaiki
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