Windows 10: Laptop with Intel HD Graphics + Nvidia card - when are the two used?

Hi, my laptop has both
Intel HD Graphics 530
and a
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 940M card

I've realised that the latter's tray icon always seems to report 'inactive' if I hover over the icon.

How do I know if it's ever used, and in what circumstances should I expect it to be used?

My limited understanding suggests the Nvidia icon turns green when in use, and the integrated Intel graphics is the default for basic graphics, and whether the Nvidia card is used or not is automatic, the Nvidia card being powered down if not needed. Is it as simple as that?

Maybe I need to play a game e.g. to actually use the Nvidia card?

Thanks!

:)

 

Graphic Card

Hello.

Can i have two different graphic cards in a same laptop..?.?...

My laptop specifications are:

HP Pavillion notebook PC with upgraded windows 10, 64-bit single language, 4 GB RAM and processor is Intel(R) Core(TM) i-3 3217U CPU @ 1.8 GHz (4 CPUs).

Directx 11.2 and Intell(R) HD Graphics 4000.

These graphics are not supported for heavey games and i want to install nvidia graphic card.

Is that possible to have two graphic cards or that will damage my laptop..?.?...

 

acer laptop startup glitch/error.

Thanks. It worked by reinstalling display drivers.i have two graphic cards 1.intel hd 5500 and 2.nvidia 920m

Is it because of to graphic cards that acer logo along with loading dots appear 2 times? Because this didnt happen the first time i started my laptop.

 

Can't you choose between the two? My former laptop had that option, but doesn't the laptop do this automatically?

 

Thanks. Well, as I said, I assume the Nvidia card is used if appropriate. I've just never been aware of it being used. I'll make the tray icon always visible so I can check.

 

I have the same kind of setup. The Nvidia icon will glow when the card is been used. You can use the options in the Nvidia control panel to force it to be used for various apps however I just leave it to the system to decide whats best.





Danny

 

Thanks, I'll just have to find something that actually uses it to convince me the Nvidia card is going to do sthg... guess the problem is I don't play games or do sthg else demanding enough.

I don't have the icon on the right. Just the one on the left, but 'Inactive', and one for GeForce Experience that I think is useless.

 

I don't have the icon, but, the Nvida graphics will also be used when doing things like watching videos

 

Sounds reasonable- but I tried playing a video from disk and a youtube video side by side simultaneously, which was done competently, whilst also playing an mp3, and Nvidia remained inactive.

 

OOPS! I should have mentioned.. I have a gaming laptop, and have it set to "sport mode" (The three modes are "green", "comfort", and "sport). It uses more power than the others, and accesses the Nvidia graphics for better performance. Also helps me when I'm editing photos, and videos

 

Tried converting a 20 minute AVI -273Mb- to mp4 using a CUDA enabled video convertor - which it did in about 5 mins. Nvidia icon still 'Inactive'.

GPU-Z shows 0% GPU load for the Nvidia card during the conversion, about 4% for the Intel. Trivial task.

(And I had uninstalled the driver and restarted).

 

Not quite like that, but you are not far off.

If you go to the Nvidia Control Panel and the Program Settings Tab.

In 1. You can look at the drop down list of Programs, and in 2. Select the preferred GPU to be the default for that particular program.

You can still choose GPU in the Shortcut to the particular program by right clicking and then selecting > Run with Graphics processor > Nvidia() or integrated(). The default indicated in brackets () which you selected in the Nvidia Control Panel.
It's automatically the default you have set in 2. in the Nvidia Control Panel.

Usually you set the Nvidia as a default for games, though I have it set for such things as the desktop version of Google Earth(historical compatibility reasons).

If you want to add a Program not listed in the drop down box then use the ADD button in 1. in the Nvidia Control Panel.

For a task such as video from a disk or Youtube video the integrated graphics may actually be better than the Nvidia Card.

The above is referring to Laptops using Nvidia Optimus switching, some 'Gamer laptops' are more like a desktop and may not use Optimus switching. Yours appears to use this Optimus switching.
I don't display GPU icons so no idea what lights up or not.

"Tried converting a 20 minute AVI -273Mb- to mp4 using a CUDA enabled video convertor - which it did in about 5 mins. Nvidia icon still 'Inactive'."
Use the above procedure to select that Program to use Nvidia by default, you could compare the same by selecting the integrated GPU. A practical 'which is best' test for that specific task.

 

Thanks.

- there is only a Program Settings tab under 3D settings, Manage 3D settings.

However - some success perhaps, but only the first time- I rt clicked the shortcut to a video convertor program, and selected the Nvidia processor, and its tray icon finally illuminated. I think previously I'd simply clicked 'Run with graphics processor' not even noticing there was a tiny arrow indicating a further choice.

But... 2nd time I tried that, it defiantly said 'there are no applications running on this GPU'. And the tray icon remained dark. GPU-Z indicated no Nvidia activity.
However, the conversion time was about 50% shorter.

Compared to the screenshot in Option 1, 2 here
NVIDIA Taskbar Notification Area Icon - Add or Remove
I only have the 3D settings available.

 

So.. a conversation with the supplier tells me:
Switching software (Optimus) is provided by Nvidia to switch from the integrated graphics card to the Nvidia card.
Optimus Technology | NVIDIA
Some 90% of such laptops use this, and the whole arrangement is to save power and battery life.

The switchover is only triggered by applications which have been specially programmed to make use of it - e.g. games.

Most desktop programs will never use the Nvidia card. Even CUDA enabled video convertors (which are supposed to make use of the graphics card) will fail to do so unless they are 'aware' of the Optimus system.

The right click option (on a shortcut or exe) which offers this:



is misleading. Sure, you can select the Nvidia card, but unless the program has been written to use the Optimus system to trigger the switch-over, it won't.

This:



was described as an unreliable indicator - only certain programs might be shown here.

How does one test a graphics card which is largely unused?
UNIGINE Benchmarks

GPU-Z (free) does show GPU activity on (both) cards, as was demonstrated when using the benchmark program above.

The Nvidia control panel in this dual configuration shows a limited set of options. Only the 3D settings are shown, the rest being hanled by the integrated graphics card.




Conclusion: Most programs will not make use of a dedicated graphics card where day-to-day graphics control is handled by integrated graphics. Most programs are not configured to make use of Optimus, an Nvidia system which controls the switch-over.

It seems one would have to make specific enquiries to determine beforehand if a program is 'aware' of the Optimus system, or try it for yourself as an experiment.

In such a configuration, one cannot force a particular program that is not 'aware' of Optimus to use the dedicated card.

=======================
This is one Video Convertor company's response:

- which basically says 'it doesn't work with a PC using Nvidia Optimus'.

I strongly get the impression there are very few general programs that do - probably almost exclusively games. So a dedicated card is generally going to be unused otherwise.

 

No BSODS. And yes, there is a 'problem' using the Nvidia card - some 90% of laptops with this configuration use NVIDIA's Optimus technology.

If the program you would like to have use the Nvidia card has not been designed to be used with Optimus, it won't use that card.

Basically, modern up-market games are more likely to do that than any traditional desktop program.