Disable intel HD graphics AW15? Or is this perma optimus?

Brand new out the box AW15r2, all intel/nvidia drivers up to date. I go to disable the intel graphics (even with the nvidia gpu forced on through nvidia control panel) and after a restart it says the display isnt using nvidia gpu. Its using microsoft basic one? Going off the top of my head since I cant reproduce right now, but is this what the "optimus" crap is?

Is there basically no way bios, nothing, to disable intel igfx and just only use the nvidia gpu?

 

You can't disable intel HD graphics, courtesy of Alienware's locked and signed BIOS. Stuck with Optimus

 

Oh thats cool. So as far as performance hits, as long as I have it GPU forced for whatever program I am running I shouldn't experience any losses right? And hey remember back in the day when alienware used to start you off with black desktop backgrounds? Guess they can't do that any more, gotta use the bright white to hide the screen bleed X-D

 

You can use the nvidia control panel to try to "force" dGPU usage.

Yup. Really, the QC has gone down remarkably to the point where they seem like another cheapo gaming laptop, not the premium brand they used to be. The screen bleed is really quite terrible on almost every model I've tested. IPS panels are already sensitive to pressure more than TN panels, and the the LCD mounting technique they are using blows so hard and exacerbates the issue further.

 

Why do you care? There is obviously the dGPU preference setting in the nvidia control panel. Is it that optimus prevents panel overclocking?

 

I had 2 AW15s in my posession and both didnt had any screenbleed. It is mounted with 4 screws within the frame there is no better way of mounting a panel and the screen bezels are rather loose on top of it.

 

Consider yourself lucky. If you'd like, I can take a picture of all my Alienwares side by side and let you pick out for yourself which ones have the bleed. I'll line the 2 M18xs, the 2 Alienware 18s, and the Alienware 17 R2, put them all on a black background, and let you decide for yourself.

 

Damn that sucks then for you. not sure if i am lucky or you are unlucky. Is if you put some light pressur eon the lid on some sides does it become less than? You might be able to use some spacers between the mounting points to straighten the panel out and thus lose the lightbleed.

 

if I take the entire bezel off, the bleed persists. Its an issue with how they mount the LCD. The 17 R2 is even worse because it has a touch option, so the glass is fused to the LCD (no plastic bezel) and forget about being able to take that off and trying to address the bleed underneath it.