Optimus and VR

I have an Alienware 17 R3 with GTX 980M. Ordered a Rift a while ago and waiting for it to arrive. As I do so I have been reading about issues with VR functioning in Optimus laptops. I have the Alienware Amplifier so I'm not worried about it working at home but I'll be traveling for work for several months and spending a few weeks in each place, and I'd really prefer not to have to lug around the amplifier. What's the latest on this? Will my Rift work with the stock 980M or will Optimis prevent this? Can I disable it somehow? Or am I totally stuck with bringing along the Amplifier?

 

No.
VR is not going to be compatible with AW machines unless you buy and use GA.

 

Hmm, that's kind of a bummer. Is there any reason to expect whatever the GTX 1080 powered version will be might not have Optimus? Are there any Nvidia powered gaming laptops that don't have Optimus? (That are under, say, $2500?)

 

P870DM from RJtech with single 980 Desktop.

Or you can wait for the pascal refresh for clevo models.

 

I can see that my NVidea 980M says it's not VR ready, so what would happen if I plugged a VR headset in?

1) NVidea show the 970 as being the minimum spec for VR, it hits aprox 10000 on 3DMark Fire Strike
http://www.geforce.co.uk/hardware/technology/vr/vr-ready-program
http://www.geforce.co.uk/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-970/performance

2) 980M can hit 10142 on 3DMark Fire Strike
http://www.3dmark.com/fs/3711027

To me that says I can plug in and use a VR headset with low demand VR

 

Remember, it's rendering at least 1080p PER EYE, so that's 1080p TWICE at around 144hz. The 970m isn't going to do it (tried, low demand like surgeon simulator.. is *ok*, everything else I tried is a no go (borrowed friend's Oculus CV1).

You will certainly need the Graphics Amp and a 1080 or 1070, or the bare minmum a 980 GTX to take advantage of the VR stuff. It's just a bad experience if you do not.

 

Oculus works with optimus-routed display output? That's interesting to know.

 

no. it doesnt. its just newbies writing nonsense, you need a desktop gpu in the aga to get oculus on these machines.

 

Double post.

You can't use oculus with these gen machines because of the optimus passthrough .

Annoyingly optimus rarely seems to work anyway unless i reboot after gaming...

IT's just the way it is- there is more than enough information about it, read up.

 

But you can if you add the AGA?

 

I know develoeprs that do run CV1 on optimus enabled laptops. Dunno exactly how though.

 

When you use AGA, Optimus isn't working. Therefore, VR works. We have a video on our main Youtube Channel of an Alienware 17 R3 running VR through the AGA.

 

Hi Alienware-L_Porras,

That's what I thought. I was just wanting to clarify that 'these rigs' can be used with VR (if you add the AGA) rather than having people put off them because they thought 'these rigs' could not handle VR at all. ;-)

 

I thought it was an actual question haha. Well, the 970m and 980m alone can't handle VR. At least we do get the option to do so via the Amplifier

 

Hi Alienware-L_Porras,

Something I'll be taking a serious look at later this year, once all the VR headsets are out there and comparisons made of the hardware, software and available VR experiences.

 

Disable the Intel Display Adapter in Device Manager, reboot laptop. Runs on 970m only.

 

run firestrike while on the 970m only, curious about that

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/4dtomo/so_optimus_laptops_work_yes/

It does work.

 

Double Post.