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    Optimus - nVidia GPU always running

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by Slusho, Apr 18, 2013.

  1. Slusho

    Slusho Notebook Guru

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    I'm getting 1.5 hours of battery life. I was thinking I probably need to replace the battery after all this time, but then I had the thought that maybe the discrete graphics are running even though I'm not playing anything that would require them. I found the "NVIDIA Optimus GPU State Viewer", and indeed it says that hte nVidia GPU is running. I saw that Steam was set to run using the discrete graphics, so I changed that, and the state viewer told me that Chrome was using the GPU as well, so I changed that and restarted. Now it still says it's on but "No applications listed" as using it. However, I turned on the "Display GPU Activity icon in notifications area" option in the nVidia control panel, and that says "NVIDIA GPU Activity: None". So is it running, or not? And if yes, what can I do to get it to stop? Thanks.

    Edit: Figured it out. Having an HDMI cable plugged in, even if you have it set to "Computer only" in the Win+P menu, makes the GPU run. This thread can be deleted I guess.
     
    Slusho, Apr 18, 2013
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  2. Alienware-L_Porras

    Alienware-L_Porras Company Representative

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    Thanks for sharing the experience, indeed if you have a cable plugged in it'll run on the nVidia.
     
    Alienware-L_Porras, Apr 19, 2013
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  3. Slusho

    Slusho Notebook Guru

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    Wait no now it's saying it's on even though the other thing says it's off while the HDMI cable is unplugged. Which one is right?
    NVIDIA.png
     
    Slusho, Apr 22, 2013
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  4. eats7

    eats7 Notebook Evangelist

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    i have the exact same problem as well, no applications running, yet the state is set ON.

    edit: just found this, going to try it out. will report back: http://netbooknetwork.net/2012/windows-8-fix-nvidia-optimus-always-on/

    edit 2: so i think i have found a fix. What i did was update to latest intel drivers (not sure if this needs to be done) here: link

    and then i found out steam was the issue, so i went into the nvidia 3d options and set steam to integrated. it was on autoselect- nvidia.
     
    eats7, Apr 22, 2013
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  5. DDDenniZZZ

    DDDenniZZZ Notebook Deity

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    Watch out with setting steam to integrated, it can make the games launched from steam use the integrated as well. Hence why its default to use the nvidia GPU. It makes all my games use integrated if I set it to integrated as well.
     
    DDDenniZZZ, Apr 22, 2013
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  6. Slusho

    Slusho Notebook Guru

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    That's crazy. I always assumed it would launch them as I set them in the nVidia control panel. If it works like that, you have to close Steam every time you use your laptop unplugged.
     
    Slusho, Apr 22, 2013
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  7. eats7

    eats7 Notebook Evangelist

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    just tested some games from within steam, they launch with the nvidia, so it seems fine. are there certain games that do this?
     
    eats7, Apr 23, 2013
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