Switching between dedicated and integrated GPU on M17X R3 3D

Hi,

I read that the 3D screen on the M17x R3 has a better brightness than the regular 60Hz screen. This makes me consider chosing the 120Hz screen instead of the 60 Hz screen. (Since the M17x R3 seems to be known to have a lot of glare, I presume it's best to have a screen which can be set as bright as possible, based on the other light sources or if I'm using it outside.)
That being said, is it still possible to switch between the integrated HD3000 GPU and the dedicated NVidia GPU to preserve battery life? I know 3d cannot work with the integrated GPU since the HD3000 only supports up to 60Hz, but what if I'm not using 3D and just running on 60Hz?
I read various things; some even say Optimus will work when 3d is disabled, while I also read that switching between HD3000 and GTX580M is impossible... Can someone please verify any of these things?

I also have another question:
Will the 3d screen give any incompatibility issues running a Linux OS (like Ubuntu)?

Thank you very much!

 

Dunno about Linux but the integrated GPU is disabled with the 3D on or off. It is because the display uses a special eDP port and the Intel HD3000 cannot drive it.

 

No, there is no integrated gpu on the 3D model, so you wont have the switchable function.

No idea on ubuntu, although I don't see that being a problem.

Darn behind by widezu by 1min.

 

Thank you for your answers (although they were not the ones I hoped for ).
Is the difference in brightness and screen quality very big between the 3d and non 3d version? The ability to switch between integrated and dedicated GPU is really a requirement for me to preserve battery life.

 

Well the the 3D is really bright. After calibrating my screen, the colours really do pop out and it looks great. I would suggest you go for the 6990m non-3D option as that gives you manual switching. Nvidia auto-switching can cause headaches sometimes.

 

Here in Belgium the 580gtx and 6990m do cost the same, and since I'm used to using an NVidia GPU... The NVidia GPU also used to cost a lot more than the 6990M before, so that's why I'm more tempted to buy the gtx580m. In which sense can the NVidia autoswitching cause headaches?
About the 3d again: this only costs an extra 70$ compared to the option without 3D (there is a bigger reduction on the 3D one). When working on battery power, I read the GTX580M is downclocked since the battery can't handle the wattage the GPU needs. Is there any way to configure how much it will be downclocked when on battery power? If so, would it be possible to downclock it to a level were it nearly consumes as much as the integrated HD3000?

Really a difficult descision to make...

I have an external monitor which I usually use when working at home, but I still prefer a good enough screen when using the laptop on college.
Is the 60Hz screen a decent one or not?

 

The 60Hz monitor is decent. You shouldn't have to worry about the quality. Both are basically the same, on the 3D one is brighter.

The 580m downclocks yes however, you have to understand no matter how much it downclocks, it will always still use additional power compared to the Intel HD3000. Remember the integrated GPU is on the CPU so as always CPU + GPU = more power than CPU + GPU off.

 

Thank you for the advise.

So I guess I'll choose the non 3D screen.

Now the other difficult point is which GPU. As I said, the GTX580M used the cost a lot more than the HD6990M, but now they both cost the same.
I indeed prefer more a manual switching like the 6990 has than something automatic uncontrollably like NVidia Optimus.
Although both GPU's seem to be as fast (in one benchmark the 580 and in another the 6990), the 6990 seems more "stable"; its max fps is often lower than the 580, but its min fps is higher.
I also read that the 6990M consumes less power and thus produces less heat, this seems a major plus to me of course.

If I would think objectively I would choose the 6990m, but it's just that the 580m used to cost a lot more...

Are the things I read about the 6990m vs 580m correct?
Which one would you choose if you know they both cost exactly the same?

Again, thank you very much for the help and advise.

 

Well the thing is, the 580m has a few throttling problems. Both perform the same at stock. At the moment, I would suggest the 6990m for reliability. But if you can hold on till June, you'll be in time for the newer GPUs and CPUs.

 

Till June is a still quite a long time, and they will probably only offer the "weaker" CPU's and GPU's in the beginning; and the price for upgrades will probably be higher then. The config I currently have in mind is already stretching my budget by "quite a lot" so I think it's better for me to buy now since I've the opportunity to buy one with NVidia/AMD's mobile flagship for a reasonable price.

Which card generally runs the coolest?

Again, thank you very much for help!

 

my suggestion:

If you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty, and you don't boost voltage on the GPU, the 580 is a good choice. There are tons of failures on 580m's when overvolted, overclocked and stressed

you will have to repaste the 580m

If you want trouble free and headache free, get the 6990m

Performance wise, its a wash