What exactly does the I/D GFX button do and how does it work?

I been searching the web and can't seem to find an updated, definitive answer.

What exactly does the I/D GFX button do and how does it work?

I have a Nvidia card as my discreet graphics. Doesn't Nvidia use Optimus, which is supposed to be an auto-switching graphics system? Then, when the need for the I/D GFX button?

What is also confusing is when you press the button, it asks if you want to activate it and reboot. So, even after I click OK and press the button again, it asks the very same question. Which leads me to wonder, did it even do anything the first time I clicked OK?

Any help in clearing this confusion is greatly appreciated!

 

On Nvidia machines with Optimus, the I/D GFX button does nothing. Sorry for the wasted space- but how often do you use the MSMC button?

 

It's for systems with AMD cards, not Nvidia. Just a wasted function key for you.

 

Thanks guys, good to know!

 

Actually it does do something. If you're using the laptop with Optimus enabled and you press the hotkey, after a restart your laptop will be using ONLY the Nvidia (discrete or dedicated, whichever term you prefer) card and the Intel (integrated) card (chip) is disabled. This remains in place after restarts and until you activate Optimus again by pressing the hotkey again.

Point? Well sometimes you might want it that way and not bother with the integrated graphics at all. For example if your laptop is constantly docked and on power and you can't be arsed with setting up profiles to use Nvidia only for some applications, games etc. which is how Optimus works best really. Auto switching can be temperamental. For example I had issues in earlier driver releases with Secret World. When booting the game up it would deem that only the Intel gfx were needed, in the games menu etc. However in game where it was more demanding it wasn't switching to Nvidia. Was just easier to stick with dedicated.

However I've had to put up with Optimus in Windows 8 with EFI boot. I'm getting used to it now.

Also useful for fault finding too.


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Wait, are you sure? I'd have thought I would have heard of this before now, especially in some of the "Issues with Optimius" threads, or had it mentioned by a tech rep on one of the dozen calls I had with them.

Awesome if true though.

 

Definitely true. If I get a chance I'll upload a video of me executing the process.


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I'd be surprised if it did not, since optimus and enduro have the same physical layout.

No optimus means certain things like custom display profiles and LCD overclocking become possible.

 

BTW, what do these buttons do?

1. Camera Icon (F9)
2. T-Pad (F12)
3. MSMC (F10)

 

Well the camera will turn off/on the integrated camera, the T-Pad will turn off the touchpad, the MSMC button is for the Microsoft Mobility Center.

 

Thanks, I figured that out but lost my internet connection so I couldn't update.

Is anyone running windows 8? I notice that the radio switches don't seem to work properly. For example:

• If you set in BIOS for the radio switch to only control Bluetooth, then pressing the radio switch will turn off both Bluetooth and WPAN.
• However, when you press the radio switch again, it will only turn the Bluetooth back on and not the WPAN.
• WPAN is controlled in Windows 8 PC Settings (took me FOREVER to find out where they moved it!)

I'm still trying to figure out a convenient way to turn Bluetooth on/off with a hardware switch. Since most of us use WiFi all the time but seldom use BT, it would be a nice battery saver.

The Wifi controls used to be in MSMC but now they've moved to Windows 8 PC Settings