display looks bad when using hybrid sli

I have an M17x with two 280M and 9400, bios A03, vista 64 sp2, nvidia driver version 258.96 (currently), total available graphics: 2687, dedicated video memory: 1024 MB GDDR3, system video memory: 0MB (?).
I like to use two displays, the main display is my lcd t.v. (for movies, games, etc), the 2nd (extended) display is the M17x built in lcd itself (for me to use the internet on while my kids watch cartoons on the main tv display).
Here's my problem: when using the save power mode (9400), it wont let me use an additional display, allthough the built-in display on the M17x looks great. When using the boost performance mode (280M's on), it now allows multiple monitors- however, the built-in display on the M17x now looks awful (think 16 bit color mode and scanlines).
So now the lcd monitor on the left is active and looks great but the M17x's lcd on the right looks REALLY horrible. I know there's nothing wrong with the M17x lcd screen itself, because it looks normal when in save power mode, but who would want to use save power mode anyways when you can't activate multiple monitors or take advantage of the full graphic power that way anyways?
I've googled my issue like crazy and found nothing like this, help me!

 

In case it helps, I thought I would provide some more information. I've had several self-proclaimed cpu experts look at my computer and try to figure this out and here's some of the things that were discussed: "Maybe you've got a bad graphics card." It can't be that because it can display perfectly on my lcd t.v. and run games like crysis on full settings with no lag. So if the graphics card itself was messed up, then how could it handle everything I throw at it for one monitor, but then display poorly if I use the built-in M17x lcd?
"Okay, then it must be a driver issue." I've tried every driver that has ever been made ( it has taken months), no luck there. "Okay, well then maybe you're not installing the nvidia driver properly?" Well that could be, but I don't think so. I've tried so many different installation approaches for the display drivers that it's just rediculous.
"Okay, then it's probably because of Vista, Vista sucks man." No, it can't be because of Vista, I mean think about how many M17x users operate using Vista and I've never heard of any of them having this issue.
"Well I don't know what to tell ya then." Don't feel bad, nobody knows what to tell me.

 

What is the resolution on your LCD? Your TV? I don't think the 9400M was very powerful, just integrated graphics. Are you using HDMI or VGA to connect to your TV? A little more info, and we may be able to figure this out. BTW, do you own a Skyline?

 

Thank you very much for responding. I'm sorry that I didn't notice right away, I was away from the computer for a while. The native resolution of the tv is 1366 x 768 (60Hz), so I have it set to that. The M17x has a native resolution of 1920 x 1200 (59Hz or 60Hz option). I have tried HDMI, and 2 different VGA's, no difference there. You're correct about the 9400, it's just the weak integrated card. Strangely enough however, the issue with the screen goes away if I'm only running off that weak card, but then I can't use my tv as a display or take advantage of the stronger cards to play graphics intensive games and blu ray films.The only time I run off just the 9400 is when I want to remind myself of what the M17x display should look like.
Also, I'm not fortunate enough to own a Skyline (Sorry, if the username name is misleading).. I simply have an interest in them. I'll probably never be that rich, and if I was it would still be hard for me to figure out how to aqquire one for the states. From what I've heard they don't allow them here because of emission standards or something... what a shame.

 

I'm actually pretty excited about receiving a reply so promptly! (Borat voice) "Very Excited!"

 

It is not a matter of power, the 9400m can handle 1080p blu-ray just fine. It cannot however send signal to 2 monitors at once, this is a artificially imposed limitation of the IGP as far as I know. So you can use either the TV OR the laptop screen, but not both simultaneously

 

Unfortunately for me my nvidia command center doesn't even see my tv when using solely the 9400. But it wouldn't matter if it did, because I usually require multiple displays anyways. In a perfect world I could set my laptop to use all 3 graphics cards(boost performance mode), and have the tv as the main monitor on the left, and the laptop screen as an extention on the right without either one looking like 16 bit color mode. Then I wouldn't have to listen to people trash talking Alienware when they see my situation. Other than this one problem, everything is perfect.
As it is now I just use boost performance mode with my tv as the only display (because it allways looks good), and I just leave the laptop display off all together and close the lid. When I need to use the computer for something when my wife or children are using it I just use a crappy old HP laptop that's in the other room. However, that one is so weak it can't even handle mortal kombat on mame. I wish I could figure out why the M17x lcd turns into 16bit color mode garbage quality when I use boost performance mode, it's been driving me crazy since I got it.

 

If the driver is forcing 16-bit mode, you may be able to override but it also may just be the limit of the display. 16-bit is just about impossible to tell from 32-bit, 256 colors is the crappy one.

Simple solution......don't bother with boost performance as it really does not help any at all. Use either the 9400m or the GTX 280m's.....trust me, you will not lose any performance by disengaging the 9400m - that was pretty much a sales gimmick and not actualized

 

So can you satisfactorily run both LCDs when you're on the dedicated GPUs? If so, just stick to that. The first time I booted up my R1, I went into the BIOS and disabled the 9400M.

 

Yeah, it says it's in (highest) 32 bit, and I'm not sure if it really is stuck in 16 bit or 256 or anything, but that's the best way I know how to describe the appearance of it. I'll go in bios and enable only the 280m's & let you know, hang on.

 

Okay I just went to bios and I didn't change anything yet because I'm a little confused about what I saw in there. Here is the way it looks now:
Hybrid: ENABLED
Integrated: ENABLED
PCIE Gen2 (whatever that is)? : ENABLED
ASPM (L0s/L1) (whatever that is)? : DISABLED

My options are, it will let me diable both Hybrid & Integrated, or enable Hybrid & Integrated, or disable just Hybrid. ( It won't let me disable just Integrated). I didn't touch the other two (PCIE and ASPM) because I have no idea what they are.
Could someone explain to me what each of the four options affect, and let me know how it should look? Thanks guys!

 

I would like to try using only the 280m's and turn just the 9400 off to see if that fixes it, but I"m not sure how exactly to do that. Out of those four, which ones should be enabled and which ones should be disabled?

 

On another note, in case it helps to know, I wanted to share some info on what my nvidia control panel's "Set SLI and PhysX configuration" tab looked like. I don't know if this has any relevance to the issue however, here goes.

SLI config: Max 3d performance = on
Activate all displays = off - greyed out, unable to change (I've currently got the M17x lcd off)
Disable SLI = off - greyed out, unable to change
The green SLI indicator shows it is for GTX 280M (1) & (2), and not 9400. PhysX is for 280M (1)

It has a square box above the 280M (1) that shows Seiko Laptop Display (1 of 2) greyed out. And Westinghouse SK26H730S highlited in green. There isn't anything above the 280M (2). And above the 9400 is a square box that shows Seiko Laptop Display (2 of 2) greyed out.

I don't know if any of this is relevant, but there it is anyways.

 

Here's how I have to use the internet right now. Notice I'm seeing the forum on the edge of my screen because my kids freak out if I turn off their cartoons! This is why it would be better if I could extend the desktop to the laptop (without it looking terrible). In the attatched pic. I have my tv (main display on the left) and my M17x (extended display on the right), however, in this pic the M17x display looks normal because it's just saved info and not an actual photograph of what it really looks like. In reality the screen on the right is composed of large flickery pixels the way it would look if were on a Sega Genesis or something. Too bad it didn't save it that way when I did alt + print screen so you could see it. Oh, and in reality there are no black borders around either - they are both scaled to fit - it just looks that way as a saved pic for some reason.

 

boot with hybrid disabled and integrated disabled

that will turn on only the gtx 280m's and allow you to have beautiful picture on both the laptop and the tv

 

Thanks for sticking with me on this one scook9. I disabled Hybrid and Integrated in bios. I can confirm that the 9400 is no longer being used, and yet the problem remains the same. T.v. looks good laptop lcd looks pixelated still. Darn!

 

I'm thinking that the laptop LCD is running at the resolution of your TV. That is the only explanation here. That would cause the pixelation. Can't you run each display at it's native resolution? Is each display doing something different, or are they both being used for the same thing?

 

currently they are both at their native, 1366 x 768 60Hz (t.v.), and 1920 x 1200 59Hz (laptop). However, the problem persists if they are both 60Hz (laptop gives both 59 & 60 Hz option), also the problem persists if I try different combinations of resolutions. For example: T.V. only displays as high as 1366 x 768, so I've tried having both at that resolution. I've had them at their natives, I've had them at their natives with trying both 59 and 60Hz options. I've had them at the same resolution with either refresh option. Every conceivable combination of resolutions and refresh rates has been attempted by both myself and various cpu expert type friends. No luck with any of the attempts so far.

 

Tried a driver reinstall?

 

Yeah, read my second post. Allthough I wonder if I've been doing it correctly because I've heard that the best way is to uninstall the nvidia display driver through add & remove programs then run ccleaner, then restart in safe mode run ccleaner again then restart and install new driver manually, (at this point Vista starts installing it for me and I can't override that, so I don't know how to do it manually when vista is doing it automatically at the same time but I've tried both letting it do it automatically and then leaving it as is after a restart, and also tried manually doing it on top of it having been done automatically. Neither way made any difference. Which way is the correct way, and if it has to be done manually then how do I stop Windows from being so bossy about wanting to install it for me in the background?

 

I think theres a good chance that I've got a weird driver issue, but I'll need instructions on the "proper" way to install it, (I've heard so many different ways of doing it that it's left me uncertain).

 

Also, the only things that I've changed since I purchased it used were updating the bios, graphics drivers, directx, C++ runtime or whatever, k-lite codecs, and standard windows updates. I regulary check for new graphics drivers, but maybe I need a motherboard driver? I don't know.

 

Also, using "gpuz", it shows one of my 280's at 53' C and the other at 45' C right now. Is that normal?

 

I assume that nobody can help me. I'll just need to get used to it I guess.