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    Did I break Optimus?

    Discussion in 'Gaming (Software and Graphics Cards)' started by Dolfan349, Dec 10, 2011.

  1. Dolfan349

    Dolfan349 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I just updated my N53SV to the newest betas (290.36) and when I went to run WEI, my Aero score came back the same as my gaming score (6.8). Previously, it used to be 5.4 as I assumed it was running off the integrated graphics when it did the Aero test. The fact that this occured has me worried that I'm no longer using integrated graphics for everyday use.

    Also, when I load up GPU-Z, it shows 0MHz for the integrated gpu clocks.

    Is Optimus still working? When I'm doing random crap or watching movies, the nVidia GPU stays at low power clocks and is always at 0% usage.
     
    Dolfan349, Dec 10, 2011
    #1
  2. too456

    too456 Resident Angry Bird

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    If integrated is detected, Optimus should still be enabled. Try opening the Intel Graphics and Media shortcut in Control Panel > All Control Panel Items. If it's there and working, optimus is still enabled.
     
    too456, Dec 10, 2011
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  3. Dolfan349

    Dolfan349 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yeah, it's there and I can open up the Intel settings etc.

    Why would WEI change all of a sudden?
     
    Dolfan349, Dec 11, 2011
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  4. too456

    too456 Resident Angry Bird

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    Maybe Nvidia set Aero to run using the Nvidia card in 290.36? Waste of power (shorter battery life) if they really did that.
     
    too456, Dec 11, 2011
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  5. Dolfan349

    Dolfan349 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Well, I can confirm the integrated gpu is still working.

    I installed Titan Quest and for whatever reason the default profile goes with the integrated GPU, and I could definitely tell.
     
    Dolfan349, Dec 12, 2011
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  6. too456

    too456 Resident Angry Bird

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    So, nothing to worry about ;) If you want Aero to use integrated, I suppose you could rollback the drivers back to the latest stable version.
     
    too456, Dec 12, 2011
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  7. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    Optimus can never be broken! (And if he is he always comes back)

    [​IMG]
     
    HTWingNut, Dec 12, 2011
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  8. Dolfan349

    Dolfan349 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I did this for the Intel drivers, but for a different reason -- I was getting terribly jittery flash playback on the newest Intel drivers. Swapped back to the ones which came on the driver disk and all seems well for now. Still on the 290.36 beta nVidia drivers.

    However, I think I discovered something else. Apparently, if I OC the 540M to a certain level (around 800MHz or so), that's when Aero switches over to the dedicated GPU. If I drop it back to stock, WEI rates Aero on the integrated graphics.

    Continuing from that, my 540M's clocks appear to affect the Aero score even when the integrated gpu is being used. For example, at bone stock speeds, Aero rates a 5.7. When I up the 540M by a tiny bit to 740MHz (stock 550M speeds), Aero jumps to 5.9. When I continue increasing the clocks, Aero jumps to 6.8, the same as the gaming graphics score which indicates to me that the integrated gpu is no longer being used for Aero.

    Strange stuff... not sure why the speed of the dedicated gpu has so much of an impact on how Windows manages the integrated gpu.
     
    Dolfan349, Dec 13, 2011
    #8