Switchable graphics on the HD 5870?

Are there any laptops that utilise switchable graphics for high-end graphics cards like the HD5870 or 480M? It seems like a no-brainer, but I can't find any.

The best I've seen is the HD5650, which doesn't even come close in terms of performance. I'm looking to buy a new laptop at the moment, but the power drain of high end cards is a big issue. Reportedly, the 300M & 400M series all support it, so are there any laptops like this around?

 

not that I know of.

maybe when sandy bridge comes out, and quad cores have the Intel GPU on 'em more people will make switchable with the higher end cards but..*shrugs*

 

I've seen a couple of quad core i7 machines with switchable 5650s.
Is there some sort of hardware barrier to implementing it on high-end cards?

 

They have to include an onboard integrated GPU, which costs more money.

 

More capable switchable gpu systems I've seen are:

Alienware M17x: 9400M+GTX260M/280M switchable setup
Lenovo Y560: Intel HD+HD5730 on their i5 systems

 

Ah yes, I've seen those. Unfortunately, the HD5730 isn't much better than the 5650, and a 17" alienware laptop isn't portable in the first place, which makes me wonder why they even bothered. :/

 

DIY ViDock offers another way of doing switchable graphics. Will see 2-4 times faster performance with pci-e 3.0 capable Sandy Bridge platforms. Quite impressive with the Optimus config in a x1 1.0 setup as is.

 

Any laptop with something on the level of a 5870 or 480M isn't going to be very portable. It doesn't really make sense to complain about it. If you need something portable, get a 13" and get a desktop for gaming.

 

Why?
I consider a 15" laptop to be portable enough, and they've got more than enough room. Even going down the scale a little, you're way above the performance and power needs of a 5650. It makes sense to avoid draining the battery with something like that.

 

Wouldn't the MSI GX660 have switchable graphics or would it be disabled by the manufacturer?

 

You've got me interested.

 

If it doesn't advertise it, it doesn't have the feature. It's not that it has been disabled but that it doesn't have the proper hardware/software for it to work.

 

But the hardware is there. It uses the (I think) HM55 chipset, which comes with a GMA chip installed. Software-wise, what would the barrier be to self-installing ATI's version of Optimus?

 

A video bios and a bios bios

 

The bios bios shouldn't be a problem. The chipset has been used in Optimus models.
As for the video bios, could there be a patch once switchable graphics notebooks are released with the 5870?

 

Closest I known is Acer 5943G with i5, it got HD5850 but unfortunately GDDR3 instead.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/510912-oc-freaks-acer-ethos-5943g-ati-hd5850-review.html

 

Is this import-only, and is it in production any more?

 

well the bios bios could be an issue since some bioses (like acer computers) have an option in there to turn switchable on or off.

others like HP computers just block the option and leave it defaulted to on.

 

I'm not sure about its status in US, but in Malaysia, you could only get it with i7 720QM and I'm sure it still in production, its one of Acer latest offering.

 

I see.
Could you reflash the bios to get around this?

I'm in the UK here - can't find any retailers though. :/

 

You would also need a MUX, or you would see nothing on the screen after you enabled the IGP and disable the 5870.

So that's a bit of hardware that's probably missing.

See this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/gam...54-does-hm55-have-switchable-graaphics-7.html

 

The HM55 chipset does not have GMA chip in it. The GMA is built into the i5 or i3 series CPUs.

 

Ah, ok.
I'm still new to this, I'm a desktop man myself. What is the function of the HM55, then?

 

Check out the chipset section of Intel ARK.

 

Have a system that meets your requirements. MSI GT663: NVidia GTX460M + Optimus when equipped with an i5 CPU.

 

Thank you very much. This is ideal, it's a shame that it won't be out until october, though. I'll have to live with my EEE for the first few weeks of uni. :/

You know if configurations using the dual-core i7 620M would work, as with current optimus laptops?

 

It will also work with the 620M since they are from the same die as the i5s.

 

That's what I was hoping. Any idea on how the UK release date will differ to the "end of October" one they have on that site? Obviously news is sparse, but what would be typical?

 

this laptop DOES NOT SUPPORT nvidia optimus...
shame i was looking forward to this laptop
i might just get the msi GX660R

 

where in the world are you srikesh. clevo have 2 models (15"/17")out that have the 425M graphics with optimus.

 

Except the 425M is only a mainstream level card.

 

i'm in aus
but i was talking about the msi gt663
the core i5 version doesn't come with optimus,
i think one random website read that the 460 SUPPORTED optimus and took that as the laptop had optimus which is totally different.
and then heaps of other sites said it might have it