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    Help Unlock Switchable Graphics in EFI/BIOS

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by weinter, May 28, 2010.

  1. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

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    Anyone here holding a laptop with Core i3/5 & Intel HD Graphics but feature is locked out by OEM?
    I have been probing into the Firmware so far I located the Setup Variables but I can't in point the bit controling each variable.

    My laptop originally had Intel XD disabled so I got a EFI update which turns XD on. I diff the 2 firmware and found a bit from 0 to 1 I believe this is the bit controlling Intel XD Capability but can't correspond each setup variable to each bit so I need help here.

    If I can get this working I can probably get more hours out of my laptop on battery.
     
    weinter, May 28, 2010
    #1
  2. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

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    Anyway there are more goodies to be gain from unlocking the BIOS because the following options is available inside the the EFI Setup but hidden for HM55 chipset:

    Undervolting from Firmware
    Intel Xtreme Memory Profile
    Firmware overclocking
    Switchable Graphics
    All the goodies hidden from us! :mad:
     
    weinter, May 29, 2010
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  3. kosti

    kosti Notebook Virtuoso

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    If you manage to get this working, will it mean that you have to enter the system's BIOS every time you wish to switch graphics? BTW, what kind of laptop/gpu are you using?
     
    kosti, May 29, 2010
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  4. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

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    Acer Aspire 4740G
    Nvidia Graphics 310M
    ASUS laptop using this GFX has switchable graphics it is possible to enable switchable graphics by using their software/driver implementation after unlocking switchable in the BIOS.
     
    weinter, May 29, 2010
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  5. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

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    Any Reverse Engineers here?
     
    weinter, May 29, 2010
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  6. funky monk

    funky monk Notebook Deity

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    It depends what chipset you have, some of the new intel chipsets don't support the use of the graphics chip which comes loaded on the CPU chip.
     
    funky monk, May 30, 2010
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  7. sean473

    sean473 Notebook Prophet

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    if its disabled by manufactuerer , it is impossible to do enable... ur just going to come up against a dead end here mate.
     
    sean473, May 30, 2010
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  8. weinter

    weinter /dev/null

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    It is possible it is just a bit switch to enable the entry.
    There are people who do Insyde BIOS hacking here I thought I could gather them here in this thread.

    I could trace the Intel XD Capability bit switch but not for switchable graphics.

    The quotes below are EFI Setup Entries I RE directly from my Firmware.
    It shows there are millions of options you can mess with to enhance the laptop functionality.
    Just need to decode how to make it show up.
     
    weinter, May 31, 2010
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  9. Ryan_

    Ryan_ Newbie

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    I'm also looking for a means to enable switchable graphics on the 4740g. If it is possible, do post it in the forum.

    Also any idea what might have kept acer from implementing the feature with the recent BIOS upgrade?
     
    Ryan_, Jun 11, 2010
    #9
  10. User Retired 2

    User Retired 2 Notebook Nobel Laureate NBR Reviewer

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    Can try the method here to enable the IGP, allocate it PCI resources, chainload into Win7 and see if it works. If yes, then work backwards to effectively do the same thing but within the bios.
     
    User Retired 2, Aug 4, 2010
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  11. nikeseven

    nikeseven Notebook Deity

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    Since with switchable graphics, anything graphic intensive is computed by the nvidia gpu, then displayed through the intel integrated. When you aren't in need of the strong gpu, any graphic processing goes through the intel gpu. So my guess is that you can't enable switchable graphics, since the output is from the nvidia card, not the intel.
     
    nikeseven, Aug 4, 2010
    #11
  12. oneb1t

    oneb1t Notebook Consultant

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    looking for PCI registers from working intel HD. if someone have it please share
     
    oneb1t, Aug 13, 2010
    #12