dv6t-61XX / dv7t-61XX Switchable Graphics Discussion

Thanks Reflex.

Is there any word on the battery life on the dv6tqe?

 

I can get about 4.5Hrs on the integrated graphics.

Only ever run it from full to empty once though, so YMMV

 

Which battery is this with and what screen brightness?

 

As long as you're not say an OpenGL programmer OR need to run Adobe products all day long you're fine. The only issue is with the OpenGL switching to discrete graphics. It could be fixed tomorrow or in the Fall no one knows. For some it's a deal breaker for others it's not.

 

what happens if you run software that uses the 6770 in the background while trying an app that would refuse to use it? Like for FSX, fire up crysis @ the menu and just minimize it in the background.

 

Yes, no and no. The last part is what is infuriating. It does not directly affect me (there are no OpenGL games I want to play right now), but I really, really hate it when a computer gives me the option to do something and then doesn't actually do it.

 

So far my games are pretty much seamless, but people have reported issues with Second Life and indie games such as Minecraft. I was tempted to spend money on Minecraft but due to the openGL issues that are reported I'm not going to even attempt it.

The thing is, are all the Adobe apps only running on the intel card? No one has really posted info about this here concerning how well they work/or don't work.

(I don't have photoshop and I'm not going to pirate it, despite the fact that I'm thinking of going back to school lol)

 

Yeah I got mine for 875 at costco and love it. What a deal. We walked into the apple store just to see how much a similarly specd machine would run and the $2199.99 still had less than mine for 875. What a joke. I actually tried the apple thing a few years ago and returned it it was so bad. Hip and trendy comes with a big price tag. This hp rocks.

 

Yeah I get about 4 on the integrated on battery. Works surprisingly well. If your not gaming and just surfing,etc its great on battery.

 

I bought this due to the manual switching and having GREAT battery life when not using the 6770. Come monday, I think I'm ditching this and going with a Malibal/Sager 8130 and dealing with the crappy battery life. I'm not happy about this.

 

Which battery is this? The 6 cell?

 

the 9 cell for me was reading 8.5 hours in windows. For day to day surfing+wifi while at work it never got below 20% for me

 

Guys, I have a question...
I understand that applications that use OpenGL cannot use discrete graphics...
So, can you use discrete graphics if you disable OpenGL in Photoshop?

 

After doing a little digging I found this on Adobe's website:


"Adobe has not yet published the tweaks for Photoshop CS5 to force the use of the GPU features.

Here are the pertinent registry entries, the first to enable the use of GPUs not found to be compliant, and the second to disable the first tweak:

What's likely to become AllowOldGPUS_ON.reg for CS5:


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Photoshop\12.0]
"AllowOldGPUS"=dword:00000001


What's likely to become AllowOldGPUS_OFF_D.reg for CS5:


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Photoshop\12.0]
"AllowOldGPUS"=-


Adobe says the above is just for debugging, and that if your video card isn't making Photoshop happy enough to enable it by itself then there's something wrong under the covers, and doing the above tweak could net you instability or problems down the line.


But it's something to try, as an interim."


You do this at your own risk I take no responsibly if you fubar your computer. As an Adobe employee posted further down the thread:


"The registry entries are supposed to be distributed from tech support knowledgebase pages that describe how and when they should be used, and why they are not a fix for buggy drivers. You're bypassing all that necessary explanation and offering them as a fix -- then we have to deal with the tech support calls about crashing drivers after customers use the registry keys to enable non-working drivers"


I'll probably end up trying it when I get my dv7t next week since I don't really care if I fubar it because I plan on putting a clean copy of W7 Ultimate on it anyway.

Will this force it to use the 6770? Who knows...

 

Hi guys, I also just received my DV6 6100 with the Radeon 6770M (2GB). Is there an option to switch to manual? I mean, is ther any development in this matter?
For the record, I have been sending HP customer service some pretty angry emails since the video drivers did not seem to work initially. Since I got the latest driver, but as many of you reported, I can't do the manual swicth either. Hence I found this thread.
I got this response back from HP on 3 June:

"For your convenience, I am providing you the below website for the downloading the latest AMD High-Definition Graphics Driver compatible for your Notebook:

AMD High-Definition Graphics Driver - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

Note: Clicking the link may give an error indicating that it is invalid. If this occurs, copy the link and paste it on the address bar in your browser until the complete address is displayed in the address box.

Further, I would like to inform you that the package provided in the above website, is a software driver for the AMD High-Definition (HD) Graphics Driver and Catalyst Control Center for supported notebook models which are bundled with the AMD Radeon HD 6470M Mobile Intel HD Graphics & AMD Radeon HD 6770M Mobile Intel HD Graphics, that are running a supported operating system. For Notebooks with switchable graphics modes, this package includes drivers for both graphics processing units (GPUs). Switchable graphics enable users to switch between a power-saving graphics mode (normally used under battery power) and a high-performance graphics mode. If high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) video output is supported, this package also installs the HDMI Audio Driver.

I believe that the above information would help you. If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will be happy to assist you further.

For information on keeping your HP and Compaq products up and running, please visit our website at..." ... blabla...

Yes, this is a direct copy-paste, so the typo (slang???!) was there. Not only he pointed me to the wrong driver, but even then he (sort of) insisted that manual switch is possible...

I also recommend you sign the "petition" here:
Re: New dv7-tqe 6100 CTO - Will Not Switch to ATI Graphics (... - Page 5 - HP Support Forum

I also pointed out to HP that what's up with the weird chinese blurb about the F14 bios. They soon removed it (the chinese text). Then I wrote how is it possible that other vendors seem to keep the drivers up to date (Lenovo, Dell) while HP is bad in this regard? In theory, the product number alone would be perfectly sufficient to bring up all relevant drivers for my specific model. Yet, I found that that was not the case precisely. After dealing with two bad-version driver-install, I urged them to update the *valid* driver for the 6770m, and finally, they did 2 days later. Not that I claim any credit in that. But I do want to urge you guys do your part and hammer HP through whatever means you have available. I did that through phone, live chat, forum posts, and email.
Masses matter. Only then HP (or any company for that matter) will learn to take customer service a bit more seriously.
Regards

 

I'm waiting for a reply like that from HP so I can ream them a new one. Keep replying back to them. They are just sending scripted replies. There is no fix for it as of yet.

 

I'm bringing the Linux hybrid graphics community and our powerful data collection and diagnostic tools into this.

We solved the Optimus problem, we also can solve the BACON problem and provide critical information that can elucidate the driver situation on Windows.

If you want to help us understand said situation, we're going to need DSDT tables. We have scripts that can automatically generate this and all you'll need to do is boot into Linux from a Live CD/USB session once.

Help us, help you.

DSDT tables needed -- AMD muxless BACON switchable graphics laptops
AMD PowerXpress 4.0 "BACON". Optimus for Radeon. No known switch method on Linux.
Linux Hybrid Graphics

 

Yes, the switchable methods page was available. I am now downloading Catalyst 11.6 which is now available and I will see the how it is.

 

Hopefully someone who has a dv6t/7t will send you what you need. I won't have mine until sometime next week.

 

Have the following laptops been updated to dynamic switching?

dv6t vanilla edition
dv6t select edition
dv7t vanilla edition
Any of the aforementioned laptops with a 6490M instead of a 6770M
Any of the aforementioned laptops in quick-ship configuration

 

so i am trying to install the new catalyst and it is simply put, not working. I am getting a message that warnings have occurred and the installed files are no where to be found....?

I cannot view the log, the button is just not working

 

I did the exact same thing man.

I returned my HP and just bought an Alienware M17x R3 from someone unopened off of craigslist for $1000

A killer deal, cost less than my HP and is far more capable.

The only thing that kept me from getting a Sager other than the deal I got on this Alienware was the fact that no Sager models have backlit keyboards. I was considering the MSI GT780R or GX780 from XoticPC, and the Asus G73SW-XT1 ($1399 at Tigerdirect) before I found this deal.

The dynamic switchable graphics thing was just not something I could stomach with the HP. Admittedly the Alienware does have manual switching graphics with the AMD 6870m, but at least I'm in control.

EDIT:

Guess I should update my sig eh

 

i dont use adobe products that often except photoshop once in a blue moon

but the games make me anxious, do a lot of popular games use OpenGL? Like counterstrike or COD

 

Well, I have no idea about Linux, but I may try to provide what you need. I have a HP DV6 6100 Quad edition with 6770M 2GB graphics with latest drivers.

 

I finally was able to install Catalyst 11.6, no change...

That's what I'm talking about - currently dual booting with OpenSuse. Ill see if I can get you what you want

 

So my understanding from these threads is that the dv6t qe will simply not use the fancy upgraded gpu I ordered? Is that correct?

 

That's not a correct statement.

It uses the GPU in games and other applications that are DirectX/Direct3D capable that you've set to high performance. The rest of the time it uses the Intel IGP.

Anything in OpenGL (which is becoming a bit less common) will run through the Intel IGP.

All 2D is done by the Intel IGP as well.

 

I disagree with the statement that OpenGL is becoming less common.

Here's a few examples where not having OpenGL on the GPU would suck hard.

1. id Software games like Doom 3/4, Rage, or Quake are OpenGL-only
2. Any 3D on Linux or a Hackintosh
3. WebGL or OpenGL-based direct rendering
4. gl output from video players

It is my hope that the data collection will result in techniques that permit offloading of both 2D and OpenGL on the GPU unless there are in-wired hardware blocks.

 

Can I make a suggestion? Please put in your sig what model of DV6 u guys are using.....some of us(like me) are using the original DV6-6 series(ie we can still manual switch) and it will help others trouble shoot any issues you might be having. Also, you guys realise u can still buy the non-auto switching series of this laptop if you shop around or if screen resolution is a big issue buy the DV7.

 

I have updated to the latest F14 BIOS, and I still have the ability to manual switch. See my sig for the DV6 model I use.

 

Asus G74 up for pre-order. Might be great for someone sick of this HP nonsense. ASUS quietly releases G74 gaming laptop, promptly puts it up for pre-order -- Engadget

 

I seem to have trouble playing Angry Birds (It gets an error "Texture is too large: 2048x2048, maximum supported size: 1024x1024"). When I looked up the error, it seems to be related to OpenGL: Angry Birds FAQ.

I know that the switchable graphics doesn't seem to work with the Radeon card, but wouldn't OpenGL work with Intel? The weird part is that it worked before I switched to an SSD, and when I switch in the hard drive now, the game still works. Perhaps it's a driver problem? Currently I have the Catalyst 11.6 installed over stock drivers.

 

What is It


"Optimized driver for maximum compatibility"

LOL

 

Only a thousand bucks more than I paid for my HP.

 

Supported Products

These are listed as Supported Graphics cards for Dynamic Switching. Interesting

 

Two questions (I'll also look for answers / try them myself):

OpenCL support: I assumed this would work out of the box, but has anyone tried it?

There are registry entries that look like they enable / disable Power Express. Anyone know what they do? Anyone tried using them?

 

Are you talking about the "EnableDynamicScalingwithHWscaler" registry entry? I tried editing it to 0 instead of 1, but nothing happened. Perhaps you do that, then install the drivers?

 

I think anything with PX is related.

So for Intel driver:
PowerXpressLoad
PX2EnableConnectivityApi
PX2HPDEnable
PXACAdapter
PXDCAdapter
PXSplashScreen (has anyone seen a splash screen for PowerXtreme? this is enabled)

and similarly for the AMD driver..

There's also a lot of opengl app specific entries in the Intel driver. Anyone know what they do?

_oglapp_FurMark.exe
etc.

 

I am considering ordering this computer today because of the coupon, however, this switchable graphics thing has me really worried. I would use the computer mainly for Office, web browsing, HD videos, gaming, and Lightroom. How big of a problem would the graphics be for me? Are they going to fix this, or are people with the new model just screwed?

 

Yes, it's expensive.

 

People with the new model are screwed if:

1. they use s/w that fails to turn on the Radeon
2. HP fails to fix the problem in the near future.
3. they decide to keep the unit anyway, HOPING that HP comes up with a fix.


I never buy anything that doesn't do what I need it to do, from the get-go. too many s/w issues have gone unresolved for too long with too many products, including the oh-so popular Apple products.

 

There are a number that arent, and just as well appointed as the HPs

Custom Laptops, Gaming Notebooks, Custom Gaming Laptops | XOTIC PC

 

I'm still just aghast at how HP could screw up the most powerful, well-priced, and well-couponed midrange laptop out there.

Seriously, there's nothing else that comes close in customizable specs or price, not even machines with the GT 555M (both versions).

 

Not really. I just customized one at that link (as similar as I could get it to the HP, but it was STILL missing some features) and ended up at $1,585 plus tax, bringing it to $1731. The last DV6 I ordered, with a 33% discount, INCLUDING tax, PSE9, and $8 recycle fee was just $1,287.

 

I'll give HP (email) tech support credit. He actually understands what the problem is but has no clue how to fix it.

 

Just took a look at the Sager NP8130 from that site. Not bad, not bad at all
Similar configurations got me to ~$1350, which, I guess, isn't so bad considering it has the 560m. I might just jump for this deal once I return my dv6t sometime this week.

 

I'm not which kernel or drivers you're running, but would you mind testing the latest -radeon with vga_switcheroo and also test the latest Catalyst (fglrx)?

AMD says that manual switching will work (provided you restart X each time) on Linux for the dynamic switching notebooks.

If it's possible on Linux, it might be possible on Windows.

 

Thx, I just cheked them out. A similar configuration would cost a liitle more, but maybe it'd be worth it. A couple questions though:

Some models have the "nVidia GT 555M 2048MB PCI-Express GDDR3 DX11 with Optimus™ Technology" -is this a *** real ** discrete card? I mean, manual switch is possible, plus it can be used for OpenGl? I need a strong card mainly for Photoshop and Prmiere editing. The current DV6 6100 just does not use the "discrete" card in photoshop, even if photoshop is set as "high performance"...

 

I am a bit confused now. I have been charging HP and AMD customer service to get back the manual switch option. However, as I as reading some more, it appears that even with manual switch there is no OpenGL support. is that correct?

If you have installed, can you check in Photoshop whether it recognizes and uses the AMD card instead of the Intel? This can be checked even in the trial version of Photoshop CS5, free from Adobe.

 

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but look at the small print on the bottom of this page: AMD Dynamic Switchable Graphics Technology

It says "With AMD Dynamic Switchable Graphics technology, full enablement of all discrete graphics video and display features may not be supported on all systems (e.g. OpenGL applications will run on the integrated GPU or the APU as the case may be)"

So it appears that this is more AMD's fault than HP. Pretty ridiculous...