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

I emailed the CEO and i got this message:

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Your input is important to us and very much appreciated.

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Copy and paste your email here.

 

Hi,

I am not as educated as all of you regarding the intricacies of this problem. I just purchased a dv6t quad and I am waiting for it to be built.

I am not a gamer but wish to do some video editing on this machine. Not professional level, but consumer level. Like a Cyberlink PowerDirector since it's 64-bit compatible.

Will the 6770M not function while using this program??

 

According to the Cyberlink website,

Accelerated video encoding on AMD graphics cards requires the user to install the AMD Media Codec Package, also known as the Avivo™ Package. This package is available as an optional download when obtaining an AMD Catalyst™ Display Driver for AMD desktop graphics and notebook graphics products, available at Advanced Micro Devices.
2. CyberLink PowerDirector 9 also supports AMD Fusion E-series & C-series Accelerated Processors Technology.

Unfortunately I don't know whether this is working...

 

This website is for all skill levels so don't ever be afraid to pose any question. If the software uses OpenGL, which Photoshop does, it will only use the Intel HD graphics at this point in time. Look at the software you're going to use and see if uses OpenGL. Even if it does and unless you're working with huge video files you *should* be ok. I use Photoshop from time to time and the only way I see this affecting the average consumer is if they are working with RAW photos all the time. If you are a professional photo/video editor and you use OpenGL software the dv6t/7t isn't for you until/if they get this switching BS figured out. My dv7t gets here this week, if customs ever releases it , and I plan on keeping it. You are getting a heck of a lot of hardware for ~$1,000.

 

My time is running out so have to decide in a couple of days if I can keep my 6100 or just return it and get something else. Can someone clarify these:

1. the 6100 with Radeon 6770m will definitely not work with OpenGL, no matter manual versus dynamic switch?

2. enabling/'unlocking' the OpenGL support can be done somehow, or is it absolutely impossible as it is now a hardware limitation? Or is it now?

3. If I get a different laptop with the Nvidia gfx 560m, would I able to:
a, have full manual control over when and what I want to use the nvidia for
b, use the gfx 560m with OpenGL applications?

4. How does the Radeon 6770m measures up against the gfx 560m? I saw the benchmark stuff, but I am interested in the real-practical differences, i.e. photo/video editing. Is there anything to 'watch out for' when choosing a system with the gfx 560m? Some people mentioned here to 'get burnt' with the Optimus before...

My apologies if these questions are slightly off-topic, but any comments would be appreciated.

 

Just to reply to number 3: you will ONLY be able to use 560. No manual control because intel IGP is disabled and cannot be turned on no matter what.

 

Hi everyone, just stumbled on something interesting. I was having trouble with WoW after a minimized restore so I used driver sweeper to get rid of the drivers after uninstalling them through control panel. I installed the AMD driver that HP put up a few days ago and restarted. I then installed the 11.5b hotfix(I unchecked the CCC install under the custom install section), again I restarted. Then I went into windows update and installed the optional update for the AMD 6770M. Before I restarted I wanted to check the CCC to make sure everything was still working after the update. To my surprise, this is what I found.


I know all of you who are working on getting a fix might be interested in this and if you need me to post anything else for proof or what not I can.

**Note - I haven't restarted/touched the settings in fear it will disappear, so if you guys that are working on it need something I'll try to get it before I have to turn of my computer or anything of that nature.
**Note - I blacked the serial out for privacy reasons.

 

Here we go again.

How about you reboot your computer at least two times and see if you still have selectable manual graphics options and while the Radeon is selected, go into some programs you have that can show that it is REALLY active. thanks!

Also, what driver did HP put up "a few days ago"?? I looked within the last two days and hadn't seen anything new.

 

1. According to AMD's website it can work with OpenGL if it is implemented by the "hardware manufacturer". This seems to me like AMD is passing the ball to HP about the switching. This tells me AMD can make it work with all OpenGL software if they get around to it.

2. In another thread there are some Linux guys working on it. You wouldn't need to run Linux to use the "fix" IF they come up with one just temporarily.

4. The two are comparable IMO.

 

here's a screen shot of the LM720AV graphics files HP has up currently. they aren't new.

 

You have to reboot the laptop. If the settings don't hold it's pointless. I mean it's good that you found that though. I'll have plenty of time to fool with it once customs is done molesting it.

 

what he posted (so far) is identical to what shorty posted, giving all of us false hope. What this guy describes doesn't make sense anyway as there are NO NEW GRAPHICS DRIVERS at the HP site for this model. They are currently dated 5/6

 

All I want is a switch to use the 6770M all the time. I could careless about battery life. I am itching to get mine though. I have a fresh copy of W7 Ultimate to do a clean install with. The only thing I'm going to get from HP is the BIOS and a few obscure drivers, fingerprint reader, etc. I'll go find all the other drivers from the manufactures.

 

The only thing we can do is complain to AMD and hope the next driver revision fixes it. At this point I plan on keeping it unless some really good deals come along between now and before my 21 days are up.

 

Going to try and replicate what Imwithstupid11 did tonight. Thanks for listing the steps you took; now others can test to see if this can be done

Personally, I'm really interested to see if the broken features would work in this mode (OpenGL, overclocking, etc.). Another thing is the performance - I've noticed that FPSes posted on this forum were consistently lower in the 61xx series than in the 60xx series on many games. I'll test out Witcher 2 to start things off.

 

Guys I just brought a dv6tqe 6100 full spec'ed. 2820qm bluray 1080p etc. Should I cancel this or what reading this thread. Glad I just saw this but I'm concerned to say the least.

 

Nah, you shouldn't cancel.
Only return if the laptop does not meet your requirements of actual usage.

 

Da

Dave you're the sad side show here. Get out a bit more rather than troll this thread daily. You're so tedious its hilarious. Plus he's not wasting my time and he definitely can't be wasting yours. You don't even have this laptop!

 

And if that would mean I couldn't play diablo 3 (when out) or other games on the ATI? Some people here are saying there ATI card is never on. Sounds like grounds to cancel...

 

Hey guys, I just received my dv6t today, which I purchased based on recommendations from this site.

I was aware at the time of my purchase that the switchable graphics was an issue to some but I didn't think it was widespread. Now i'm concerned that when I start gaming i'm going to have crappy performance due to whatever bug is plaguing the graphics drivers.

I'm looking for more information regarding the issue but can't seem to find much besides what is in this forum.

Anyways, can somebody please update me on this issue?
Is it widespread? Is HP aware and have they informed anybody that a fix will be coming soon? Do the graphics fail to switch only when performing certain tasks/playing certain games or is it dependent on the resolution? etc?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
Whatever the issue is I really hope it is resolved asap. I'd hate having to go through the hassle of returning and purchasing another laptop.


Oh yeah... What would be the best way to test my switchable graphics to see if they are working properly?
Like I said, I just got it today so haven't really installed any graphic intensive games yet. Any other ways?

 

its for openGL programs that this "issue" effects. most programs work fine, like my games

 

Guys and Gals....If you have a DV6T-6100 or DV7T-6100 the following applies:

The switching issue is ONLY with software that uses OpenGL. If your game/software uses OpenGL it will not switch to the 6770M it will stay on the Intel HD. For some this is a deal breaker for others it is not. It's not a matter of if your switch is broken. It only concerns OpenGL programs and it applies to ALL DV6T-6100 and DV7T-6100 models.

 

Just received this email today from an HP technician. I am not sure if it's of any help, but here it goes:
-----
"Please be informed that, the dynamic switching is trying to provide a better experience when end users switch GPU while saving more battery life. There will be no flashing screen or indication as previous platforms during GPU switch.

Examples: DV6-6000 and DV7-6000 series only support fix mode while DV6-6100 and DV7-6100 series only support dynamic switch mode, even they’re using the same graphic chip-Radeon HD 6770M.

In Fixed Mode you can change the CPU from Low performance to High performance or vice versa. This can be done by right clicking on desktop or selecting it from ATI Catalyst Control Center in control panel. The GPU switching is also done by changing power modes.

For dynamic switching units, most applications are using iGPU by default. You can go to CCC to configure the dGPU (high performance)/iGPU (power saving) on each app by themselves. When you do switching, it does not require shut down and restart of an app to kick in. (No longer see a blank screen with a 6 second delay)

You will not be able to put old drive from a DV6-6000 and DV7-6000 series on a DV6-6100 and DV7-6100 series to get the old manual switchable graphics to work or vice versa."
-----
So they really think they have "made progress" and they helped to improve the customer experience....blablabla...
But does the last sentence imply that thay can't because of AMD or for other reason? We are back to the beginning: who's to blame?

 

damn... Well some of the software that I use uses OpenGL and i'm not sure that the intel HD will suffice for all of them. Not sure about games though, I plan on playing some SC and BF3 when it comes out, probably some mmo's also..

This might just be a deal breaker for me...

I assume that most of the people who purchase these laptops have some intentions of using intensive OpenGL applications and the fact that HP hasn't addressed this issue yet is ridiculous...

knew I should of went with the Asus...

 

HP...the new limited-use laptop maker...

 

I have had to clean up numerous posts in this thread. Keep your comments non-personal and on topic. If I have to come in here again, I will do more than delete posts.

If you really have a problem with someone, then PM a moderator. That's partly why the mod team exists - to handle personal problems and disputes.

Thank you.

 

Nope, seems like it was a no-go for me. Bummer
It looks like this is a hit-or-miss situation where it sometimes works, but mostly doesn't. I'll go ahead and give it another try later today, but so far I've only been disappointed with my efforts.

 

Anything running DirectX should work. Starcraft 2 works great so I shouldn't think diablo should have any probs. It only really OpenGL games that don't work plus a few random older games. When a fix comes along everything should work.

 

To starplaya:

You could test it out by running 3dmark11 and or 3dmark vantage and post your results if you would like You could also just install your favorite game and give it a go. Don't worry about installing programs, you have this for 21 days and can return it if things aren't working out for you. HP seems to be really good about that.

I'm still on the fence about returning my DV6. HP already sent me an email RMA email after about 10 mins chatting online with customer service. Basically I just said that I bought this computer for the MANUAL graphics switching, and HP changed that without telling me first.

Anyway, I'm still on the fence about returning it. Really there seems to be no better laptop at this pricepoint, ie. great batterylife/good screen (the 1080p)/blue ray/graphics/processor. I'm still kindof thinking of returning it and somewhere from $200-$300 more for a few less options. I'm eyeing the malibal 8130 which has a better gpu, but the lack of battery life is going to HURT ME HARD.

I'm a gamer but I don't play a lot of different games. I was hoping that RIFT would have worked better for me. @1080p it isn't great, I can't really see any difference from my old 8800GTS(320mg) and 550be AMD phenom II, desktop. I'm pretty sure it's just a "NVIDIA works better with Rift" thing. If I run on medium/low with tweaked settings, it's smooth, but pretty much the same settings as my desktop. I just wanted more eye-candy. The thing is, this KILLS my desktop in terms of general performance. Startup and general snappiness is night and day in comparison.

I do have to say WOW seems to run a LOT better than my desktop, I also recently got Left4dead2 via steam (it still might be available for $6.99) It runs very smoothly. Only other games I've tried so far are HL2,HL2DM both are flawless, QuakeLive (browser game at this point) great fun, zero issues. Trackmania, flawless. QuakeLive might be running on the intel graphics, I don't even really know, I'm just saying that it's fine either way.

The only real games that have that I have read from this forum are Minecraft which is openGL and Dave's favorite, FlightSimulatorX.

Just test your favorite games, see what is working for you. Also do a minimum system install and try the new drivers and test again if things aren't working optimally for you. You have 21 days. Have fun and good luck

p.s. I know Dave had issues with FSX, does anyone else remember trying any others?

 

whenever i'm on the verge of buying a laptop, oems find new ways to cripple their hardware.

 

Hello again, I'd like to add a couple notes to the results I got. For one, the CCC page for the manual switch was not functional, I tried clicking the high performance but it did not seem to register. To confirm this I loaded up minecraft, again it was very slow and obviously running on the intel. So, although I was able to get to this screen, by no means was it functional. I was merely showing that it exists. Thanks to those who appreciated my input, I didn't have to post it I just thought it was an interesting occurrence that related to some of the discussion going on. I'm sorry if my post caused any problems and by no means was it a guide to fix the switching issues.

 

I hear you, and for me, this issue takes the cake.

 

Reply back and say why does it not switch to the 6770 when ANY OpenGL program is running like say Photoshop which you'd figured you'd want to use the 6770 with.

 

I gave up and bought a thinkpad e520. If i don't like it and end up returning it i will keep an eye out for this thread and the one about the ideapad y470, but i'm not eager to spend $700-900 on a gaming laptop that struggles with dynamic switching Xo

 

Hmm, that's unfortunate. However, I'm also interested in something else. Did you see the option to switch between manual and dynamic switching methods? I believe shortyclimbin did, but I wanted to know if you did too. If that's the case, then it's highly possible that HP or AMD is working on a fix right this moment. Otherwise, it may just be a glitch that caused the CCC stuff from the 60xx series to show up.

EDIT: I believe it looks something like this:

 

It only never turns on for OpenGL applications (Adobe Stuff, Minecraft, Brink, etc.) and for some reason FSX. It works for all DirectX games I've tested so far, including: Starcraft 2, Oblivion, Dawn of War, Heroes of Might and Magic 5, World of Warcraft. If you ask me, it'll most likely work for Diablo 3.

 

thanks a lot for the insight. It seems like I won't have to worry about the dynamic switching in regards to games (although I am slightly worried that there may be future releases that I want to play that are openGL)

Has hp acknowledged the issue and/or are currently working on a fix?

 

I haven't been here in a while, why is the need for manual switching so great? I wish it would automatically go on my dv-6000.

 

edit: I'm actually installing the Rift 7 day free trial now. Seems like a great game to get into since it's new and a lot of reviews for it are saying it's the best mmo since WoW.

Anyhow, I checked a while back and I believe it actually runs on Dx8 if i'm not mistaking...That means we should be able to run it pretty smoothly on high settings right?

 

I got that screen when the bug hit me back when everyone was crucifying shorty. Would their be some way that we could take a snapshot of the windows registry of a before and after and then see what keys are different? I can no longer return the laptop and i need openGL for school so this is very important for me. Like the previous dv6 overheating issues I am willing to support a class action lawsuit against HP if this issue is not fixed.

 

I didn't have an option for the switchable graphics methods unfortunately. Just one setting under power that said "Switchable Graphics". I'm starting to think that it may have just been a glitch. I also noticed that when I applied the 6770M windows update driver i had 8 or so resolution options instead of the 4 that I have normally with my 1366x768 screen. A lot of weird things with these drivers. This is my first Radeon gpu and I've had more problems with it in 2 weeks then all my other nvidia gpus combined. Hope everything works out .

 

Hello, I recently bought a HP dv7tqe with the Radeon 6770M graphics card. The switchable graphics feature is giving me some trouble. It does not appear to be using the Radeon whatsoever. DirectX, OpenGL--both are using the Intel. I tried with Civilization V both having set the program to "High Performance" and "Power Saving" without any difference.

I went to Control Panel>System>Device Manger and disabled the Intel card. The resolution was then limited to 1024x768. When I tried to open Catalyst Control Center, it displays a message which reads, "No AMD graphics driver is installed, or the AMD driver is not functioning properly. Please install AMD driver appropriate for your AMD hardware."

I ran AutoCAD 2011 both with the Intel HD Graphics enabled and disabled. It actually ran smoother with it disabled. I chatted with support online and they recommended re-downloading and reinstalling BIOS and both graphics drivers again. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

If it's that simple then........This thread is going to blow up, lol.

Hopefully it is!

 

Oh mate, don't worry about that! I have been throwing everything at them, hoping for the best, but prepearing for the worst... - so return request is on the way.

Btw, a good friend of mine has been doing academic research in marketing. They look into issues like brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and 'brand forgiveness' - this is about what companies could/should do so that customers forgive the screw ups. Though he is not a techie, I recommended him to follow up this issue. It may make a good case study, regardless of the outcome.
In the meantime, we want a working solution from anyone: HP, AMD, or the Linux folks...

 

Maybe it ran better because it was a lower resolution.
Plus, graphics can run without drivers, but not at their full potential.

 

Do not demand a solution from the "Linux folks". The Linux folks shouldn't have to compensate for HP and AMD's inability to make proper drivers for THEIR products that they sell in order to make profit. These two corporations have a legal and ethical obligation to provide what is advertised to their customers. HP advertised the 6770m in their laptops, and AMD advertises the 6770m as able to support OpenGL. Why the **** don't I have OpenGL on my 6770m?

 

Us Linux folk are doing this for you, asking nothing in return but data and maybe no more than an hour of your time. Heck, we approached you.

HP is ignoring you publicly. We're listening and working on a solution ahead of or parallel to them. If we beat HP, so be it.

If we manage to blow your minds and figure out that manual switching is possible, what's the problem?

 

I don't know if you guys have the option in your OpenGL heavy application, say Adobe CS, but Solidworks has an OpenGL checkbox under options. When trying to run Solidworks on the IGP with the OpenGL required box checked, you get a message reminding you that you have that enabled. Forcing OpenGL compliance via the Apps option, if available, might force the use of the discrete card.

 

That really means a lot. You guys don't have to worry about us and yet you do, says a lot about you all's character.

If you need anybody to test, I just go my dv6t today and i'm willing to help out as much as possible just so long as you explain what exactly I need to do.

Once again, thank you all very much and please don't be swayed by any rude/disrespectful comments that you may see. I assure you that the people leaving them, if any, are doing so strictly on their behalf, the rest of us are more than grateful for what you are doing.