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

garvart, I recall there being such an option "aspect ratio" in CS 1.6

you can also manually set the width and height using a program argument (i.e "C://Program Files/Counter Strike/cs.exe" -w 1920 -h 1080 - google for more info)

 

I think you tal about "widescreen\normal" option, sometimes it is really displayed as aspect ratio. Thanks for the idea, I will try, but anyway - there is a driver problem. As I said above - Gothic 3 won't work too.

 

Just to confirm: Does this BIOS update fix the dynamic switching, or simply provide a manual switch to jump back and forth between the two? And has it been confirmed to fix OpenGL on the dv7t 61xx series?

Thanks! Just wanted to be sure. This is what I've been waiting to here before buying it. Nothing in my way if this is resolved.

 

i can't confirm openGL yet, but it does just add the option to use manual switching, which does support openGL in the 6xxx so I can only imagine it does support openGL in the 61xx.

 

Hey guys so I have two questions.

First, is there anything we need to change after switching to fixed mode in the bios?

And secondly what kind of windows 7 experience index scores is everyone getting now? I had the dv6t 6000 edition and the score was 6.9, now the score is only a 6.7? Any ideas?

 

It's out now.

 

Thanks, Cap!

 

after i downloaded the update and overclocked a bit (look at the overclock thread for instructions on how to do that) i got a 7.1

 

My fixed dGPU Windows Experience value is 6.9, stock. I haven't done any overclocking at the moment, and probably won't. Haha. The power of this card has finally been tapped into thanks to HP.

Whoever said complaining gets you nowhere? Psht..haha.

 

I just ran 3mark06 and got a 6600 score when before I changed to fixed graphics mode I was getting around a 10600. Does anyone have any ideas that could help me?

 

For some reason my windows experience rating is only 6.6 on the dGPU.

EDIT: Nvm... I just ran it again and it updated to the correct score of 6.9.

 

I LOVE YOU GUYS

Thanks for a memorable customer service, all of you.

Never forget the power of nagging companies excessively. :')

 

I just updated and switched fixed, then I chose High performance mode. My WEI score for both graphics and gaming graphics jumped from 6.6 to 6.9. In Armagetron Advanced (a free game - tron game in 3d) the frame rate is nearly 5 times what it was with dynamic, namely almost 500 fps (so says the indicator), but the frames actually look jumpier. Any ideas as to what might cause this? I am about to update catalyst. I'll get back after I do.

EDIT: It seems to have fixed itself before I could update catalyst. All I did was switch to intel then back to AMD.

 

It sounds like you might be having the problem I had. After I switched to fixed graphics, I noticed the AMD card was performing worse on benchmark programs than earlier under switchable graphics. I then uninstalled the AMD graphics card driver and then installed the newest graphics card update from the HP website. This seemed to fix the problem.

 

Excuse me, can you give me the direct link to that "newest graphic card update"?

 

Software & Driver Downloads HP Pavilion dv6t-6100 CTO Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (Canada - English)

 

em, using them 3rd week already...

 

open gl works now, with the manual switching. Not so sure about dynamic havent tried it. Also programs like gpuz now correctly report the clocks for the 6770m.

 

thanks a lot.

 

Shouldn't we be giving them good reviews now? The dv6t doesn't deserve a 3.1 lol

 

I've updated the post by deleting most of it. I'm away from home for the next few days so will post a more detailed update when Im back.

 

Dynamic does NOT work, but fixed definitely does. Had no problem running Furmark.

 

I need Linux testers as soon as possible.

I need fglrx 11.7 results before and after the BIOS update.

 

something tells me that fixed/manual is more important than dynamic. at least one has control....

 

Do you guys have ssd's or something? My score for graphics went way up to 6.9, but the score for the Primary hard disk is only 5.9. I have the 750 GB 7200rpm hard drive is that normal?

 

can somebody explain this to me. I always thought manual graphics switching would be impossible hardware wise, because of the muxless setup in the dv6t, how did hp do it?

 

That's what we're trying to understand.

I can only assume that the IGP is doing display-only.

 

HP didn't do anything since they don't design the graphics components. AMD does. They simply enabled existing hardware. I'm guessing they had 2 muxes, one to control whether the display mux was enabled or not.

 

My 620 GB 7200rpm Samsung is also 5.9.

 

Quite normal. I have two WD 300 GB Velociraptors in RAID 0 on my desktop with X58 motherboard and i7 950. They score 6.2. I have the Intel X-25 SSD in my Envy 17 3D and it scores 7.7

You have no worries

 

yeah i have the crucial m4 solid state drive that uses sata 3, so it gets a score of 7.9

my graphics score is 7.1, though

 

Thanks guys, I was worried for a second but im glad it is normal. I oc'd a bit and got the graphics score up to 7.1 also. Id give you guys some reps but it says ive given away too much in the last 24 hours so maybe tomorrow

 

Very satisfied right now. I finally got to play my minecraft without excessive lag! That's the main reason I wanted this fix, and we got it.

Power to the people!

 

I need Linux testers as soon as possible.

I need fglrx 11.7 results before and after the BIOS update. Especially after.

 

Dear friends,

I'm very glad to see that HP users finally won the switchable graphics battle against HP Now that you have fixed mode BIOS option, please support Dell users too:
IdeaStorm | Update Vostro 3550 AMD 6630/Intel HD 3000 Switchable Drivers
Dell Vostro 3350/3450/3550/3750 share the same set of hardware as your PCs, so we have the same problem with switchable graphics.
It seems that Dell don't care as there are not so many people asking for it.
Please support us too... Sorry for offtopic.

 

it appears to me that when hp released the new bios, this enabled the ati stuff to do what it was designed to do -- the mux in this case must be software. the igp must have the ability to pass the instructions on to the gpu for actual rendering.

what amuses me here is to ponder why hp released this laptop without this feature enabled. must have been an oversight in the bios team...

 

I hate the word mux.

Why would manual switching be impossible in this setup? The only thing that would be impossible would be to completely disable the iGPU, because it IS the multiplexer.

Edit: Also, there are no video multiplexers in the 61xx.

 

de-mux is an amusing word to! is the manual switching question about switching ad hoc from the keyboard, for example, because clearly the ccc gives manual control over the igp mux.

in the hm67 chipset used in the envy 17, the mux is in hardware i believe

 

Did the new releases fixed all the problems or any exist?

 

there was some confusion over having to enable manual switching in the bios. hockeymass is reporting that dynamic is not working right -- but we don't yet know what that means, i.e. what should dynamic do that it does not. hockeymass what is not working?

 

Dynamic switching still won't work for OpenGL programs, but if you have it set manually to the 6770M then everything works as it should (i.e. the intel HD card doesn't get used, unless you have specified for it to be used, especially useful when on Battery mode).

 

Correct. Dynamic works the same as it always did. OpenGL apps will still revert to the Intel GPU, and you will not have any ability to OC. However, you also will get more convenient app based switching. The good news is that it retains your app/GPU preferences when you go into the bios to switch back to dynamic, so those users who only use manual switching for OpenGL functionality will not lose their settings. However, it obviously does require a reboot to get into the bios. Battery life will likely be about the same for either choice, if you have the manual switching set to revert to the Intel GPU as the standard, and only manually switch to the 6770m when needed. For the AC setting, leave it set to the 6770m all the time, and don't worry about it. Both the dynamic and manual function as they should. I'm quite happy that HP made good on this fix!

 

Have most of you switched back to the .2000 drivers (most recent HP release)? I've tried the 11.5b and 11.6b/11.7 and the HP drivers weren't the fastest, but they are the most reliable over the widest scope of games. In fact, I have yet to have any problems using the .2000 drivers for anything I play.

 

Like lachycharts said, dynamic is pretty much the same as it was. Attempting to run OpenGL programs will not engage the 6770. I tried Furmark and it failed to run. Fixed switching, which is what I have it set to now, works swimmingly. When you plug and unplug the notebook, you get a window asking you if you want to switch.

 

I am very happy that the problem is fixed and will the new ones be preinstalled with the new bios? also If the 6770 is always on will there be any heating issue?
and will the OpenGL apps work on 6770 If 6770 is always on in bios?

 

The BIOS update that fixes the switchable graphics issue seems to be only for Intel processors. What about the fix for the laptops with AMD processors? I have a HP Pavilion dv6-6135dx with an AMD processor, and I have updated my BIOS to the most recent version. However it does not fix the issue.

 

There was no issue with AMD processors...

 

I think they have the same issue as Sandy Bridge: OpenGL always runs on the integrated GPU. Of course, Llano's iGPU is more powerful than that of Sandy Bridge, but it is still a far cry from the performance of a 67xxM card. HP will probably fix it eventually, but I doubt it is as urgent (for one thing, there are way fewer people complaining about it).

 

Guys i just have a question, i got this computer and following this thread.
i just updated Fixed Bios mode and after opened CCC. if you look these pictures why is looking maximum bus settings x8 ? shouldnt be x16 ?

 

you have the 61xx series. all of them have 8x lane going form intel to AMD for dynamic switching. this is something that bios cannot fix - it's wired that way.

the performance loss is negligible - it's about 1% loss, if that.