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

There is an US court ruling in one of the Intel v Nvidia (I can't to find the direct one). It prevented Nvidia from packaging Intel Drivers in their graphic drivers to that helped enable their version of switching graphic. AMD is respecting that ruling.

The workaround was through OEM driver packaging. Nvidia did this for almost a year, then they adopted a non-OEM dependent installer with their drivers which works with generic models and enable switching for models that supported it.

Also, OEM can opt-out from being supported by AMD main drivers. The ones you normally download from AMD.com.

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The problem of getting a switching choice is still at the mercy with HP, you guys are nearly near the time when HP stop updating the graphic section and HP just released 11.4 for 6100/6000 with the same softpaq on their site.

 

Has anyone tried just copying the required dlls and sys files in safe mode from the 6000 series drivers? Maybe the setup program doesn't install them correctly.. I read a thread where someone reinstalled windows and turned his 6000 notebook into a dynamic switching ccc set up. Anyway I might just be exchanging my 6100 for a 6000 instead.. need the opengl to work for game development

 

I've tried to use the 6000 driver on my 6100 (yes full clean install from safe mode) and it still went dynamic on me. Major pain...

 

I just installed the latest AMD and CCC center on a fresh oem wiped install. You now have an option to pick manual switching based on power supply vs. application needs. Select that and when you are plugged in you can set it up to always use the 6770 card now. and the intel card when you are on the go. It also allows you to manual switch them with a little delay in the power menu.


This is on a 6100 system. So... I am hoping this means thier is not much difference between us and the 6000 users except for the better screen options.

 

1. do you mean you did an HP recovery so that your system is EXACTLY like a 6100 out of the factory?

2. even with my wonky, useless SG problem-child, it APPEARED that I could choose which video card to run on AC power, BUT in ACTUALITY, that did not happen. Can you show a screen shot of the utility in your system tray, or any other means of proving that the Radeon is active 100% of the time? And if so, what's the URL of precisely the drivers/CCC you installed, and HOW did you install them?

If what you say is true, I will reorder another DV6 TODAY, but I need proof that what you did causes the Radeon to run 100% of the time, no if's ands or buts.

Please say it's true!

 

Wow. I hope this is genuine. Was about to try modded drivers to see if it fixes the problem. Speaking of which has anyone tried the DNA drivers yet?

 

are you sure that u can manually switch ?

and when you say latest drivers , do you mean 11.6?

 

Ok, inspired by shortysclimbin post, I'm gonna reinstall a clean version of windows 7 made from a oem copy i own instead of the one included with HP's recovery disks. I will then manually install the 6000 series drivers and see if they work.

Since I don't really have anything important on my notebook (seeing how i recently bought it) and that I have already created the HP recovery disks, I should be pretty safe. Let's see how this turns out.

 

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you guys... been testing things and working on getting it all sorted out. I am not 100% sure it is completely fixed yet though see below.

For the record I have a DV6T Quad 6100 edition with 2.2ghz i7, 8gb ram, and the 2gb 6770 ati card, with the HD screen.

This is what I did:

1) Fresh HP install via hp recovery install without added crap software
2) installed new bios update (yes fresh one)
3) Rebooted
4) Installed new ATI update (fresh out today)
5) rebooted
6) Reconfigured windows 7 to remove more crap and speed up performance a bit
7) configured graphics card and switching properties to be manual.
8) Installed 3dbench mark and google chrome to send these messages


After the FULL install CCC allows you to have two options see below screen shot:




This then allows you to setup your power settings as follows:



Testing for my 3DMark11 showed P1450 which is low. I am going to retest it here and see if it changes. Their is one other update option that may fix things as well and that is for the Intel card I have yet to install. I plan on finishing the driver updates when I get home tonight. We have quite a few drivers to install between yesterday and today these are the ones that HP supports . Therefor they should work right . I am also having issues with GPU-z displaying properly with my high resolution. I can only see a portion of the screen with it right now. Good news is it states the proper update bios 2104 PC14.34 01/18/2011 and the ati as 8.830.6.2000

UPDATE: Fixed screen scaling that is setup for stock installs.. now gpu-z works right.

 

Are you talking about the setting in the advanced power options for the nvidia with the plugged in and battery. If so that as far as I know is a standard windows settings option. But maybe you mean something else?

 

Thanks for the detailed post. I get my dv7t next week and I have a fresh copy of Ultimate that's going on. The only piece of HP software I want is Cool Sense. I'm going to update the BIOS/Chipset, do a clean install then park myself on HP's website downloading drivers for an hour, install the latest CCC and cross my fingers..lol

 

Michial, See above. Although you are right you can do some of it There and adjust some other settings for better desktop or remote use I did not do it that way until after I had the graphics CCC menu setup.

Otancon, Save yourself some work... Go here hp drivers archive notebook review forum Actually I downloaded everything yesterday from hp and there is more listed here than on HP's site... Soo typical.

 

The screenshots definitely look promising. I'll have to do some playing tonight to see if I can manually get the same setup without a clean install.

 

Sounds good dark rider. I would be interested in your 3dmark11 scores too (basic non pay version). I am wondering why I am lower than others and what I can adjust to get it up to p1600 or so..

 

Has anyone else gotten the switchable to work on the new 61000 revision?

 

I'm giving it a shot right now.

 

im downloading the new graphic drivers for the 6100 right now..hopefully the "fix" was because they were just released and not necessarily because you did a fresh OEM install

i have the latest BIOS and did a fresh OEM install as well, I just used the drivers in the SWSetup folder. games work fine i just dont understand why my gpu-z has been showing weird information (like ROP showing 4 instead of 16, showing 0 for gpu clock speed, etc)

 

windows update fixed this issue. manual switching is now working within CCC.exe

 

anyone got the 33% coupon code handy??

 

I believe the code is NBQL6835

 

i installed the latest AMD drivers on the HP page for the 6100 and i still dont have an option for manual switching nor does gpu-z show correct information about the graphics card

basically i saved the swsetup folder and windows activation, reinstalled windows 7 using a windows 7 disc i made, and installed it on a ssd. i then just downloaded all my drivers from the swsetup folder.

i've been able to play LoL, WoW, starcraft 2, and even the Witcher 2 very well, but I don't understand why I don't have this option to manually switch and why gpu-z is so f***ed up for me. does anyone know what i did wrong or could change?

 

He said "FULL" install, I'm guessing he used the drivers from AMD for mobility.

 

so , are we able to manually switch by updating the driver without the need to wipe and reinstalling win7 ?

 

ok so i just "updated" my drivers by downloading the 80mb download for the latest AMD mobility drivers, and while i still cant change to manual switching and gpu-z still can't show my gpu properties correctly, my 3dmark 11 score went from ~1450 to 1523

 

Well I just did everything he says he did and I still have no option for manual switching.

 

I'm still waiting for shorty to give me the URL to the exact driver he downloaded.

 

Yeah, CCC has an update to 11.6, but whenever I install it it still reads as 11.5. I'm hoping a successful upgrade to 11.6 will do the trick. Very exciting if it does work!

Edit: shortysclimbin, what version of CCC are you running?? Check for us, please!

 

where do u see what version of CCC you are running?

 

Open up CCC first of all, then look at the information section and click "Software Update." It should show there.

 

I'm confused by shorty's comments. HP doesnt have any new graphics drivers. the current one is from 5/6. if the driver is from ATI directly, I thought that wouldn't work on these systems (other than the "hotfix"). did I miss something along the way?

 

shortysclimbin: can you give us download links for what you did?

 

and this caveat is on the ATI site for the CCC download page:

 

I think we've been taken for a ride, fellas. (and here I just went and ordered another DV6!)

 

Not so fast now! There IS an update to CCC that might fix the issue. It's just that I haven't yet successfully installed it.

 

yeah i can find the information section, but it only gives me a few options: check for driver updates, contact customer support, visit amd.com, follow catalystmaker on twitter. clicking check for driver updates brings me to the driver download page on amd's website

i installed my ccc originally from the swsetup folder so maybe thats why, but i have updated it since then, but it hasnt changed at all for me

 

I'm not having any luck either. I tried an install over existing 11.5b and fresh driver install after a clean sweep. No dice.

 

Wow you guys... it was in the other forum...

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp53001-53500/sp53025.exe

I did the normal esc, f11, option three format that HP offers. not a full blown re-partition and format... That comes after I get everything working. I am still working on installing other updates. I will keep you all posted. I also had an interesting issue today with the driver not being found for the ati card under a new user account. Good news though 3dMark11 scored p1521 still lower than others with my setup.. wondering if upgrading to the 11.6 version will help.

PS- CCC is offered in the install file.

 

me neither. doing an MSI then trying what he said. hopefully it works...? couldn't seem to ever find that elusive Switchable Graphics Method page...

 

^^^Let us know how it works ASAP!

For now, I tried running that package shorty linked to... but nothing happened. =(

 

I REPEAT, I think we were given bad info. I'd love to eat my words, especially with a DV6 just freshly ordered, but it looks like shorty is going to come up "short". Guess I'll be sending back DV6 number 6, once it arrives. too bad HP won't just let us cancel.

 

didnt work here . just wasted two hours trying to make this thing work.

 

How do we get shorty's "rep power" changed to MINUS 1000?

 

i honestly dont care for the ability to manually switch graphics (dynamic works great IMO), i just want my gpu-z to show the same stuff as his!

 

Guys.. I had it working this afternoon I swear! I actually only have this one 6100 so where would I have found those screens?

Odd thing is.. after shutting down again today at work and coming home my computer couldn't find the CCC?!? Turns out I just reloaded it and now its gone! Going to remove all the ati software and work fresh from this update. I don't know why it would show up and then not again... I restarted the thing at least six times this afternoon from lunch on! GRRR this is frustrating! Mine might go back in the box too! Hope HP is reading this!

 

Whatever you do, don't update the CCC once you got it working.

It's ok to update the driver, but updating CCC is a bit tricky sometimes.

 

I believe you. But is returning the laptop the only option. Dynamic switching is not that bad. From what i read you cant play minecraft, FSX, and Second Life. But they are other games. I played both Mass effects and Batman AA on my new dv6tqe-6100 with basically maximum graphics, all with at least 30 fps.

 

okay, just finished the MSI. making an image of the HD using acronis right now, before doing ANY updates in windows update or driver installation (so i can come back to this point anytime in less than 10 min) and then trying exactly what you said.

So if i have it right...

minimal system restore -> sp53025.

and thats it right????