T500 video card(s) (problem?)

hello today i got thinkpad T500 (4gb ram) and i installed windows 7 64bit and i installed drivers that was requiered. But i cant switch video cards between intel and ati. I istalled drivers for intel but i cant istall for ati. I have tried istalling form all over the internet but nothing helps. i cant even install catalys control center.please help me switch video cards.

 

IIRC you do not need to install the Intel graphics. The 'ThinkPad Switchable Graphics Driver' found on Lenovo support seems to be a custom graphics package that bundles both the ATI and Intel graphics for switchable graphics ThinkPads.

Note: To use the switchable graphics you would need to have the 'Lenovo Power Manger' installed also.

For the T400 I own I right-click on the battery icon (Lenovo Power Manager taskbar icon) and a menu will pop-up with the options to switch from integrated to discrete graphics. I do not have my T400 but it might say "Performance" and "Energy Saving" instead of discrete or integrated. You could also change settings in BIOS but for switching while operating in Windows you would need the packages I suggested.

Here is a link for the Thinkpad Switchable Graphics Driver for Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit.

 

Ok, i just did install lenovo power manager, but it still dont allow me to install display driver for ati and i dont have option to switch graphics card. In BIOS under Display there are just two options non of them is to switch graphic cards.

 

There is a seven digit alphanumeric code under your T500. It should be where you see a bar code. It is in this format XXXX-xxx and has the word "Type" by it. Could you post that seven digit code? Or you could do this yourself and go over to Lenovo and click on the "Support" tab.

You should now be taken to a page that has an option for "Quick Path." Click on that option and enter the seven digit code. You should be brought to a screen that has the building configuration that your T500 was originally manufactured with. Check to see if ATI HD3650 is included in the original building configuration.

When you go to BIOS there should be a setting for your graphics. I suggest you go through each entry (try not to change anything as we just want to check your options) and look again. The video card is permanently soldered to the T500 motherboard. This means it either was manufactured with the card or it did not have one to begin with. If the search with your model number indicates that there is no ATI card then you have the integrated graphics model of the T500.

 

2241-WSJ
The notebook is refurbished and from where i got it it says , Integrated Graphics Controller
P8400
in bios under display there are two options.When i can i will post a picture.

 

Are you sure that code is correct? It does not exist in the Lenovo database for ThinkPads. I have another idea. Boot into BIOS and get the model number from there. It should be on the first screen that comes up when entering BIOS.

EDIT: I am looking at a picture of a T500 BIOS posted here.

Look at the row that has 'system unit serial number.' We are interested in the first seven alphanumeric digits. That is what you will enter into the Lenovo>support>'Use quick path' field.

ALSO if this picture is correct your switchable graphics control in BIOS will look like this.

ALSO when I had asked you to look at the bottom of your T500 this is what I wanted you to look and take note of. We want the digits denoted by 'machine type.' We do not need the serial number- only the machine type.

 

Not all T500 units had switchable graphics, some of them were shipped with Intel only...so yes, the proper 7-character model number is a must in order for anyone to help you out here...

 

i know i tried it in the support page it didnt work for me too
In the other bios pic i have only first two rows, so that means that i dont have switchable graphic cards

Anyway i have encountered another problem with downloading. i will make a new post about it.
Thanks for your help

 

No.

That means that the motherboard was swapped at some point and proper procedures were not followed after the fact...

If you open up the machine and remove the palmrest there should be a FRU number where the RAM slots are, which identifies the motherboard. That's the best I have at the moment.

Good luck.

 

If i get the code i have to post it here? And what will you be able to do about it? When i open up the machine i couldnt just check if the graphic card is there? Thanks for still trying to help me

 

Best thing to do, is open it up and see. You really only need to lift the kb out to be able to see if there is an ati chip.

 

I can say with 99.9% certainty that if gummpy cannot see switchable graphics configurations in BIOS- gummpy has integrated graphics only. As forum member ajkula66 has mentioned not all T500 came with switchable graphics. There were models with only the Intel 4500MHD integrated graphics also.

@gummpy. Have you not contacted whomever sold you the T500 for answers??? Where did you buy your T500 from? Did the seller advertise the T500 as an ATI swtichable graphics model?

 

Well, the graphics card will be hidden under the fan/heatsink assembly. If you follow my suggestion (remove just the keyboard and palmrest to look up the motherboard FRU by the RAM slots) you won't need any additional disassembling...and then you can post that FRU - or any codes that you find in that area - here...

Your ThinkPad, your call, by all means...

Good luck.

 

I also could not get my thinkpad t500 ati video card working, the configuration of the lenovo t500 i bought from laptopcloseout is here , i see ati video card and Intel graphics listed in the device manager but when i go to display settings, it shows Intel video card only.
any ideas?

 

Have you installed Power Manager and the graphics driver package for the discrete graphics model of the T500? You can switch between the graphics chipsets by right-clicking on the Power Manager gauge in the taskbar and then selecting the GPU.

 

If you could please turn your T500 over and type out the 'Model' XXXX-xxx digits here. These seven alphanumeric numbers will tell us a more accurate picture of what hardware your T500 left the Lenovo factory with. I am asking because that site you linked advertises a T500 with NVIDIA graphics. AFAIK there are no T500 with NVIDIA graphics.

 

thanks, i got it to work , i downloaded the Lenovo system update utility and from there downloaded the AMD switchable graphic utility, worked perfectly (sorry for the wrong link before, the correct link)

thanks

 

@ mariam-h. Wonderful! Congrats :thumbsup: