iGPU still on while gaming with 7970M

The Intel + AMD combination isn't working right. The iGPU is supposed to be off and just be a gateway to the display for the 7970M. But that is not the case, the iGPU is still on and I think it's hampering the performance.

Or it could be my interpretation of this is wrong. Try this. Some wondered, even though you choose vSync in game, you still have tearing. Well if you go to the Intel HD Graphics console and enable Vsync, behold you have forced Vsync now. In your game video settings, turn it off. The iGPU ensures you have forced Vsync now. If you change the AF settings, behold you now have 8x AF or whatever.

It's really weird to me, seems to me the iGPU is still functioning, it's not off.

 

its driver problem, i think its been reported a lot

 

I guess you didn't read what I wrote as I have not seen anyone post what I just observed.

 

oh maybe not, kinda skimmed over it :S sorry

 

My impression was that all the visual processing was done on the 7970M and the iGPU just sends that to the display, just be a funnel/gateway/ whatever. But since the iGPU is applying AF and Vsync, makes me wonder if the iGPU setting for the 7970M+EM series is broken. Especially considering the 7970M is running awesome. I'm starting to think it could be the Intel HD 4000 that is slowing it down.

 

so i am guessing its still a driver problem? i mean if its a hardware problem, then it should occur with 680 as well

 

It's the way it works, iGPU is running Explorer.exe while dGPU only deals with assigned applications. It's the same on Optimus. How did you even come up with iGPU being shutdown? If iGPU shuts down you lose your screen .

 

Not shutdown, but it's not supposed to be processing anything. All it is supposed to be is a conduit for the 7970M to the display. The 7970M does everything, but from what I had shown, the iGPU is still actively processing.

 

iGPU deals with Explorer.exe and other application that's assigned by CCC's profile, Enduro isn't as smart as you think . It doesn't send all app onto the HD7970M when a game is launched. Instead, the HD7970M reacts as a 2nd GPU and runs only the game you started, and after the game is finished, the dGPU turns off itself when nothing is using it.

 

That's not how the whitepapers for switchable graphics say it. It's said all processing for the 3D game is done by the dGPU and the iGPU just feeds that to the display. But the iGPU on mine is processing it. That doesn't seem right to me. I don't care about explorer.exe, I'm talking about 3D not 2D.

 

Hmm, interesting read. Hope this thread turns out educational..

Thanks guys.

 

If you don't care about 2D what do you mean the iGPU on yours is processing? You mean the game or what else is it processing except the 2D programs? Also Explorer.exe is just an example , there are other programs that are assigned to the iGPU and still "using" the iGPU while the game is running on the dGPU.

And this:

It's performing exactly what it stated, dGPU for the game and iGPU for the screen . OS is using your iGPU and the game is using your dGPU, iGPU creates a window for displaying what the dGPU has processed, do you get it now?

 

It's not as stated. And stop trying to explain to me how switchable graphics works, I'm not stupid. I know how it works. Instead of trying to explain that to me, try to read what I'm writing here.

The iGPU should be just a 2D card and then the 7970M being the 3D. There have been setups like this in past and worked fine. My Voodoo 2 connected to 2D only Matrox card functions better than this. From what I observed, it seems to me the 3D for the iGPU is on, when it should be off. What I wrote I think demonstrates that the iGPU is on, it's processing AF and Vsync to the 3D when it should be just a 2D and 7970M doing all the 3D. This to me indicates the iGPU being the cause of slow downs. And it could be cause of why 7970M users are experience odd behavior such as same FPS whether it's high or low.

It's obvious the switchable graphics for Optimus and Enduro is NOT functioning the same as Optimus is not suffering like Enduro is. I'm not sure why you are even trying to suggest it's the same when you having a 680M already demonstrated you're not suffering from the issues 7970M users are facing.

So again, I KNOW how switchable graphics work, I know how a muxless system works.

 

iGPU isn't a card, is basically a CPU that's rendering Graphics.

If you mean the screen setting in the game then yes it's using the iGPU, screen resolution and refresh rate. Other than that nothing else is using the iGPU unless the game wasn't assigned correctly as the Enduro driver is supposed to do. On Optimus, the program is assigned by the name of the .exe that the game is using, it doesn't detect whether it is 2D or 3D. Now the question comes, Enduro detects the program by its name or 2D/3D state?

 

Actually, let me suggest you something, open up 2 instances of GPU-Z, one monitor HD4000 and one monitor HD7970M, fire up a game and see the result after.


And this is how Optimus work: When a game is launched, NVIDIA driver detects the .exe and it doesn't question if it's 2D or 3D, if the .exe is previously assigned to NVIDIA GPU in the NVIDIA profile, then NVIDIA GPU runs the .exe. Then HD4000 creates a gateway window and display what the NVIDIA GPU has processed. If the .exe is previously assigned to HD4000 on the NVIDIA profile, then HD4000 runs the .exe.

Please state where the Enduro is working differently.

 

Of course the iGPU manages v-sync. The 7970M isn't connected to the display panel. No idea why you would expect otherwise.

You do have a tendency to talk about technical issues you have absolutely no clue about.

 

i think he is trying to say that he wants to manage v-sync and the other stuff over the 7970m and just pass it through, it looks like the igpu is ignoring the v-sync off command from the 7970 but v-sync is still on because its activated for the igpu
at least thats how i understand it

 

I agree. He kept on going on about how "Enduro suffers" yet the suffering is that some games require you to do some tinkering to force-switch to dGPU, not perfect but not insurmountable or affecting a majority of cases.

 

i dont think you know what you are talking about, - what is currently being referred to as "enduro issue" on these forums has nothing to do with wrong GPU being used. When people are moaning about enduro they are usually complaining about 7970m being severely under utilized in a lot of games. There does not seem to be a fix available at the moment.

 

Vsync, AF etc, are all in the 3D tab for Intel for a reason. I don't understand why the iGPU would be processing 3D. It should be just displaying whatever the 7970M is processing. Seems to be a a messed up hybrid multi GPU setup to me. Why is the iGPU rendering the 3D, when it should be just a pass through.

 

There's no v-sync and AF option in CCC?

 

there is, however i am with hula on this. once i enabled Vsync on the igpu, my screen tears went away in several of my games. it doesnt seem to work at all unless you set it in the igpu. enduro just sucks. im playing the secret world right now and i get 35-40fps on ultra. my buddy with a gtx 460m is getting about 27 -32 with the same settings... thats just infuriating. i cant get my usage to go above 75% on that game! this 680m can not get here soon enough

 

On GTX675M/680M enabling v-sync in NVIDIA panel stops the Tearing completely, I guess that's one thing AMD needs to get onto.

 

This is true for me as well. Massive screen tearing in civ 5 on high 1080p until I forced vsync in intel control panel.

 

It's pretty weird huh? Makes you wonder if the slow iGPU is preventing the HD7970M from being fully utilized. I'm starting to think this is why I get 35-60 FPS on Ultra in BF3 and get the same FPS when I lower it to Low settings.

 

definetly sounds like the bottleneck to me! if this is an amd vs intel conflict im concerned about the timeframe it will be resolved in. i may be switchin to a 680m for personal reasons but im still rooting for AMD

 

I wouldn't want an Intel iGPU to have one finger on what happens to the video processing coming from the 7970m. Many issues with Enduro that need to be resolved.

 

Secret world is the first game that supports TXAA, looks like you'll have some fun when your GTX680M arrives (Must install 304.79 to use TXAA).

 

i know i already have the driver on my external for when the gpu arrives