My discoveries on Vaio Z’s Hybrid Graphics

	- a community thread on nvidia hybrid graphics technology -​	-Latest News-
	(Our) Discoveries On VAIO Z'S HYBRID GRAPHICS	[ July.1st, 2011 ] - Added Andrews builds. [ Dec.1st, 2010 ] - Redesign emphasizing community effort. [ Nov.27th, 2010 ] - N263.00/I2022 for VPC-Z posted by thomaskc.dk.

BE AWARE: This thread was started back with the VGN-Z series in 2009. It has since been updated to include the VPC-Z1 series of 2010. With the release of the VPC-Z2 in 2011 Sony has changed the dGPU from NVIDIA to ATI and moved it outside the notebook. This thread currently applies to the NVIDIA series of Sony Vaio Z from 2009 (VGN-Z) and 2010 (VPC-Z1). We are working on updated drivers for the Z2 but they are in early testing.

**THIS POST MAY BE EXTREMELY OUTDATED. FOR THE LATEST SEE ANDREW08s POST HERE**​

For VPC-Z1 series Vaio Z users wishing to use standard non-modified Intel or Nvidia drivers (without switching capability) be sure to check ComputerCowboys driver thread for BIOS Hacked systems. Note: This method requires a modified BIOs and you loose Switchable (Hybrid) Graphics capability. Meaning you can only use either the Intel GPU OR the Nvidia GPU, not both.

-=> Driver Downloads <=-

Sony Vaio Z Hybrid Graphics Drivers [ Community Built ] => USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! <=
VPC-Z Model (Z11/Z12/Z13)
Nvidia Version	Intel Version	OS Version	Download Link/Signing Status	Builder/Source
263.14 (8.17.12.6314)	2281 (8.15.10.2281)	Windows 7 &amp; Windows Vista	64bit Download *Signed (read before installing)	Andrew08 (post #2512)
			32bit Download
263.14 (8.17.12.6314)	2266 (8.15.10.2266)	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download *Signed (read before installing)	Andrew08 (post #2512)
			32bit Download
260.63 (8.17.12.6063)	2202 (8.15.10.2202)	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download *Unsigned (see signing notes)	Nautis
			32bit Download *Unsigned
VGN-Z Model (Older model with Geforce 9300M GPU)
Nvidia Version	Intel Version	OS Version	Download Link/Signing Status	Builder/Source
263.08 (8.17.12.6308)	2020 (8.15.10.2020)	Windows 7 &amp; Windows Vista	64bit Download *Signed (read before installing)	Andrew08 (post #2512)
			32bit Download
263.08 (8.17.12.6308)	1994 (8.15.10.1994)	Windows 7 &amp; Windows Vista	64bit Download *Signed (read before installing)	Andrew08 (post #2512)
			32bit Download
260.63 (8.17.12.6063)	2020 (8.15.10.2020)	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download *Unsigned (see signing notes)	Nautis
			32bit Download
191.90 (8.17.11.9190)	1994 (8.15.10.1994)	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download	Nautis
			32bit Download *Unsigned
Important Information
*Disclaimer* Community Drivers are put together using information learned from trial and error and based on community knowledge. They are packaged and modified by members of the community. If you choose to download and use these drivers you do so at your own risk. Using community drivers can result in unexpected crashes and may cause your notebook to run hotter than normal. Community Drivers do not go through the same testing process as officially released drivers and no warranty of any kind is implied. These drivers are only recommended if you are comfortable with testing and know how to handle any problems that could result from the installation of this software. Notes for Andrew08s Builds Please read Andrew08s main post for instructions, frequently asked questions, and more information on his builds! <a name="unsigned" id='unsigned'>[/URL]Driver Signing & Test Mode for Community Built 64bit Drivers *Required for proper functionality of unsigned drivers* 1.)Download Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider 2.)Disable UAC (Can usually be done by typing MSCONFIG in run and going to the Tools tab. You can re-enable it after installing the same way.) 3.)Run the Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider and choose "enable test mode" 4.)Reboot. (You should see Test Mode at the bottom right corner after reboot.) 5.)Run the Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider again and choose "Sign a System File" 6.)In the box type "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\nvlddmkm.sys" and click ok (do not include the quotes.) 7.)Click "Sign a System File" again and this time put "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\igdkmd64.sys" (do not include the quotes.) 8.)Reboot and all should work. Note: There is a way to remove the "Test Mode" watermark text on the desktop background but I will not link to it because it involves modified windows files. Note: I do not recommend using ReadyDriver Plus as it involves modifying the bootloader. I have had reports of people who have used it and lost data/partitions. [/p]

Sony Vaio Z Hybrid Graphics Drivers [ Official Releases ]
VPC-Z Model (Z11/Z12/Z13)
Nvidia Version	Intel Version	OS Version	Download Link	Builder/Source
190.24 (8.16.11.9024)	2021	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download	Sony
			32bit Download
188.88 (8.16.11.8880)	????	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download	Sony
			32bit Download
VGN-Z Model (Older model with Geforce 9300M GPU)
Nvidia Version	Intel Version	OS Version	Download Link	Builder/Source
187.35	1872	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download	Sony
			32bit Download
186.84	1872	Windows 7 & Windows Vista	64bit Download	Sony
			32bit Download
Important Information

-=> History of Switchable Graphics <=-

• 1st Generation - Switchable Graphics
• 2nd Generation - Hybrid Graphics
• 3rd Generation - Optimus Technology

-=> Overview <=-
NOTE: This information is copied from the old thread as a placeholder. I am going to be updating it as some of the information is inaccurate.

Nautis' Hybrid Graphics How To

Hybrid Graphics Defined (As I see it)

To better understand Hybrid Graphics let me first explain about another technology called Hybrid SLI:

Hybrid SLI is defined by Nvidia as ".. a revolutionary platform innovation that allows you to intelligently scale graphics performance by combining multiple NVIDIA graphics solutions in an SLI-Certified motherboard." It achives this using two subtechnologies called Geforce Boost and Hybrid Power. Geforce Boost as defined by Nvidia ".. turbocharges the performance of NVIDIA discrete GPUs when combined with NVIDIA motherboard GPUs." It utilizes the 3d capabilities of both Nvidia GPUs together for added performance. Hybrid Power (once again as defined by Nvidia) "..unleashes graphics performance when needed and switches to quiet, low-power quiet operation for everyday computing." It does this by basically switching off the discrete Nvidia GPU while continuing to use the motherboard GPU.

Nvidias Hybrid Graphics (aka Switchable Graphics) is a variant of Nvidias Hybrid SLI technology. Like Hybrid SLI it allows the ability to scale graphics performance by combining GPUs. What makes Hybrid Graphics different is that it uses an Intel motherboard GPU in combination with a discrete Nvidia GPU, rather than two or more Nvidia GPUs. Because it does not use two Nvidia GPUs Geforce Boost is disabled and it instead focuses on Hybrid Power. It utilizes Hybrid Power by allowing the exceptional performance of the discrete Nvidia GPU when needed and switching it off and using the Intel GPU when not needed. Most Hybrid Graphics notebooks have a way of manually switching between the Intel and Nvidia GPUs. There is not really a time when both Intel and Nvidia GPUs are utilized its usually either one or the other.​

How Do The Drivers Work?

Hybrid Graphics is both a hardware and software technology. Its drivers are packaged together with Intel drivers in a way that allows the Hybrid Graphics technology to function. In order for Hybrid Graphics and GPU switching to work the drivers must be combined. The discrete Nvidia GPU will not work on its own without the Hybrid Graphics drivers while the integrated Intel motherboard GPU will. If you install Intel drivers on their own Hybrid Graphics, Switching, and the Nvidia GPU will not function properly. Part of what makes the Hybrid Graphics driver package unique is that it forces the Nvidia drivers to basically become host since they control switching.
Technically speaking there are no specialized Nvidia or Intel drivers needed for Hybrid Graphics. This does not mean however that that all Nvidia or Intel drivers will work fully with Hybrid Graphics.​

-=> Community Corner - How To Build A Hybrid Graphics Driver Package <=-
NOTE: This information is copied from the old thread as a placeholder. I am going to be updating it as some of the information is inaccurate.

Identifying your graphics hardware and its Hardware ID.

Open Control Panel -> Device Manager.
Double Click "Display Adapters".
Double Click "NVIDIA Geforce….." .
Click the "Details Tab".
For Device Name: Under Property choose "Device Description". It should be the only thing there.
For Device ID: Under Property choose "Hardware IDs". It should be the one on the second line.
Note: You can easily copy the information on the details tab by right clicking and choosing copy.

Example
My Device Name: NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
My Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_06E5&SUBSYS_9025104D

This should be all the information you need to locate your device in the INF.
​

Breaking down the Hardware ID

PCI\ = Connection Type (PCI Bus)
VEN_ = Vendor ID (10DE = NVIDIA)
DEV_ = Device ID (06E5 = GeForce 9300M GS)
SUBSYS_ = SubSystem ID (9025104D = Specific Sony Vaio Z hardware configuration)​

Locating the sections related to your graphics hardware in the Nvidia INF.

It is usually easiest for me when modifying a driver install information file (INF) to start with the strings at the bottom.

Example

Code:

[Strings]
NVIDIA_DEV.06E5.01 = "NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS"

We can see in the example this INF supports my graphics device as we have found both its Device ID and its Device Name. Now that we know this particular INF supports my graphics device we can continue.

The next and one of the most critical areas for hardware identification is located near the top under [NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1].

Example

Code:

[NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1]
%NVIDIA_DEV.06E5.01% = Section002, PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_06E5&SUBSYS_9025104D

Breaking down this example

• %NVIDIA_DEV.06E5.01% = links to the [Strings] section at the bottom of the INF.
• Section002 = Tells the installer to use [Section002] for this device.
• PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_06E5&SUBSYS_9025104D = The Hardware ID of my Vaio Z. This is the part that the INF uses to detect if this driver is appropriate for my system.

One thing to note is that if the SubSystem ID is missing or excluded the installer will use the Device ID to identify the hardware. This means if we shorten it to PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_06E5 it will install on all NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS' with the Device ID of 06E5. This is very useful if you need to create an INF that works on more than just specific systems.

It is important to note that NTamd64.6.1 applies to Windows 7 and NTamd64.6.0 applies to Windows Vista. So the string information under them only applies to the corresponding operating system.

Moving to [Section002] we see things like AddReg, CopyFiles, DelReg and RegisterDLLs.

• AddReg = Settings that will be added to the registry when the drivers are installed.
• DelReg = Settings that will be deleted from the registry when the drivers are installed.
• CopyFiles = Files that will be copied when the drivers are installed.
• DelFiles = Files that will be deleted when the drivers are installed.
• RegisterDLLs = These will be the DLLs that will be registered when the drivers are installed.
• Feature Score = Is basically a driver rank for our purposes the most essential information is F6 = Windows Vista and E6 = Windows 7.

The strings after the equal sign are some of the final locations that we need to pay attention to. Nvidia likes to mark specific sections with numbers after the string if there is more than one section required in the INF.

Example

Code:

[Section002]
…
 AddReg = nv_miscBase_addreg__02
…
CopyFiles = nv_sysDrivers_copyfiles
…
RegisterDLLs = nv_common_registerdll__02

In this example we can see the settings under [nv_miscBase_addreg__02] will be added to the registry. The files under [nv_sysDrivers_copyfiles] will be copied to their marked locations. The DLLs under [nv_common_registerdll__02] will be registered.

One of the most important sections to pay attention to here is nv_miscBase_addreg__##. This section is where the majority of the settings that will be used specifically for your graphics hardware are located. There are usually multiple nv_miscBase_addreg__## entries because each is unique to the individual graphics hardware of which a typical INF supports many.

And with that we have the general flow of the install information file when the driver is installed. In my case using the previous examples, the flow to find the settings specific to my graphics hardware is easiest to read as:
[Strings] -> [NVIDIA_SetA_Devices.NTamd64.6.1] -> [Section002] -> [nv_miscBase_addreg__02]

Now that we have some of the basic understanding of the flow and function of the INF we can move on to some specifics.​

How a Hybrid Graphics Driver Is Built

A Hybrid Graphics driver consists of four main parts.
1.) Intel Driver Files
2.) Nvidia Driver Files
3.) Hybrid Graphics INF (Which is a combined Nvidia and Intel INF with a few modifications critical to Hybrid Graphics.)
4.) And two files specific to Hybrid Graphics only: nvbridge_int.kmd File (A file unique to Hybrid Graphics. The "_int" portion refers to Intel. While the file sizes may be the same the nvbridge_int.kmd is different than nvbridge.kmd.) and nvdisp_IH.nvu (A file unique to Hybrid Graphics found in newer releases. I assume the _IH stands for Intel Hybrid. This file contains the uninstall information for the Hybrid Graphics package.)​

Files Needed
nvbridge_int.kmd (usually found in officially released hybrid graphics drivers or in drivers posted to windows update catalog)
nvdisp_IH.nvu (only with old style installer 260 series and below)
nvtmmhyb.dll (may be required for windows vista capability and is usually included in the control panel installer)

The INF

The Hybrid Graphics INF is both Nvidia and Intel INFs combined into one with a few critical modifications.

The following has been added to the Hybrid Graphics INF versus the standard Nvidia and Intel INFs:

Code:

[Section###]
AddReg = nv_HelperGUID_AddReg

[nv_HelperGUID_AddReg]
HKLM, "System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NVLDDMKM", NVIDIAHelperGUID, %REG_SZ%, {9A516B97-E7C1-451B-9165-C5035994A3F5}
HKLM, "System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NVLDDMKM", SecondaryHelperGUID, %REG_SZ%, {6C4BE3D5-831A-42ED-AA62-2AEB34C8CBA4}

[iCNT0]
AddReg = nv_Hybrid_AddReg

[iILKGM0]
AddReg = nv_Hybrid_AddReg

[nv_Hybrid_AddReg]
HKR,, "DefaultHybridMode",, 1		; Default is EnergySaver

The following has been changed in the Hybrid Graphics INF versus the standard Nvidia and Intel INFs:

Code:

[nv_commonBase_addreg__##]
HKR,,UserModeDriverGUID,%REG_SZ%,"[color='Red']{5F507F20-AEB0-4C37-A10C-FFBDF3269C76}[/COLOR]"

[CoInst.AddReg]
[color='Red'];[/COLOR]HKR,, CoInstallers32, %REG_MULTI_SZ%, "igfxCoIn_v####.dll, CoDeviceInstall"

[CoInst.CopyFiles]
[color='Red'];[/COLOR]igfxCoIn_v####.dll,igxpco64.dll,,0x00000010

[iCNT0.Services]
AddService = [color='Red']nvlddmkm[/COLOR], 0x00000002, igfx_Service_Inst

[iILKM0.Services]
AddService = [color='Red']nvlddmkm[/COLOR], 0x00000002, igfx_Service_Inst

[igfx_Service_Inst]
ServiceBinary  = %12%\[color='Red']nvlddmkm[/COLOR].sys

[igfx_SoftwareCommonSettings]
HKR,, UserModeDriverGUID,%REG_SZ%,"[color='Red']{5F507F20-AEB0-4C37-A10C-FFBDF3269C76}[/COLOR]"

These are of course the major INF differences which are easily overlooked but critical to Hybrid Graphics functionality. There are other INF changes corresponding with the Hybrid Graphics specific files mentioned above. There are also other changes that are more along the lines of traditional INF driver differences.

See the INF comparisons or basic breakdown below for other differences.
​

Work in progress extras:
A basic 187.35 Hybrid Graphics INF breakdown can be seen here.
Some 64bit Comparisons:
File Compare: Standard Nvidia 187.66 -> Hybrid Graphics 187.35
File Compare: Standard Intel 1872 -> Hybrid Graphics 187.35
INF Compare: Standard Nvidia 187.66 -> Hybrid Graphics 187.35
INF Compare: Standard Intel 1872 -> Hybrid Graphics 187.35

Driver Extraction From Executables
In most cases drivers downloaded from companies will be in an installer or self extracting executable. There are a few ways that the drivers can be extracted from these executables. The three I use are WinRAR, 7Zip, and Universal Extractor. In some cases only one of these will extract the drivers properly from the original executable. For example:

- thread styling inspired by Nando4 and Justinkw1 -​

 

excellent work, can you provide this custom install package you created to us?

Thanks in advance.

 

Pardes3, if you mean the package with all of the latest versions I am in the process of adding the extra hybrid graphics stuff to it (see attached screenshot above) and I will post it.

 

Thank you for your work, I'm anxious to try these new drivers +1

 

Thanks nautis, I would love to try them as well

 

Is it possible for you to provide a x64 version as well?

 

My first post: Hello!


Good work, looking forward to the package (or just the modified inf file is poss?)

Rico

 

It may be possible, but I would not be able to test it. As far as I know x64 drivers have their own complications when it comes to non-certified drivers. So that is something to consider also.

Yeah rico it is primarily a modified inf (install) file. If you know generally what you are doing these driver packages should not be too difficult to put together. The first step being, pretty much just drop the inf file from the sony package into the benq install directory and install. Though there may be some files named slightly different. I may see if I can type up some better instructions on how to to this at a later time.

-
I hope to post the file sometime tomorrow. I am doing some final testing. I really only recommend these drivers for advanced users who can troubleshoot things to an extent on their own if they run into complications.

The interesting thing when factoring in the hybrid power portion of these drivers is that it allows for automatic switching between speed and stamina modes depending on certain scenarios (currently plugged-in or on battery). Less reliance upon the manual switch should equate to better power savings.

 

Thank you for your work! Should i uninstall the nvidia and intel driver first or can i start the setup during speed mode?

 

Wow, that looks good. Thanks for all your effort Nautis

What are the differences with the latest version available here compared to the one that comes with the Z series though? Do we know if they actually perform any better in games etc?

 

Uninstalling old drivers is always recommended.

Good question. No clue if there are any differences honestly. The version numbers are not all that far apart and there is no CUDA in these drivers, so any differences you would have to discover for yourself. I haven't done any benchmarks and I don't have many games so I am not sure of any performance difference. I have done this as a hobby primarily to figure out what is going on with our Vaio Zs when it comes to its video. My hope was to discover some way of figuring out how to use standard drivers with our hybrid machines. I have provided the package I made for myself because there were so many requests for it. The original intention for this post was to help inform others of the information I have uncovered thus far in hopes that we can work together to figure out anything else. So my hope is that anyone who discovers anything about these drivers good or bad please let us all know.

I have found some more settings for hybrid power that allow for manual switching by clicking the icon in the taskbar (might be good if anyones hard switch stops working.) This setting however is meant for desktop machines and has an option "Additional Displays" that is meant to output each sli card on your desktop machine to a monitor that is hooked up to it. I have no clue what it does with our notebooks.

 

OK, I'll probably just give them a try later then. Seems easy enough with the package you've made

 

I have been using these drivers and no problems so far. I did disable the auto power save feature since we have a dedicated button to flip between the two modes when needed. Good job.

 

Ok that means deinstallation nvidia in speed mode, rebooting, deinstallation intel in stamina mode and then install intel, reboot and install nvidia in speed mode - right?

 

Yeah I have left that disabled by default with the package I posted and I have posted instructions on how to enable or disable it through the registry. I had just uncovered it when I sent you that first package and didn't get much time to test it. After finding some of the quirks though I made sure to keep it disabled by default so people wont get confused.

There should be no need to switch to stamina mode to uninstall to install Intel drivers. The nvidia drivers need to be removed in speed mode though or they will not show in device manager. With the way the drivers are packaged technically removing the nvidia drivers with an uninstall should remove both sets. I like to make sure everything is gone by doing an uninstall, making sure they are removed from device manager, and then using driver sweep for the nvidia part.

-

This brings up an interesting point with the way this hybrid stuff is setup. I believe the notebook sees the intel as integrated and the nvidia as somewhat of an addon, hardware wise. This is part of the reason the nvidia part disappears in device manager if you switch to stamina. This is also the reason you can download and install the intel drivers from intel and they will work (not recommended as this disables the nvidia part.) Now here is where it gets somewhat complicated. The nvidia drivers are what control the hybrid graphics or the switching between the integrated (intel) and addon (nvidia). So while the notebook sees its primary video chipset as the integrated (intel) part, the nvidia drivers tell the machine that it is instead primary when switched to speed. Or at least that is my assumption at this point.

The inf of the hybrid drivers, when installing the intel part, points to the kernel portion of the nvidia drivers (nvlddmkm.sys) rather than its own kernel (igdkmd32.sys). This is why the standard intel drivers will install and work but the nvidia part will not afterwards. Because the standard intel drivers point to its own kernel rather than nvidias.

I will see if I can break this all down a bit more technically later. At least when it comes to the drivers for anyone else who wants a stab at it.

 

Ok so i´ve only to uinstall the nvidia part, reboot and then install the driver through the setup.exe? Is that right? So i´ll this testing tomorrow!

 

Well I will say that it will technically work that way.
The steps I personally use and recommend are:
1.) Uninstall "NVIDIA Drivers" (Control Panel -> Program and Features)
2.) Reboot
3.) If prompted that a new device was found choose "Ask Me Later or Dont show this again"
4.) I like to double check Device Manager for the Intel drivers to make sure they are Uninstalled (make sure the checkbox to delete driver software is checked.)
5.) Then I choose "Scan for hardware changes" (Action -> Scan for hardware changes)
6.) Again, If prompted that a new device was found choose "Ask Me Later or Don't show this again"
7.) Optional - I like to use Driver Sweeper ("Nvidia - Display" box checked) to remove any extras that could be hanging around.
8.) Reboot
9.) Install (make sure to choose "Install this driver software anyway when prompted")
10.) Reboot and enjoy!
That way you can be sure there are no file or setting conflicts.

 

So i was able to install this on vista and did as you said and all seems to work HOWEVER i don't have the DisablePowerPolicy in my registry,any idea why?

I'm going to try this under my windows 7 partition on my z as well and let u know the results

EDIT: Worked on my Windows 7 install too however due to me not being able to adjust the brightness when in "speed" mode i uninstalled and reinstalled the original driver.

 

Oops yeah that is because you need to add it as a dword. Sorry about that I will have to revise the original post noting that fact.

Hmm.. the original drivers allows for brightness adjustment in speed under W7 but the package I put together doesn't? I will have to look into that.

 

Naustis don't worry, there is nothing wrong with your driver. It is acting the EXACT same way as the original driver thus your driver is sound imo; no difference. It's just Windows 7 acting strange with it for some reason.

thanks

 

Nautis,

First of all, great post.

I have an experience that may prove your point. I work with a Matrox TripleHead2Go, with 3 monitors. I used to have a Vaio SZ with Vista32 and it worked fine. Vaio SZ also has a hybrid card (Intel + Nvidia) but without the ability to hot-swap (you have to reboot to change the card).

When I moved to Vaio Z, I tried to use TH2Go under vista32, just like I did before, but I kept getting errors everytime I tried to use a higher mode (I normally use 3840x1024). When I used a lower mode (2400x600) it worked. I noticed that the resolutions that were available to me were only those that would be available if I was working in stamina (Intel) mode and I started to think that maybe the TH2GO was "seeing" the card as Intel, even though I had the switch on speed (Nvidia) position. I downloaded a compatibility tool that Matrox has and bingo! The software reports my card to be Intel, instead of Nvidia.

I then assumed that maybe I would be able to use it under XP, since Vaio Z loses the ability to hot-swap with this OS. I installed XP and it worked just fine.

I told all this to the people at Matrox. Of course, all they told me was that the Vaio Z was not supported at this time.

If there is a way to force the TH2GO to see the card as Nvidia, I believe all my problems would be solved. Do you believe this is possible?

Regards.

 

rcs_brz, this may sound crazy but have you tried (in speed mode) going to device manager and disabling the intel part and then trying again. I just used the compatibility tool you were talking about and it reported success after I did that. It looks to me like that matrox tool just sees the first video part identified by windows and stops there. With the intel drivers disabled it sees the nvidia part first. If this does not work I have some other ideas.

 

why does the laptop go back to performance mode after reboot when I want it to stick in Vaio max battery? switch is set to stamina mode.

 

Great work Nautis. I have 'Vaio Optimised' power set and configured the GPU to use Nvidia on power and Intel on Battery. It works perfectly and is a quicker change than the switch. The Taskbar icon shows one boomerang on Intel and two on Nvidia and the STAMINA and SPEED lights on either side of the switch even change.

Cheers!
Gibbo

 

It sounds like the hybrid power stuff is still enabled somehow. You might want to double check the registry settings (make sure "DisablePowerPolicy" is set to "1") or you can download the .reg file here and apply it.

Or you can try to download the package I posted on the main post as it is a bit different than the one I sent you before. It has a bit newer intel drivers and has the hybrid power stuff disabled by default. My recommended method of removal and installation can be found here.

Thats great, thanks Gibbo. Yeah the automatic hybrid power stuff is interesting. I believe it automatically switches to the nvidia part if you run 3d and back to intel when the speed is not needed also. I have had my settings configured to use Nvidia on both battery and plugged in and automatically switch to save power on battery with 4 minutes idle. There is an interesting article here on hybrid power though it was written about the desktop version.

 

very interesting topic, Nautis!
i also have made my own hybrid driver set for SonyZ

http://rapidshare.com/files/187787230/VaioZ_NV185.20_INT1608_rev3_by_Sorg.rar

this is only for Vista 32bit!

Update
Revision3:
- fixed: in revision2, displays in standard display properties were absent.
- added manual video card switch through dialog by another way - patching nvsvc.dll. It will preserve correct card information in system tray.

I think, this is final revision. At least till new info about tweaking hybrid mode.


Revision2:
- fixes problem with not correct GPU settions options (includes changes for inf file mentioned later in this thread)
- adds manual Intel/nVidia switch through system tray icon (thanks to Nautis!)
- PhysX installer has been removed. Link to nVidia download site has been placed instead. It gives chance to download latest PhysX driver.

------------------------------------------
It includes latest available drivers from nVidia (v185.20) and Intel (1608).
Hybrid feature works well, according to my tests.

DisableUI and DisablePowerPolicy are both set to 0 in inf file.

i suggest following procedure to install driver:

1) Switch to "SPEED" mode (required!)
2) Remove NVIDIA driver through Control Pannel -> Programs and Features.
3) reboot.
4) Open device manager and make sure there are two Standard VGA cards. One is ok, another with yellow mark. If there are different names of cards, then delete it manually and reboot. Start this step from beginning.
5) Open device manager and delete both VGA cards starting from one with yellow mark. It will clean registry from garbage.
6) reboot.
7) Windows will find two standard VGA cards. Reboot if windows will ask to.
8) In device manager update driver manually with provided one. You have to do this only on card with yellow mark (it's nVidia). Driver for Intel Video will be installed automatically with nVidia driver.
9) reboot.

after that everything should work fine.

 

I need that for Vista x64. That would be soooo cool.

 

smart0mat,
vista 64bit requires all drivers to be signed by trusted signature (costs around $400 per year) or WHQL signature (cost around $2500 per sign). Otherwise driver will be refused to install.
Are you ready to pay this money?

that's the only reason why i still don't want to migrate to 64bit Vista.
It's a really pain if you want to tweak driver (or write by yourself).
I really hate this "feature" of 64bit Vista.

 

wow, I've been reading the 185.20 thread @ laptopvideo2go here:

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=22522

and it looks like the general consensus of this particular nVidia driver was that it makes the GPU run toooo hot!

BTW, how were you able to turn this into a hybrid driver anyways?

 

WOW.. downloading now to try em out.. Sorg you may be my hero. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for when posting my original topic.

 

Nice work & Thank you so much!

I will try this driver and find out whether it could solve compatibility problem of PowerDVD8 Plus!

 

Nautis, at first it seems to work. The compatibility tool actually returns a "compatible" status. However, if I leave the Intel card disabled and reboot, the driver fails to load correctly, and I get a Nvidia card with an exclamation in the device manager. I tried rebooting again a few times, but the error remains. Under these conditions, TH2Go does not work, since it relies entirely on the video card driver.

I am anxiously waiting to hear the "other ideas" you mentioned.

Thank you.

 

i found one issue in GPU settings using my driver pack, options are wrong.
to correct this, need to:

In case you didn't install drive yet:
- in nv_disp.inf in section [nv.RegisterDlls] add string: 11,,nvsvc.dll,1
(i've attached modified inf file)

In case you already installed driver:
- run cmd.exe as administrator and execute: regsvr32 c:\Windows\System32\nvsvc.dll
Then reboot.

 

MegaMan X,
i'm not sure about heating problem with this driver. Probably it's relative to not all cards. Also, as far as i know, addon cards have fan controlled by nvidia driver. Probably, wrong speed of fan on this driver is the source of issue. If so, then SonyZ is safe here because it uses only system fan which not controlled by nvidia driver.

to create my driver pack i've used some files (Hybrid function related) from sony 7449 driver.

 

sorg, fantastic job finding the correct configuration for the inf to get these to work. The more I looked at things the more it seemed that there want really too much special about what I called the hybrid drivers. I tried many different drivers and many different configurations of the inf and I just couldn't get it to work. My assumption is most any standard drivers with properly working sli/hybrid power should function with this inf configuration, right?

Yeah I noticed the hybrid part was from the sony drivers. I havent noticed any functionality difference using the nvtmmhyb.dll (175.84) from the benq set. Is there any difference that you have noticed?

Again fantastic job finding the key configuration though. This should give a great jumping off point for us and removes the one huge limit holding back our our vaio zs.

I have noticed the inf configuration you use is primarily from 174.49 while just pulling the essentials for functionality from the 185.20 inf. I wonder if we can go the opposite route so we can make sure there are no updated configuration settings from the later sets that we are missing. There is also a new version of the physx stuff out 9.09.0010.

 

Hi everybody
I bought my Vaio Z (Z21 european version) in december and I was borring by the old nvidia driver...
I tried to install other driver but without success because I always lost the switch function...
So I really want to thanks you to Nautis an sorg for your job.
I tried yesterday Nautis's driver and it works fine but I haven't the Nvidia Control panel with this version even if I use the Nvidia card. But switch and graphics cards work fine.
With sorg's version everything works fine and I have my Nvidia control panel
So I really want to thanks you again.

Sorry for my english but I'm french

Just a little question. This driver use Cuda?

 

Nautis,
reading your first post in this topic gave me idea to try to mix drivers
After reading nvidia notification about upcoming support for hybrid function, i started to think that everything should be there already.
More i looked into inf, more suspicious difference in file set i found. So i came to conclusion that only several files missed in standard package.
I think, there is no problem to use missed files from 175.84. That's how we will able to tweak drivers. Probably, version of hybrid files is not a big matter, but anyway newer is better.

Inf almost fully used from sony's 7449 with some obvious additions from 8520. I've used 7449 as base just to avoid some possible incompatibilities from other vendors and to focus on 8520 porting.
Actually, inf file from sony has some tweaked hardware depended keys like brightness control and so on. So, i think inf from 7449 is better for first time.

Of course, need to compare inf files from 7449 and 8520 to add possible new missing features. If you can do this then it will be great

What i really want to find is registry keys to enable software manual switch between cards and probably to be able to use them both at the same time
If you will look into nvsvc.dll by some resource viewer, then you will see different kind of dialogs for manual card switching.

I'm busy by other projects and not sure that i will able to spend the same amount of time to discover new features or tweak inf, since my main target (port latest nvidia driver) has been achieved.

Actually, there was one big reason why i did all this: I hate the way the driver switch between multi-monitor to single and vice versa. When i attach external monitor and make it primary (integrated LCD becomes secondary) - both monitors start to blink many times. Couple times it became infinite till i reboot notebook.
Also, there are annoying blinking when i reboot notebook.
Unfortunately, 185.20 version didn't solve any of my problems.

Well, at least i've got latest nvidia driver with some new extra features in control panel.

 

Yeah I haven't really seen much of a difference by studying the file. Much agreed.

I have been able to get manual switching with the taskbar application to work. I will edit this in a moment to give the settings. EDIT: Ok I have uploaded a reg file here which allows for manual switching using the taskbar icon. I am not sure what other side effects these settings have so be aware. (See screenshot attached for example.)

And quite the achievement indeed. I love the idea of putting the version numbers at the end of the id strings for intel and nvidia also btw. I have a package that has the intel and nvidia parts seperated out that give proper version identification in windows to the intel part, they are just a tad more complicated to install. I am working on a package as I type this combining our findings. I was getting to the end of the line on what I could do with the utilities that I had but this opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.

Sorry to hear that you were not able to remedy what you originally set out to achieve. Hopefully we will discover something that will help on this front.

More later.

 

can you tell which registry key enables manual switch through windows dialogs?

 

I have edited the post above with the appropriate reg file attached.

EDIT:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\Hybrid
"HybridPlatformRole"=dword:00000001
"DisableSmartHybrid"=dword:00000000

 

Nautis...Sorg...

you guys are effing geniuses!!!

I am LOVING these new drivers!

 

Why, exactly? What do they provide that the original drivers don't?

If we could get the latest version, yeah, I could see the point, because getting CUDA and PhysX would be a big thing.

 

arth1, as far as I can tell CUDA and PhysX are both working with the ones sorg posted and they are the latest!

-

I am playing around right now with partial 1620 intel drivers taken from the windows 7 catalog and mixing them with sorgs package with an updated inf. This package seems to work great thus far. I just ran a few PhysX demos. Not sure how I go about testing CUDA. I am wondering if when I package these if I should keep the hybrid power stuff enabled or not. Maybe I should just include a couple .reg files for enabling or disabling it? What do you guys think?

 

could be my mind playing things on me, but I'm getting an increase in FPS when I'm playing COD4

Also, PhysX is definitely working on these drivers, I don't have anything to test CUDA with. Hybrid power in the system notification area is neat too!

Another thing that these drivers add are the inside the Vaio Control Center Power Management, it gives you more advance controls over your GPU as to whether or not to increase performance/battery life.

You should really try it out and see for yourself!

 

Guys could you make a final step by step guide with links to download? I am not such an expert and I got a little confused what to follow, nautis first page or sorg's guide?

Thanks and sorry if ask too much.

 

Jack I am putting together a new package with instructions based on Sorgs package. In the meantime you can try Sorgs package and instructions as they seem to work fine.

EDIT: Updated original post with link to Sorgs driver package. I will revise my entire original post at some point in the near future based on the fantastic work of Sorg. I am looking into a few ideas for the future that should make it much easier to update to whatever the latest intel or nvidia drivers are. It looks like we may be able to focus on performance/battery tweaks in the near future.

 

Thanks Nautis, appreciate it!

Can't wait because I play often COD4 and it seems that these new drivers improve the performance.

 

An interesting change on my vaio after installing Sorg's package.

In 'High Perfromance' (Speed) mode, I have four monitors (two Nvidia and two Intel) and the vaio display is monitor #3. When I connecet to my external display, the external display becomes display #4. These are both listed as "Generic PnP Monitor on NVIDIA GeFrce 9300M GS (Sorg 185.20)".

When I switch to 'SavePowr' (Stamina), I get two monitors, both listed as "Generic PnP Monitor on Mobile Intel(R) 4 Series Express Chipset Family"

Is this normal? It seems to work OK, but I am struggling to place the monitors in the right layout in Speed Mode.

Gibbo

 

Nautis,
thanks for keys! Now i've got everything i wanted
in the meantime i've updated my driver set to revision2 just to apply fixes. Not many people like to read whole thread

for me, there is no problem to have it enabled because it doesn't prevent original Vaio Z's features. Also, i like automatic swithing depend on AC/Battery power.
Also i like to switch through tray icon - it provides less dialogs and thus more convenient. Also less used hardware switch will live longer time

 

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