Switchable graphics for all i5, i3, some i7

Read up on the new Nvidia optimus tech
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=868

From the looks of it, it will support any pc running windows 7, a 200m or 300m 40nm Nvidia gpu, and an IGP.

Their new driver scheme allows both GPUs to be used on a per application basis. The discrete GPU can power down completely when using apps that don't need its power, and power up in 300ms when you start an app that needs it.

Best part is, no more relying on sony to package new drivers or hacking them together for you Z series guys. It is supposed to let you independently update drivers for each GPU.

For other models, this looks like it will enable switchable graphics provided we can get the IGP enabled in BIOS. So the challenge now is to find the offset for the IGP like people did for the VT hacks.

I'd be interested to see some of the Z owners install the optimus drivers and see what happens since they already have an enabled IGP.

 

I'd be willing to bet that even though this covers pretty much all of nVidia's switchable graphics, that Sony will keep their drivers proprietary.

 

The thing is that it looks like this is something we might be able to do on our own, without sony's blessing. Kind of like installing the latest synaptics drivers to get real multi-touch functions.

I'm think that sony is going to have to jump on the bandwagon sooner or later with Optimus, and since most of the hardware in alot of their computers just refreshed, it'll either be a long wait, or they'll just update the current models.

If not, I'll find another laptop maker with a i5/330m combo and borrow their drivers and see what happens.

 

See, that's been my problem so far with modded NVIDIA drivers... The hardware ID's are Sony unique. Like the G210m is Sony specific with a specific hardware ID, that I haven't been able to get around... YET.

 

This is link to graphic driver for new Z:

ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VPCZ11/GRAPHICS_DRIVER_NVIDIA_HA_S6_8.16.11.8849.ZIP

I wonder if somebody can find something about hybrid graphic architecture on the new Z based on this driver.

 

this will not work, simple changes on motherboard are required - by manufacturer

 

If i would buy the new F series with an i5 and geforce 330m would this laptop support switchable graphics in the future? That would make me order an F series instead of the E series now..

 

you know Sony, dont expect this from them.. if you are refering to optimus then no also, because optimus requres some hardware changes

and talking about f serries i dont think that switching graphics is desired because F is not so portable and long battery life is in fact not needed from most of users..

 

exactly, see this image from nvidia's presentation:
http://www.anandtech.com/GalleryImage.aspx?id=7808

As for the optimus support in the f range I would imagine it will happen in the next refresh - this summer maybe?

 

Damn I just bought a vaio cw but this technology looks really cool this sucks

 

You're looking at the wrong slide. That is the old school switching diagram, not the new optimus way.

According the the write-ups Ive read, the hardware needed to do this is in the graphics card. Its been out there for a while, starting with 40nm 200m series cards. So your laptop probably already has the hardware from what I can tell. The big issue is the enabling the IGP in bios for most of us. After that its just getting the drivers to recognize our hardware, faking INF files or something similar probably.

Here's the slide for the optimus hardware
http://www.anandtech.com/GalleryImage.aspx?id=7812

 

Here's the optimus drivers for download (Asus)

http://www.nvidia.com/object/optimus_win7_x64_notebook_asus.html

If you want to try these on your Z, you'll have to modify the INF file. I think I'll give it a go on my CW27 tonight and see if anything breaks. Worst case I have to reboot in safe mode and reinstall the old ones.

 

Let us know! Because if you can get it working i'm going to swap my choice (e series with hd5650) to a f series with a gt330 m.

 

Just installed the drivers on my CW27. I hacked the asus driver with a new INF and everything installed just fine. Wallpaper was black after install, but a reboot and everything seems just fine as expected. Only real difference I can tell is that if you search the help in the nvidia control panel you can find a couple mentions of optimus.

I don't have my IGP exposed under bios though. I'd really like the Z owners to give this a try and see what their systems do. Until we can hack the bios for the CW27 systems I don't think I'm going to get any further.

 

its just a rumor, but im going to say it again. let me transale the paragraph from article at www.notebook.cz (which is in my native language - czech)

"Its not listed in the oficial materials, but supposedly the manufacterers need to keep in mind the Optimus technology and make minor chanes to mainboard PCB"

i bet its not just the software thing.. you guys wont be succesfull even with BIOS hack..

let hope there is someone who doesnt know its impossible and can do it

 

Unless you can switch the "dynamic switching" off I'd call it a very stupid development that is absolutely and utterly useless.

Reason:
The idea is that you can switch to a discrete card to save battery - some tasks the laptop might be inclined to use the dedicated card even though its unnecessary and waste your battery life.

 

I think so too; at least for notebooks which do not support hybrid graphics. But for some Sony models, there are versions with and without dedicated graphics, so I hope that the IGP can be enabled via a BIOs hack (this assumes, that Sony uses the same mainboard for models with discrete graphics).

By the way: the IGP requires additional wires to work, so I doubt that Optimus can work for systems whose mainboard does not have those wires (which are potentially all mainboards without hybrid graphics support).

 

Exactly. If optimus technology doesn't allow manual switching than it doesn't serve its purpose but I don't see a reason not to allow user to switch it manually.

 

That reason would possibly be better performance at home? Or while using AC?

 

if the cw supports this I'm buying a cw!

 

no it DOESNT. cw doesnt even have capability of ordinary GPU switching coz chipset (H55?) doesnt allow it..

 

is there an h55? I know the hm55 supports it.

 

It does support manually setting the GPU to run your application. In the demo slide I saw there is a right click contextual menu that allows you to switch on the fly as well.

 

Its a PM55 chipset according to the device manager.

I guess I don't know enough about how the IGP on the i5 works. I know the pm55 doesn't come with an IGP, and the hm55 does. however that is on chipset IGP. I need to find the technical documents saying what the on CPU IGP needs to work right.

 

Yes I saw and you can also define profiles and set application you want to use GPU but I didn't see if you can say don't run GPU no matter what until I want you to.I would rather like to be able to disable automatic switch all together. I mean just like on the old Z, turn it off or on regardless of application I am trying to start.

I guess if you can define profile that will allow you to force integrated graphic for all applications it will work like that.

This is important since automatic switch is good only in case when you are on AC to reduce usage of GPU when you don't need it (reduce unnecessary overheating and power consumption). But on battery power you will need to take full control over it .

 

You can always set your global profile to IGP. However that is a pretty simple thing to add if it's not in there already. Heck, it'd be easy to define profiles base on ac vs battery when they get around to it.

 

Of course, in reviews nobody talked about that since automatic switch on the fly was so exciting . As you said it will be there if it isn't already.

 

I guess i5 core has a built-in IGP ( http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=47341 ) so chipset doesn't matter.

 

Correct.

Wrong. Were you able to use the built-in IGP (i5 core) on your CW 27?