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dual GPU on Precision M4700: K2000M only on external displays ?
I'm new to dual GPU laptops...
I discover my new M4700 with Quadro K2000M and could not find a way to have applications use this GPU when working "standalone", i.e. without an external display. Am I missing something ? How do people with apps requiring the Quadro GPU (instead of the Intel HD 4000) manage when in "mobile" mode ? Do they carry an external display with them all the time ?
Tx to enlighten me...
M.T
1 Message
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October 26th, 2012 02:00
Hi,
To solve your problem. Need to disable optimus from BIOS. Then everything works fine.
benoitm
159 Posts
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October 27th, 2012 11:00
OK, disabled OPTIMUS in the BIOS, that solved the problem in the sense that now the Intel IGP is disabled and the K2000M GPU is used for everything, no matter the display used.
However, I am puzzled by the discrepancy between the behaviour of OPTIMUS as described in the nVidia white paper (www.nvidia.com/.../LO_optimus_whitepapers.html) or in the DELL articles and what I observed.
According to the WP, the choice of GPU vs IGP is controlled by the nVidia control panel, globally or by app.
What I observed is that no matter how the nVidia settings are set, apps running on the laptop display ALWAYS use the IGP, while those running on an external display use the GPU; and (when OPTIMUS is enabled in the BIOS) the physical connections reported by the nVidia CP show that the laptop display is linked to the IGP, while the external monitor is connected to one of the GPU ports, and that can't be changed.
Also Optimus makes my Datacolor Spyder3 Pro calibration hw/sw go crazy...
melkirn
1 Message
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December 20th, 2012 03:00
Hi, I'm running an new M4700 with Nvidia K2000m. Have updated drivers (intel and Nvidia), have disabled Optimus, but still no GPU. Adobe say K2000m is not supported (the K bit), but other members don't seem to have the problem. Dell say it could be a hardware problem but I doubt it. Any answers please.
Chris T.1
1 Message
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February 10th, 2013 11:00
Hi, I had a similar problem with my m4700 I recently purchased. As I use SolidWorks 3-D CAD, I have to use the Nvidia Quadro K2000m as the integrated graphics processor is not adequate. So here are the steps I used:
1. Downloaded updated driver (www.solidworks.com/.../videocardtesting.html) which is 306.68 if using SolidWorks (Win 7 x64), and uninstalled all Nvidia drivers.
2. Disabled the Optimus setting in the BIOS (Screen will then resemble safe mode when booting up).
3. Installed the current Nvidia Quadro K2000m driver, and then the device manager will show only the K2000M video card (previously showed both the Nvidia Quadro k2000M & IGP) under display adapters.
4. Please note I have not tested this using a docking station with external monitor, so I cannot guarantee the results nor have I tried reactivating the Optimus setting in BIOS.
Here is more information from the Solidworks technical support (Solution ID S-056739):
Question:
What may cause poor performance or unexpected graphics behavior with SolidWorks on new laptops that have NVIDIA® Quadro graphics cards, for example: Dell™ M4600, M6600, Lenovo® W520?
Answer:
This is likely caused by NVIDIA's Optimus Technology (see link for more details). If this technology is not configured correctly, SolidWorks will use the laptop's integrated graphics processor instead of the NVIDIA processor, and this will result in poor performance and unexpected graphics behavior.
This technology is configured in the NVIDIA Control Panel. The default installation of the driver* has a correct configuration for SolidWorks. To default configuration is the following:
1. Open the NVIDIA Control Panel
2. Select the "Manage 3D settings" task
3. For Global Settings**, choose "Auto-select" and click Apply
4. For Program Settings, make sure "Show only programs found on this computer" is checked. Dassault Systemes SolidWorks will be detected. Ensure that "Use global setting (Auto-select: NVIDIA GPU)"** is selected.
You can also choose to disable the Optimus technology. This requires modifying the laptop's BIOS. Please contact your laptop's manufacturer for assistance with that.
*this applies to SolidWorks certified graphics drivers: www.solidworks.com/.../videocardtesting.html
**additionally you can choose "High-performance NVIDIA processor"