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Hello, is there any update here? I am able to disable the onboard Intel graphics in Device Manager to force the system to use the Nvidia GPU but then I lose all connectivity to my external displays through my docking station.

Hi, no update unfortunately. It's definitely not solved. I hadn't thought of disabling the integrated graphics directly in Device Manager - I thought that would be too risky given that everything is driven through it as there's no hardware switch. Which is exactly why you won't be able to get external displays to work if you disable it. Are you using the same model of laptop? Precision 5560? Has it made your system more responsive and improved performance when you disable the integrated graphics in Task Manager?

RTC / CMOS corruption may be preventing your Dell Precision 5560 from correctly recognizing its GPUs.

The following procedure is supported by the Precision 5560:

"The Real-Time Clock (RTC) reset function allows you or a Dell service technician to recover a Dell Latitude, Inspiron, Precision, Vostro, Alienware, or XPS laptop from a no power, no POST, or no video issue.

The RTC reset resets the BIOS to factory default settings, reset the computer date and time, and unprovision Intel vPro (The IT administrator’s vPro account and password on the computer is unprovisioned, and you must complete the setup and configuration process again to connect it to the vPro server)."

How to Reset the Real-Time Clock (RTC)

Turn off the computer.
Connect the AC adapter to the computer.
Press and hold the power button (around 30-35 seconds), until the power LED blinks three times.
Release the power button.
The RTC reset is complete after the power button is released.

Note: Real-Time Clock (RTC) reset is available on select Dell Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, Vostro, and XPS laptops only. See the list of Dell laptops that support RTC reset below.

Note: If the AC adapter is disconnected from the laptop during the process or the power button is held less than 25 seconds or longer than 40 seconds, the RTC reset process is aborted.

If your Dell laptop is still not able to boot into the operating system, see the Dell knowledge base article:"

How to Reset Real Time Clock (RTC) to Recover Your Dell Laptop | Dell Canada
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000125880/how-to-reset-real-time-clock-rtc-to-recover-your-dell-portable-system

With a confused mess like this, I'd just do a clean OS install to a drive with a home partition that would ease the burden of doing future OS installs.

I'd also first double-check the notebook's hardware by booting into a Linux Mint 21.1 Cinnamon.iso (live install) for a performance comparison.

I feel like you're also misunderstanding the problem. It has nothing to do with the laptop "recognizing" GPUs. The recognition of GPUs is working as intended. It's the terrible performance and design of a multi-GPU switch-less architecture that is the problem, where practically everything is intentionally designed to go through the integrated graphics instead of the dedicated graphics.

My laptop is a work device so I can't partition the drive and not only can I not install Linux for the same reason, it's a bizarre suggestion to install Linux in order to debug, compare or otherwise troubleshoot a Windows issue. You cannot be serious that any customer would be expected to do that.

To ensure the privacy of your information, we recommend removing your Service tag from your tweets. Instead, please send us a direct message, and we will be happy to assist you in resolving your computer issue.

I didn't message any of Dell's agents.

I never mentioned anything about installing Linux. Please re-read my post.

The "Linux Mint 21.1 Cinnamon.iso (live install)" I referred to literally allows one to boot a PC into the Linux Mint 21.1 Cinnamon desktop without altering a PC's internal / Windows drive.

The aim of doing this is to acquire a 'second opinion' as to the functioning of a PC's hardware as part of a process-of-elimination approach to trouble-shooting.

All of the suggestions I've offered in this and other threads in this forum are based upon research compounded by Dell's comprehensive online and downloadable documentation tempered by my own self-taught trouble-shooting experience.

To be quite clear, I am not an agent of Dell Computers.

Thank you for messaging us. To ensure the privacy of your information, we recommend that you continue chatting with us through direct message. We apologize for the inconvenience.

You say that your Precision 5560 is is a work device. So, have your system administrator back up your important files, give drive C a fresh GPT partition map followed by a clean install of Windows.

Then get your '5560's graphics system working before spending time installing anything else beyond Windows updates.

Doing this will rid your machine of its current software morass and serve as another process-of-elimination troubleshooting step.

My notebook's Service tag is not included in my posts.

Please read a thread before responding to it with non sequiturs.

Thank you.

We apologize for the inconvenience caused. We request you to send us direct message, and we will be happy to assist you in resolving your computer issue. Thank you!

I get your point but your suggestion of troubleshooting my problem by suggesting I learn how to use Linux for the first time in my life and run diagnostics in a Linux environment I've never touched before is a bit, frankly, bonkers. Besides, there are no indications of it being a hardware problem. At no point in my post have I suggested it's possibly a hardware issue. I will say it again - it is an issue with the DESIGN of this laptop and the software implementation of that design, overlapping with how the intended design of Windows manages multi-GPU designs compounding the issue. I've also seen a tonne of other people complaining about the performance of this and very similar Dell models, so I know the laptop itself is crippled by poor design choices rather than problems with individual pieces of hardware in my specific laptop.

The problems also started from day one of a fresh install. I've actually had two fresh installs of the device already. And with it being a work device I have installed a minimal of apps and drivers since using the device, so it's not bloated.

The post is specifically about whether it's possible to force DWM.exe to use a different graphics card or whether anyone has come across a similar workaround/fix to this specific problem. It's specifically about the driver and OS implementation of the lack of hardware switch in the laptop. I appreciate your attempt to help but I don't feel like you're actually reading my posts and questions and instead you're just throwing the modern equivalent of "turn it off and turn it back on again" IT troubleshooting for far more generic issues, which is not what I'm asking for. The irony being you're nit-picking my response to you over wording yet you haven't paid attention to any of my actual points and questions in my original post. Thanks.