XPS 16 9560 NVIDIA GPU not being used

The nVidia GPU is not a true discrete graphics chip -- it is a co-processor.  ALL video data, even if rendered by the nVidia GPU, is sent through the on-CPU GPU to the display screen.  Only the Intel GPU has a physical connection to the display panel.

You cannot disable the Intel GPU, and it will always be the primary GPU in the system.  That's the way in which the system is hard-wired and engineered.

I can find nothing in the NVIDIA control panel that shows a graph of the NVIDIA GPU usage.  I do have the default set for global to always use.  I'm still getting 5 - 10fps in my app.  this GPU should be able to easily push 50fps if not higher.  I do understand what you're saying.  you seem to be describing a situation where the NVIDIA GPU is used on demand or for the app - but in this instance the performance doesn't support this idea.  the idea of cleaning the fan has some appeal, so I'll research that.  I hate to open the machine up; but I've certainly done this before when I bumped my memory to 32gig.  there's just no way a 4 gig GPU (even software controlled as you're describing) can have such terrible performance.  am I missing something??

thank you for hanging in there.

The device manager will always show the Intel GPU in use.  The nVidia GPU is controlled exactly as you noted in the first post:  on-demand or per-application.  Since the nVidia GPU is power-hungry and therefore a major contributor to heat, also be sure your heatsinks are clear of dust and the fan is operating correctly.  If the system's temperature rises, it will shed load from the CPU and GPU to keep the temperature under control.

Use the nVidia (aka Optimus) control panel to determine which GPU is in use - NOT the Windows task manager.  Because the nVidia GPU is software controlled, the Windows task manager knows nothing about it.  There is no hardware connection between the nVidia GPU and the system display panel at all.

Go into your setup (F2 at powerup) and disable turbo boost.  Does that improve the GPU performance?

hello,

turning off turboboost and cleaning the fan might have helped a small bit; but not really that much.  below is another pic of the performance.  I know you said task manager is not necessarily a reliable gauge of usage; but it's all I have to look at other than my in game fps; which is still pretty poor.  on average, perhaps the Intel GPU usage has gone down a bit; but it still spikes regularly.

Hi ! 

I have the same problem on the same XPS model.

I tried many things and i'm sure the apps didn't use the GPU NVIDIA.

Do you have find and issue ? Or i will buy another laptop ? ^^

Thanks

Unfortunately, I've found no resolution.  Also, as a previous user stated; this appears to be as designed by Dell - so poorly.

I think I'm also having this same issue but only recently have I been able to diagnose it to this point. Every time it's come up before I've been trusting that the Nvidia GTX 1050 is being used when I set it as preferred, but now I'm not so sure. I saw recommendations elsewhere to update all drivers and I have done so using both Dell's diagnostic site and Driver Easy. Problem seems to persist though.

Dude, you bought a dell. It's appears a 'hybrid' system where you pay for the card and it's rendered useless by design, and you are only 'advertised' that you have a discrete video card. I was told they didn't rip you off on purpose, assuring me they are just incompetant morans, and that's why they have been doing this for years and don't stop. Non function appears the main reliable dell function

It's appears a 'hybrid' system where you pay for the card and it's rendered useless by design, and you are 'advertised' that you have a discrete video card. I have the XPS 9550 and it's been pretty useless as a system from day one. They assured me they didn't do it on pupose and assured me they are just inconpetant morans, (and why they continue doing the same stupid design years later?)

other brands better recommended???  dell has historically been good for me, until this issue.

the cold empty and barren wasteland of the world destroyed by dell's incomptence is where i am writing you from, despite their amazing line of work on the design and their beautiful model, it's an absolute disgrace that this is happening to you, and me too

hope you can let me know if you find any other way to fix this. kind regards and tata good luck

disable the intel graphics in the device manager, that should clear your conscience enough, i'm experiencing the same problem and that's what I did to fix it