17 R5, AGA Graphics card not working

Question

First, this issue has already been reported through Dell Support.

Here is what is going on:

My Alienware 17 R5 (i9-8950HK, GTX1080OC, G-Sync 120Hz Refresh) won't use external graphics card while not connected to an external display. Instead, even the external graphic card is recognized, it still runs internal graphics card.

However, when an external monitor is connected to the AGA, the laptop switched to external graphics card.

While connected to the external monitor, you are still able to switch back to the laptop display, and running it with external graphic card.

My current external graphic card is a GTX1080 Founders Edition, I found this issue while trying to upgrade to a GTX1080Ti Founders Edition. Which runs game with internal GTX1080 even GTX1080Ti is connected and recognized. (Btw: I didn't get the GTX1080Ti because of this issue, as I am suspecting the card isn't compatible)

However, after I put my GTX1080 back, I am able to duplicate the same issue.

I confirmed this via running the stress test program, and looking at the clock speed, temperature of the 1080s (internal and external), as well as listerning to the fan noise.

It turns out, bootup with a display connected resulted in using a different card.

Bootup without monitor ---> internal GTX1080

Bootup with monitor ---> external GTX1080

I will update when the Support reach back to me.

Losondoky · Answer

Also, as for how I can tell if the system is on internal or external GTX1080, there is another way to find out.

You can look up in the NVIDIA's GeForce Experience, while the laptop model support Battery Boost, the desktop does not.

Which shows the same result as I discussed before.

Also, both card should be supported, since they are Founders Editions.....

Losondoky · Answer

I just read some other people's post on the same issue.

It seems you can somewhat solve this, by manually disable the internal graphics card in the Device Manager....

I hope Dell can come up with something about this issue....

After all, manually disable a device doesn't sound like a good idea.

Losondoky · Answer

I did some extra test myself, hooked a monitor on the AGA. During the test, the external monitor is always connected, and the system was booted up with external monitor connected.

This is the first test, set to "PC Screen Only", run GPU-Z Render test:

Second test, switch to "Second Screen Only", GPU-Z Render test:

Third time, switch to "Extend", GPU-Z Render test, initiated at laptop screen:

Dragged to external monitor:

Note: it won't work if you switch from "PC Screen Only" to "Second Screen Only", the GPU-Z Stress Test will simply bugged and stop working.

So, it is clear that internal graphics card isn't disabled while connected to external graphics card.

And for some reason, external graphics card is only enabled while you run programs on external monitor.

Losondoky · Answer

Update, I manage to hook up AGA with my Alienware 17 R2 today, without connecting to the external monitor.

Here is the specs for my 17 R2:

i7 4710HQ, GTX980M, 1080p 60Hz display.

So, as far as I tested, the Alienware 17 R2 doesn't have this issue that 17 R5 has.

When connected to AGA, even without connecting to an external monitor, the internal GTX980M is disable.

I am not able to find GTX980M when I look it up in the device manager, nor any other software recognize it.

And things are running on the external GTX1080 rather than the internal GTX980M.

So, I am assuming this issue exists in newer models, at least it's not happening with 17 R2.

Losondoky · Answer

I just received the reply.

The support suggests this is an "expected behavior" of the model I have.

They mentioned the display is "electrically mapped" to the internal graphics card, since this is a G-Sync model.

So, yeah, I am assuming all G-Sync model will have this issue.

Alienware

17 R5, AGA Graphics card not working

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