Skyrim - Using integrated graphics

Hi EJN63, Thank you for your reply, unfortunately it is still not working. When the game launches, it says detecting graphics - Graphics have been set to medium quality. The game shows the Intel HD4000 as the GPU. I have set the launcher and the executable to 'High Performace' in the catalyst, but the game is still getting the integrated Intel HD to render the graphics which means it is laggy and has very flow fps. Any further advice for yourself or anyone else would be much appreciated. Thanks Matthew

Not sure if you Graphics is like Mine? I have 7730m with hd4000.

The HD4000 is apart of the cpu, not connected to the monitor. On Mine I am finding that there are allot of programs that are not compatible with the software. Windows 7 and amd Control Panel "what ever version You Have". There is really no work around. Not YET!!!!

Did you use any program to detect if the amd card is not running when playing?

What version of AMD Control Panel do you have? A Upgraded Version, will sometime allow a different program become compatible.

What Operating System are you Running? I have also found there are allot more programs compatible with Windows 7 and Not in Windows 8?

The Switchable Graphics on a Dell is the Most confusing System I have ever used.

The AMD Card is Dedicated, but Dell and AMD us a software to switch between high performance and lower performance for the cards. They Do this using software from AMD. There is a AMD Chips.

On other Laptops"some Dell, mostly other Brands"-They have a Option to configure the card in Bios-Fixed or Dynamic. Dell's Bios does not offer this feature. One of the Major Flaws of there dedicated AMD Card...Hoping someday they fix or rewrite the Bios. But intill than we have to figure out what is compatible and what is not..

I went threw the windows 8 headache last week-before I just got mad and threw my 7 back on it. Windows 7 does not have the monitoring option, but more programs are compatible. What I noticed when I was using 8-That even if it said it was running in high performance-It wasn't. 

I found allot of programs like this-->>>Makes No sense<<<<.....

If you read my post on this...you can see how many issues I had before--I took a breather--counted backward from 100...and just figured it out.

I used speccy and Hardware Monitor to check the graphics...Hardware Monitor still sees it as a HD 4000-But with temp.--I wrote how to check it in one of my post.

I have my fingers crossed Dell will hear my cry's and give us the bios options..Yea Right!!!!

Back to your game,

I was reading in other post about this game and switchable graphics...

one option was to enable the launcher and the EXE file manually..Let me know if you do not know how to do this?

Second option was just to put the Control panel Options, to all High Performance...Not just one program at a time.--don't remember the setting in Windows 8?

Another option, if your running 8, is to run the Game in Windows 7 Compatibility Mode...

All the post I read, did not specify if they where running 8 or 7? But it is possible according to what I read..

Hope this helps

"My understanding is that it is possible to switch my primary adapter to AMD, but that I can only do this on the motherboard as Dell lock this option out of the Bios."

That's possible ONLY for systems with true hardware multiplexing - which your system doesn't have.  In order to do that, your system would have to be re-engineered at the mainboard level -- the system is entirely software controlled.

Thanks Fulwider8, Yeah Dell + Dual graphics = a huge headache. I had an almost 3 year old asus with 2gb Nvidia before this and Skyrim ran brilliantly on high settings. This crawls on low settings. I am using windows 8, perhaps this is the issue. When I run the AMD catalyst, there is a utility that monitors with GPU is running the application. everything I load comes up as expected accept skyrim which doesn't show as using either GPU. The fact that intel and AMD drivers (and all drivers as of today) have been updated directly from the Dell site and that I have used the catalyst to tell skyrim to use high performance (AKA the AMD GPU) seems to make no difference, the game runs at 10 fps, lags massively and looks terrible. My understanding is that it is possible to switch my primary adapter to AMD, but that I can only do this on the motherboard as Dell lock this option out of the Bios. Either way I seem to be forever stuck with a game that doesn't work :(

Still not hear to argue, But I would love to know where you got this info? I am always here to learn and figure out how I can create a better user experience.

Also, if this is the truth, "not saying your wrong" than I should return the dell for false advertising. When I purchased, it did not say nowhere I was getting a HD 4000...It said a dedicated 7730m.

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Back to the person wih the issues

Did you have a chance to try any of the options I suggested?

The ability to do either-or (either Intel or AMD) video requires that the system be designed with a hardware multiplexer for the AMD (or nVidia GPU).  There ARE some systems designed this way - the Dell Inspiron and XPS models are not.  The mux-free design saves power -- for one -- something Intel wanted in its designs (just look at the newer Haswell CPUs for evidence).  It also makes it much harder to provide driver support for non-Windows OSes -- something Microsoft wants not only for video but in the way it is implementing Windows' interaction with UEFI.

So -- if you buy a system WITH a hardware multiplexer, you can switch at the BIOS level -- some Latitudes are built this way.  The Inspiron and XPS models are not -- and though you might THINK a BIOS update could fix this, it cannot - the hardware simply cannot be controlled at the BIOS level.  The hybrid video subsystem on these is totally software-controlled.

If you want true, discrete mobile video these days there are two ways to get it:  buy a high-end workstation -class notebook, or buy a high-end gaming machine.  Everything else is hybrid - and the vast majority of these are software controlled.

All of the 6- and 7-series AMD GPUs - and corresponding nVidia chips - are hybrids.  They are not sold as dedicated GPUs.

nVidia has a very good white paper on the implementation of mux- vs mux-less hybrid systems -- chapter 19 is the most relevant:

ftp://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/Linux-x86/295.20/README/optimus.html

To my knowledge there are NO new notebooks priced under the $1,000 mark -- and very few under the $1,500 mark - with true, discrete GPUs -- and that has been the case for the past 2-3 years. 

I don't mean to argue. But it is possible. Please look up the Hd 7730M and the processor.

The HD 7730 is calling the switchable graphics as a option or is capable,

The HD7730 while it is not removable, it is solder on the board. The HD4000 is integrated on the cpu.

I have 2 laptop...Both Same specs, on the dell, there is no option for this in Bios. It would be a simple rewrite. 

But this is another discussion,"there no option for this No matter" On a Dell.

I have changed to windows 7 compatability mode and the game is working much much better. Skyrim still shows as using the Intel HDcard, but it looks sharper, I am hovering around 50fps and I have selected medium graphics, and I am slowly tweaking them to get them better. I would say it is now looking better than on my 3 year old asus, but has been a big headache to get going and is still disappointing (but I am going to tweak the graphics higher until I hit poor fps or lag etc) I am not sure who is right about the GPU not being dedicated, but although some people say it is not a truly dedicated card, but switchable, software controlled graphics. Others say I can attach the monitor to the 8670M card and disable the intel graphics through either the bios (not possible), device manager (works, but is replaced by windows basic rendering which is even worse) or by altering the mainboard through either Jumpers or an even more brute force approach (not willing to try this) So for now, I am happy, between the two of you I have got sorted, and learnt a bit more about my system! Thanks to all that contributed, I'd really appreciate an official response on the graphics (Integrated, dedicated, switchable using software etc) or why I have to run programs in compatibility mode or whether a bios flash could allow me to use the AMD for all GPU processing? Now I am off to kill some dragons!

Glad you got it working...I also read that because of the software, skyrim will sometimes still show the HD card running and not the AMD. But users that were able to figure it out-Noticed huge improvements on the game like you.

I have and amd card----not a Nvidia....Would like to see something about my laptop and AMD"still Not Here to argue-Just get the truth

Did I get duped? No matter the Pricing...I paid for a dedicated HD7730M.--I DID NOT BUY HYBRID

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-15r-se-7520/pd

Do you work for DELL? How did you find the info based on my Laptop? I could not find anything like this anywhere? I figured this would be the answer from somebody that builds or configures these laptop?

Your answers really make me question why I paid so much for this?

I got the one with the 1080p screen...msata...1tb drive...8gb ram....Blue-ray drive..Windows 7, with windows 8 upgrade.

No matter, I own this now and I would love if you could point me in the direction of the correct info-AMD

or an Official answer. I have posted on this for a week...and I hope what you say,is not correct. "not arguing-Just hoping you are wrong" If You are correct-It might be time to give dell a call and ask what my option are? I purchased this system, so my kids could game...NOT like a gammer, but something they could do both, surfing an gaming.

I do not work for Dell - and the situation with mux-less hybrid video is the same regardless of the nameplate on the outside of the system.  Linked below are instructions on using the7730m with Linux -- you can see the confirmation that there is no hardware control and, while there is a way to disable the AMD GPU and use only the Intel, the opposite cannot be done.  When you purchased the system, the additional cost of the system went to the upgraded screen, blue-ray drive, etc. - NOT the mainboard, which is the same design as systems sold without the -SE nameplate. 

I see the word "discrete" in your system description - yes, it is a discrete (separate from the CPU) video chip.  It is not advertised -- nor is it capable of being - a dedicated video chip.

If you look at the cost of a mid- to high-end desktop video card you'll find prices that range in the low-$300 to mid-$600 range -- there's absolutely no way anyone could afford to put that level of video performance in a notebook with a base price under $500, and sell the complete system for less than twice the price of a GPU alone. 

I've maintained all along that hybrid video works just fine as long as you know what you're getting.  You're just not going to get a decent gaming setup for the price charged for these systems.  If you want that, you're looking at $1,500 base, minimum - probably more like $2,000 or more. 

In other words, hybrid video solutions are yet one more example of "you get what you pay for".

The Linux community has had to work within the constraints of software controlled graphics as well - and probably forms the largest base of knowledge as to what is, and what is not possible with these systems.

See:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/192381/how-to-turn-off-ati-radeon-hd-7730m-on-dell-inspiron-7520

What you want is a hardware-controlled, dedicated-video  system.  What you got is a mid-range software-controlled multimedia system capable of some gaming.  In other words, you got exactly what you were promised from both a technical and a cost-for-system standpoint.

Man you have a shape tongue,,,I told you I do not want an argument.

You are wrong till you can prove otherwise. People here-DO NOT NEED YOU TO TELL THEM THEY HAVE A <ADMIN NOTE: Substitute character removed as per TOU> COMPUTER.---But it seems you have nothing better to do--

- I think you must be a dell employee. Looking back at all of the post you respond to, you are very wise to prices, parts...and what needs to be done next. Something a dell employee would know if they where either a dell tech, or service.

Your Friends here all have DELL in the name.

I know that this is <ADMIN NOTE: Substitute character removed as per TOU> ....You have no proof and nothing you can say will steer me in any other direction. YOU DID NOT LOOK AT THE LINK I SENT YOU....

When you purchase this laptop, the DEDICATED GRAPHICS. is a main part of the system....ABLE TO RUN THE 1080P....ABLE TO RUN THE BLUERAY.

instead of trying to get people to purchase better system, you should try and help them figure out there problems.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO WRITE A BIOS TO RUN SWITCHABLE GRAPHICS.....FIXED AND DYNAMIC...I DO NOT HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE TO YOU I DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A NVIDIA...I DID NOT PURCHASE A HYBRID SYSTEM....HYBRID WAS IN NO PART OF THE INVOICE----HYBRID IS A DELL AND NVIDIA(NOT AMD)

SO GLAD DELL HAS EMPLOYEES LIKE YOU...

I will call dell as soon as I get home.....

You get what you paid for.....what the does that mean....I paid over a grand for this thing...

Not all of us have super deep pockets like you...and when a product says it has a card like the HD 7730m...2gb ram.....dedicated....you get happy you can afford it....

I was happy to give my kids a great system....but according to you I cheaped out...You crazy!!!!

please leave me alone---I would not benefit from any of your answers

It's interesting that these claims usually turn into personal attacks -- to which I will not reply.

Though you have an agenda and an axe to grind, I do not. 

You did not purchase - nor was your system represented to be - a system with dedicated graphics.  You failed to do your research before buying, as many people who buy systems like this do.

$1,000 or so is a low-end notebook (considering that notebooks now run from under $300 to over $5,000.  There's nothing wrong with your hardware, as far as I can tell from your posts.  It's your expectations that are out of line with the hardware you bought and the price you paid.

If you need high performance video under $1,000 there's only one way to get it - buy a desktop system.  ALL notebooks at this price level are compromises.

And no, a BIOS rewrite won't help for the very reasons I've posted.  Your system simply does not have hardware-swtichable video.  Yes, there may be issues with the drivers - and yes, all software-controlled hardware are subject to these.

Your system won't have trouble running 1080p videos at all - or for low end gaming.  If you try, however, to play demanding games on high video settings, or try to run 3D CAD, etc., applications - you will quickly find out the system doesn't have the power to do that, any more than a $15,000 Toyota Yaris has the power to tow a 5,000 pound trailer.