Ridiculous Problems with Games Selecting the Proper Graphics Card

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 09:57 PM

I've read every help article I can, but no solution seems to work for me.

I have an Ivy Bridge i7 (Quad Core) processor, which utilizes an integrated Intel HD graphics chip. But I also have an NVidia GFX 650 (mobile) chip with 2GB of vram.

For some reason, some games like GTA and Sword of the Star are choosing the integrated chip. Skyrim will choose the proper NVidia chip, which rules out several problems, but none that I didn't try as solutions anyway.

I've tried updating the card (I have the newest driver), going into the control panel and setting the chip as the default chip under 3D settings, adding exceptions specific to game I want to run and their .exe files, disabling the integrated chip via device manager (crashed my whole system, which tells me that perhaps it's utilizing the integrated chip to run the OS which it should not be).

I'm plugged in, but regardless, I've checked power settings and maximum performance while plugged in is checked.

This is driving me crazy, but some help would be appreciated!

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 10:00 PM

can you turn off the integrated card in the bios setup?

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakkerlak

can you turn off the integrated card in the bios setup?

Pretty sure no. At least, there was no option to do so when I tried.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 10:07 PM

than in my opinion your mobo should switch it off automaticly when a dedicated video card is detected.

have you tried disabling the onboard chip in safemode?

can you post your motherboard?

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakkerlak

than in my opinion your mobo should switch it off automaticly when a dedicated video card is detected.

have you tried disabling the onboard chip in safemode?

can you post your motherboard?

I did not tried disabling in safe mode, but I would think the same thing would happen if I disabled in standard mode. Which, when I did it, turned my display off forcing me to force restart which gave me 0 graphics capability (800x600 with no effects).

As for the motherboard, sorry, but it's an Alienware M14x. I'm pretty sure they use a custom board specific to the system which wouldn't have an easily referable name.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 10:14 PM

run http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and find out what mobo.

but it sounds like you need official Dell support for this

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakkerlak

run http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and find out what mobo.

but it sounds like you need official Dell support for this

Yup, it's as I suspected. It's listed as manufacturer: "Alienware" model: "M14x"

It's strange though. CPUID also lists my graphics card as the intel card and not the nvidia chip. I booted up skyrim, and it still detects and utilizes the nvidia chip. Bizarre, but what that might tell me, though probably wrong, is that the nvidia chip is fine, but my system is choosing to use the intel chip over the nvidia chip and some games are just going with the system default. Which in this case is the intel chip.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 10:33 PM

I don't know how long you have that system but it sounds like it was bugged from day one.
really poor for a prefab made for gaming.

you need to unlock the hidden bios menus
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Threa...e-hidden-menus

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakkerlak

I don't know how long you have that system but it sounds like it was bugged from day one.
really poor for a prefab made for gaming.

you need to unlock the hidden bios menus
http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Threa...e-hidden-menus

Lol, that's an updated bios. Im on A03 even though my system is just 1 month old. I'll update to A05 then try unlocking it and seeing what happens when I disable the intel graphics.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 10:41 PM

I googled "M14x disable onboard graphics" you may find more yourself.

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 11:02 PM

The more I look into this, the more I think this problem is exclusive to GTA. Skyrim, Deus Ex, BF3, Dragon Age, and so on all select the nvidia card and run perfectly.

Sword of the Stars was the other game that I found selecting the Intel card, but I can run that game on max with the intel card because the graphics aren't intensive whatsoever. So that may be by design or at least an intelligent choice.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 11:08 PM

on my google search I see somebod say they had to tweak it in the nvidia panel.
but there should not be 2 grapics cards installed in the first place so it depends how you look at it were the problem lies.
I would return that system and ask my money back myself.

pretty sure you can solve it and it will be worth it

PastyPilgrim · 07-19-2012, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kakkerlak

on my google search I see somebod say they had to tweak it in the nvidia panel.
but there should not be 2 grapics cards installed in the first place so it depends how you look at it were the problem lies.
I would return that system and ask my money back myself.

pretty sure you can solve it and it will be worth it

Honestly, the guys over at Rockstar can go jump off a cliff for making me waste my entire night working on this.

This is the actual problem and successful solution: http://support.rockstargames.com/ent...-as-under-spec

Thank you for all the help kakkerlak, you're a hero.

kakkerlak · 07-19-2012, 11:29 PM

great

it was not time wasted you be able to solve the next problem a lot faster because of this.

07-19-2012, 09:57 PM	#1
PastyPilgrim Join Date: Jun 2012 Reputation: 55 Posts: 74	Ridiculous Problems with Games Selecting the Proper Graphics Card I've read every help article I can, but no solution seems to work for me. I have an Ivy Bridge i7 (Quad Core) processor, which utilizes an integrated Intel HD graphics chip. But I also have an NVidia GFX 650 (mobile) chip with 2GB of vram. For some reason, some games like GTA and Sword of the Star are choosing the integrated chip. Skyrim will choose the proper NVidia chip, which rules out several problems, but none that I didn't try as solutions anyway. I've tried updating the card (I have the newest driver), going into the control panel and setting the chip as the default chip under 3D settings, adding exceptions specific to game I want to run and their .exe files, disabling the integrated chip via device manager (crashed my whole system, which tells me that perhaps it's utilizing the integrated chip to run the OS which it should not be). I'm plugged in, but regardless, I've checked power settings and maximum performance while plugged in is checked. This is driving me crazy, but some help would be appreciated!

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07-19-2012, 10:00 PM	#2
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	can you turn off the integrated card in the bios setup?

07-19-2012, 10:07 PM	#4
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	than in my opinion your mobo should switch it off automaticly when a dedicated video card is detected. have you tried disabling the onboard chip in safemode? can you post your motherboard?

07-19-2012, 10:14 PM	#6
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	run http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html and find out what mobo. but it sounds like you need official Dell support for this

07-19-2012, 10:33 PM	#8
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	I don't know how long you have that system but it sounds like it was bugged from day one. really poor for a prefab made for gaming. you need to unlock the hidden bios menus http://www.bios-mods.com/forum/Threa...e-hidden-menus

07-19-2012, 10:41 PM	#10
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	I googled "M14x disable onboard graphics" you may find more yourself.

07-19-2012, 11:02 PM	#11
PastyPilgrim Join Date: Jun 2012 Reputation: 55 Posts: 74	The more I look into this, the more I think this problem is exclusive to GTA. Skyrim, Deus Ex, BF3, Dragon Age, and so on all select the nvidia card and run perfectly. Sword of the Stars was the other game that I found selecting the Intel card, but I can run that game on max with the intel card because the graphics aren't intensive whatsoever. So that may be by design or at least an intelligent choice.

07-19-2012, 11:08 PM	#12
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	on my google search I see somebod say they had to tweak it in the nvidia panel. but there should not be 2 grapics cards installed in the first place so it depends how you look at it were the problem lies. I would return that system and ask my money back myself. pretty sure you can solve it and it will be worth it

07-19-2012, 11:29 PM	#14
kakkerlak Banned Join Date: Feb 2004 Reputation: 2165 Posts: 24,014	great it was not time wasted you be able to solve the next problem a lot faster because of this.