PC Graphics Card Problem/Question

[darthmunky]

Okay so my laptop has switchable graphics. One is built in (Mobile Intel HD Graphics) and the other is a Radeon HD 6770M. I can't get any applications to use the Radeon. For example. I was playing Oblivion and it was lagging so I checked the options and the Radeon didn't even show up in the drop down box nor is it visible in Dxdiag. It is, however visible in Device Manager. If I disabled the Intel HD Graphics card from there, would my laptop automatically use the Radeon or will my screen turn black and be impossible to fix? Also, Yes, I downloaded all the latest drivers. Thanks.

[Ziggy]

Did you take a look in the BIOS and see if there's an option to switch? I'm assuming you have a Core i3 or i5 with the integrated GPU, right? I don't have any experience with that, but on desktops with integrated graphics, if you add a video card you can select it from the BIOS and disable the on board video. I would assume it's the same thing in your case. Unless you can actually switch GPUs via the desktop, but I don't know what the point of that would be. I would think that the laptop would have come with the Radeon setup as primary. Did they actually advertise the laptop as having "switchable graphics"?

[Stark]

If it's a Dell it's called Optimus or something like that in the BIOS and you can make it just use the good graphics card.

[darthmunky]

It's an HP. Yeah, it was advertised with switchable graphics but it's default the built in crappy one. And you can't just switch it. You choose which applications will run in power saver or high performance (meaning it uses the radeon for that app) except that didnt work.

I ended up going into the BIOS setup, the only option was to disable switchable graphics. It's always using the radeon now and I actually got Skyrim to play on ultra high settings with no lag. The only thing is, the laptop is noticeably hotter and the fan is louder.

[BoringSupreez]

I ended up going into the BIOS setup, the only option was to disable switchable graphics. It's always using the radeon now and I actually got Skyrim to play on ultra high settings with no lag. The only thing is, the laptop is noticeably hotter and the fan is louder.

That's only natural. The more powerful video card will use more electricity than the weak on-board video, which creates more heat. The fan will spin harder to cool the laptop down.