Switchable graphics on laptops is an eternal problem for all owners of laptops from Acer, HP, Lenovo and other manufacturers. The thing is that the leading manufacturers of graphics adapters cannot “agree” on how their engineering solutions will interact. Drivers from manufacturers' websites for older users often do not work on modern operating systems such as Windows 8 or 10. And even if they fit more or less straight, they will not be able to “squeeze” their full potential. Standard drivers supplied with system updates are generally useless. But there is a solution! And it's very simple.

This driver package has limitations for use:

• This driver package does not work on laptops with AMD processors. That is, integrated video must be Intel.
• This is the last driver for video cards built on non-GCN architecture. It is the latest for AMD Radeon video cards ranging from HD 5xxx to 76xx. No further updates are expected. Video cards from 77xx and higher: this is the new GCN architecture.
• Only 64 bit Windows 7/8.1/10 systems are supported
• Support for regular Windows 8 ended at version 14.4

Well, in the article, let's look at the material in more detail.

Switchable graphics - where to download Intel, Nvidia, AMD Radeon drivers.

As I already wrote, standard drivers are not suitable for us. Moreover, in windows 10 C atalyst C control C enter blocks a more powerful discrete video card for half of the applications, thereby dooming them to eternal “brakes” when working on the built-in GPU. In addition, there are rumors that since 2015, HP has been blocking an external card at the driver level when working in an operating system lower than the one preinstalled in the store. That is, if your laptop was purchased with Windows 8 installed, then you won’t be able to play games on the seven by installing drivers from the official website. And the dancing with the tambourine begins...

Something like this…

To solve problems with hybrid graphics in laptops, we will need special drivers, which can be downloaded from the link below:

Leshcat is a bourgeois Internet community whose main idea is to solve problems with drivers on computers with two video cards. They have created a universal driver package for the entire range of video cards found in laptop computers.

The latest driver package for video cards not designed on GCN architecture is available for download. This means that the assembly contains the latest drivers for AMD video cards from the HD 5xxx series up to the 76xx series. At the time of writing, no further update was planned. Radeon video cards from 77xx and higher are built on a new architecture and are still supported by the manufacturer. Only 64-bit Windows 7/8.1/10 systems are supported; support for the 32-bit version of Windows 8 ended with version 14.4. Earlier versions of the driver package even support Win XP and Vista.

Switchable graphics are the right setting.

The first thing we need to do is clear the system of all installed video drivers. Simply deleting it through the dispatcher is not suitable, as it leaves behind a lot of garbage, which can cause further problems. In addition, it is also necessary to remove graphics management programs from video card manufacturers. To achieve the effect, you will need a lot of digging in the registry and file system. Or you can use specialized software, namely the utility Display Driver Uninstaller. You can download it from Yandex Disk using the link below.

To correctly remove video drivers and debris from them, you must run Display Driver Uninstaller in the system's safe mode. To do this, press the Win+R combination and enter the command:

In the window that appears, go to the “Boot” tab and check the “Safe Mode” - “Minimal” box. Close the window and agree to reboot. I would like to note that in safe mode, after such manipulations, the computer will boot only once. Then it will boot normally again.

We launch DDU in safe mode and see that the program interface is incredibly simple. The utility itself will disable driver updating over the network, but just in case, I still recommend turning off the Internet so that the drivers, God forbid, are not updated over the network. First ALWAYS remove the Nvidia or AMD discrete video driver. To do this, select the manufacturer of your card on the right and click “Delete” without reboot". Then remove the Intel driver and click “Remove driver and reboot.”

In addition, for owners of computers with Windows 7, it is necessary to install the KB3033929 update package. Without it, modified drivers for switchable graphics will not work.

After removing the video drivers, go to the device manager and check that there are only two standard video drivers from Microsoft in the system.

And don't let the low desktop resolution scare you. We will fix this soon 😉 .

Switchable graphics - driver installation.

And now our system is ready to accept new drivers. We launch the pre-downloaded assembly from Leshcatlabs, select a language convenient for us and see this window with a traveler pussy, in an original way:

She will take with her all the problems of hybrid graphics)))

We only need to select the model of our Intel video driver by its ID. To find out the equipment identifier, in our case a video card, we go to the device manager. Right-click on the built-in driver and go to its “ properties". On the " Intelligence“, in the drop-down menu, select “Equipment ID” and see there a line like:

PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0116&SUBSYS_1672103C&REV_09

Where DEV_xxxx is your four-digit device identifier. In the driver installer, select the item corresponding to your ID and click “ COLLECT» Firewood for the external card will be collected automatically. Next, go to the folder with the received drivers and install Intel first, reboot, then Nvidia or AMD. That's it, installation is complete.

This document contains information for select HP notebook computers with dual Intel and AMD graphics cards.

Laptops that support graphics card switching are always equipped with two graphics processing units (GPUs): an integrated power-saving processor and a high-performance discrete processor. Computers with energy-efficient Intel GPUs and high-performance ATI GPUs combine the benefits of a low-power embedded processor with the performance of a discrete processor. This document describes the difference between dynamic and fixed graphics card switching control modes and how to use and configure graphics card switching in computers with dual Intel and ATI GPUs.

Dynamic and fixed control modes for switching video cards

Depending on the model, HP computers with the function of switching Intel and ATI graphics cards support operation in one of two modes: Dynamic Control Mode or Fixed control mode. Early models supported Fixed Control Mode, while recent models support Dynamic Control Mode. You cannot use fixed control mode drivers on a computer that supports dynamic control mode. You cannot use dynamic control mode drivers on a computer that has the function of switching video cards with fixed control mode. For best performance with any configuration, use the latest drivers and software. For more information, see Obtaining Software and Drivers.

The presence of a mode switching function in the computer dynamic And fixed controls can be determined by the parameters available on the screen for switching graphic modes in the program Catalyst Control Center. See the next section for more information.

Note.

The information and illustrations in this document are accurate at the time of publication. The appearance of the Catalyst Control Center program may differ due to different versions of the program.

Dynamic Control Mode

Computers with the function of switching video cards to dynamic control mode Switch between the built-in energy-saving processor and the discrete high-performance processor depending on the requests of the running program. Certain applications can be configured using the program Catalyst Control Center. If the screen switching video cards allows you to set application levels, which means the computer has the function of switching video cards in dynamic control mode.

Changing the default settings of the video card switching function in dynamic control mode.

Rice. : Catalyst Control Center - Dynamic Control Mode Switching Screen

Note.

The dynamic control mode for switching graphics cards was used in HP computers to extend the operating time on a single battery charge; you can apply custom mode settings. Dynamic Control Mode allows the computer to use its integrated and discrete GPUs without restarting or reconfiguring display settings. On some computers with dynamic control mode for switching video cards, you can set a fixed operating mode in the BIOS settings. For more information about changing BIOS settings on supported models, see OpenGL applications cannot be configured to use a discrete graphics card.

Fixed control mode

Computers with fixed control mode Graphics card switching allows you to switch between energy-efficient and high-performance processors depending on the power source (battery or AC adapter) or manually using a program Catalyst Control Center. In this case, all applications use the selected processor. If the screen switching video cards allows you to choose between high performance and efficiency, which means that the computer has the function of switching video cards in fixed control mode.

For more information about accessing the Catalyst Control Center, see the section in this document, Changing Default Settings for the Video Card Switching Feature in Fixed Control Mode.

Rice. : Catalyst Control Center - Fixed Control Mode Switching Screen

Using the graphics card switching feature in dynamic control mode with default settings

By default, a computer with dynamic graphics switching will use the built-in power-saving GPU in most cases. The computer will automatically switch to a discrete high-performance processor when an application requires more resources. Users can specify applications that require the use of a high-performance processor by selecting applications in the Catalyst Control Center. When you configure an application to use a high-performance processor, the computer switches graphics solutions when you open and close the application.

Default settings for changing the graphics card switching function in dynamic control mode

On computers with a low-power Intel GPU and a high-performance ATI processor, dynamic switching of graphics cards can be configured using Catalyst Control Center. If this program is missing or has been uninstalled, see Obtaining software and drivers for information on installing the latest version.

To reduce power consumption as much as possible, or when using programs with low GPU system requirements (such as word processors or spreadsheets), you do not need to change Catalyst Control Center program settings. By default, your computer uses the power-efficient GPU for most applications. This mode can still run complex programs, games, and videos, but the frame rate may be slower, some frames may drop, and motion and transitions may be choppy.

GPU-intensive applications, such as 3D games, perform better when using a high-performance processor. Graphics-intensive programs, videos and games run optimally when using a high-performance processor.

Attention!

To change the default GPU settings using the Catalyst Control Center, follow these steps:

Dynamic Graphics Card Switching Feature: OpenGL applications do not allow settings to use a discrete graphics card

When you configure Dynamic Graphics Card Switching in the Catalyst Control Center, some computers do not allow OpenGL applications to be bound to the discrete graphics card. OpenGL applications will use the power-efficient embedded processor, but performance levels may not be as expected. HP has released an updated driver for BIOS and AMD graphics cards, adding Fixed Control Mode switching functionality for certain models that originally shipped with dynamic switching graphics cards.

For more information about OpenGL and methods for loading an updated BIOS and driver, see OpenGL applications cannot be configured to use a discrete graphics card.

Using the graphics card switching feature in fixed control mode with default settings

A computer with Fixed Control Mode GPU Switching at default settings will automatically prompt you to switch between the high-performance GPU and the low-power GPU when the power source changes. For more information, read one of the following sections.

Externally powered (AC adapter connected)

By default, a computer with graphics card switching in fixed control mode uses a discrete high-performance processor when running from an external source to improve processing of graphics-intensive tasks, such as watching HD videos or playing 3D video games. The high-performance processor is also used for programs that require less graphics resources (such as word processors and spreadsheets).

If the power source changes while the computer is running (for example, when you unplug the AC adapter), the computer automatically prompts you to confirm the switch from a high-performance processor to a low-power processor.

Click the Change button to switch from a high-performance processor to a power-efficient processor, or the Cancel button to continue using the high-performance processor.

Attention!

Using a high-performance GPU on battery power will reduce battery life. A high-performance GPU generates a significant amount of heat when running GPU-intensive software, so to avoid overheating the computer, the fan operation becomes louder and louder.

Note.

When switching video cards, the screen may flicker or the image may disappear for several seconds.

Rice. : GPU switch confirmation

In this article we will tell you how to switch between video cards on a laptop if there are 2 of them installed. Such information will help you optimize your work by speeding up the operation of the laptop itself, or saving battery power.

The presence of two video cards allows you to choose which mode the laptop will operate in - maximum graphics performance or energy saving. Switching between video adapters can occur manually or automatically depending on the program being launched.

How to switch between 2 video cards on a laptop

The procedure varies slightly depending on the video card processor models. There are 3 options for the “processor - graphics adapter” combination:

• Intel - ATI/AMD.
• AMD - ATI/AMD.
• Intel - nVidia.

In the first two cases, the switching is carried out in the Catalyst Control Center program; when using an nVidia card, the card is selected in the nVidia Control Panel.

Catalyst Control Center

In the Catalyst Control Center, there is a special subsection for selecting a video card called “Switchable Graphics Adapters.” You can find it on the “Nutrition” tab in the side menu of the program. The procedure is simple: the window displays the current active processor. You need to click on the corresponding button to enable low power consumption or high performance mode.

In the “Method of switchable graphics adapters” subsection, you can configure the automatic change of the video card according to the needs of the application - for example, games or graphic editors need maximum performance, and office applications or the browser should run in energy saving mode. To enable auto-switching, you need to check the appropriate box and save the configuration by clicking the “Apply” button.

If the laptop uses an Intel - ATI/AMD combination, then to implement automatic switching depending on the needs of the application, you need to go into the BIOS and in the “Configuration” section set the “Graphic Device” parameter to “Switchable Graphic”.

For manual and automatic switching to work correctly, the drivers for both video cards must be installed on the laptop. You can download them on the official website of the equipment manufacturers - laptop or graphics adapter, if it was purchased separately.

nVidia Control Panel

If an nVidia video card is installed on the laptop, then all actions related to setting up graphics are performed through the nVidia Control Panel. The main condition remains the same - hardware drivers must be installed in the system, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website.

1. Find the nVidia icon in the notification bar. Left-click on it to open Control Panel (or right-click and select Control Panel).
2. Open 3D Control Options.

In the Global Settings tab, you can select the adapter manually or configure automatic switching depending on the needs of the application.

On the "Program Settings" tab, you can configure the adapter for each program installed on the laptop. There are three modes to choose from - integrated map, discrete map, using global parameters.

Many laptops, starting from the middle segment, initially have two video cards installed, integrated and discrete. And the system itself decides which one to use for a specific task.

• Integrated– built into the motherboard or into the processor itself and is used for simple tasks (internet surfing, watching videos, listening to music).
• Discrete– connects separately. It has higher performance, but at the same time energy consumption increases. Used in more complex tasks (games, working in graphic editors, watching high-quality films).

By default, the Windows system uses the built-in video card, and if switching between them does not occur automatically, the user has no choice but to reconfigure the priorities himself.

Nvidia

If you have an Nvidia card installed, you can switch the integrated video card to a discrete one on your laptop using the “ Control Center" Initially, it is installed along with the drivers, but if it is not there, then you need to update the drivers and you will have it.

The utility is automatically built into the context menu and can be opened with one click.

• Right-click on any free space on your desktop and select " Nvidia».

A window will appear asking you to:

The switching process is always the same and does not depend on the manufacturer of your laptop, be it Asus, Acer, Samsung, HP, Dell inspiron, Lenovo, etc., or on the version of Windows (7, 8 or 10).

AMD Radeon

A special application has been developed for AMD card users " Catalyst", with its help you will be able to manage all its settings. You can download it from of. site.

How to switch to a discrete video card in a laptop:

device Manager

If the laptop constantly runs on the built-in video card based on the processor (Intel or AMD), the easiest way to switch it is to completely set the system to always default.

How to do it:

In order for the changes to be applied, all that remains is to restart the laptop.

Bios Settings

You can also switch the main video card to an external one through Bios.

If you do not have proper experience working in BIOS, then it is not recommended to use this method. Since there is a possibility of disabling something important, after which the computer will stop starting.

The procedure will be as follows:

1. To get to the system menu, when booting the company’s laptop, you need to press the “ Delete" or " Del" Depending on your laptop model, other keys may be used, for example, for Sony it is “Assist”, for Lenovo it is “Novo Button”. Or simpler options, for example for Asus, Acer (F2, F8).

1. Save changes and restart your computer.

The process is discussed in more detail in this video.