PC Drivers & Software

[proove]

Issue:

I have an ASUS N551ZU notebook with switchable graphics, an AMD Radeon R7 integrated GPU and a Radeon R9 M280X discrete GPU. I have the latest version of Windows 10 as well as AMD software installed on my laptop. Unfortunately, for months I couldn't have my games run on the discrete high-performance R9 graphics, even though I have set the power option to High performance. Clean installation of drivers and Windows, updating BIOS, and installing older versions of drivers have not resolved my problem. I've also sent an email to ASUS, and they responded the problem is not of their making. Please help, it's really annoying.

Some system specs:

ASUS N551ZU

System: Notebook

OS:Windows 10 Pro v.1909 x64

CPU: AMD FX-7600P 12 Compute Cores 4C+8G GPUs: AMD Radeon R7 graphics (Integrated DDR3) + AMD Radeon R9 M280X (Discrete GDDR5)

Driver version: Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.4.2 Display: 15.6" 16:9 IPS FHD (1920x1080)

Motherboard: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. N551ZU BIOS: N551ZU.307

RAM: 8GB Single-Channel DDR3

P.S.: I guess the last time I had no problem dates back to Windows 10 v. 1511. I can attach more detailed information and screenshots if required.

[Matt_AMD]

If Task Manager shows the GPU load on the discrete GPU, then it is the discrete GPU which is being used to render the graphics. 

The game probably won't be able to detect the discrete GPU as the monitor display is wired to the integrated GPU, so you can use Task Manager to verify which GPU is actually being used. 

[jomcot]

I have installed Windows 1903. I also disabled the auto updates because of this thread and others articles.

When I installed Adrenalin 20.4.2 I disabled internet. 

Sorry my head is a mess....did so many stuff yesterday trying to fix this....and i have no idea what actually fixed it :S

[colesdav]

RE: Sorry my head is a mess

I know the feeling... I have been working too hard and I have been making some mistakes recently.
Take a break for a while.

[cyberstorm64dd]

AMD needs to get this fixed fast... as there are a lot of machines using SDR right now

sutch as my new laptop I got from ASUS

[pokester]

I agree, big issue. Looking through this thread though I don't see where anyone has reported the issue to AMD. Make sure you file a support ticket with AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support/contact-email-form 

[manodeep_s]

Hi,

I am writing from my own PCs experience. My own PCs config is as under - 

System: HP 15 ba017ax laptop

OS: Windows 10 Pro 64 bit v1909

Processor (APU): AMD A8-7410 with AMD Radeon R5 Graphics 2.20 Ghz

Installed RAM: 16.0 GB (14.9 GB usable)

Primary / Integrated Graphics Chipset: AMD Radeon(TM) R5 Graphics

Primary / Integrated Graphics Chipset Memory Size: 1024 MB

Discrete / Switchable Graphics Chipset: AMD Radeon (TM) R5 M330 (It is actually M430 - correctly identified by HP OEM drivers, but with AMD drivers it is identified as M330)

Discrete / Switchable Graphics Chipset Memory Size: 2048 MB (incorrectly identified as 1024 MB in Windows 10 task manager - performance tab)

I had seen all these messages wherein people find it impossible to make their discrete graphics chipset to work in Windows 10 with AMD Adrenalin 2020 drivers. Applications always tend to work with Primary / Integrated GPU, including measures like - Graphics settings in Win 10 settings etc.

Even I faced the same issue, wherein my games never used the discrete graphics and always forced my PC to work with the Primary / Integrated GPU causing serious slowdown of my PC. Graphics settings in my OS showed same GPU name in both power saving and High performance and selecting high performance there had no effects. Finally, I found a solution to my issues, which I am sharing with all - 

It is the Primary / Integrated GPU which is connected to display through hardware connection. The discrete graphics chip is not built as a separate hardware unit in my motherboard to be detected in the graphics settings of Win 10 under high performance tab. It is like a co-processor (a subset of the primary GPU) which need to be made visible to OS for usage through separate software, which is graphics driver. Once made visible to OS, it shares the hardware connection of the Primary / Integrated GPU to display for its performance. Now which driver to use.

I found AMD Radeon software version 19.11.1 https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/release-notes/rn-rad-win-19-11-1  to be the latest one to provide switchable graphics tab, allow the High Performance GPU (Discrete / Switchable GPU) to be assigned to individual applications run on the system and the same is captured in the performance tab of Win 10 task manager while such applications are running. Also for the applications, I had assigned the Discrete / Switchable GPU (high performance GPU) in AMD radeon settings, I had also set them to high performance in Win 10 graphics settings to avoid any conflict from OS, though in there both GPUs are shown as same.

Any version after 19.11.1 gets into the ambit of Adrenalin 2020 wherein such switchable graphics options are unavailable. Adrenalin 2020 assumes that the graphics settings of Win10 will do this task of switchable graphics, but it seems Win 10 does not identify the co-processor model of discrete / switchable graphics.

Thus, it would be wise to stay at this level of graphics drivers till the time switchable options are restored in future adrenalin versions of radeon settings. Do let me know, if such measures helped you or not.

Thanks.

[pokester]

I just helped out a nephew this weekend with an AMD laptop and he had the same issue. I could not make any driver from 2020 work and I know I was doing nothing wrong. While AMD claims that support for control has moved to Microsoft it is glaringly obvious that it is not working that way and that returning to the older drivers where AMD controlled this does still work. 

Now who's fault is this I don't know. Is it failure in the new AMD drivers to properly hand that control off? I don't know. All I know is a lot of people can't use their laptops as is with current drivers regardless of who is to blame.

All I can say is that if the control now exists in Microsoft hands then that sure doesn't full explain why old drivers still work and new ones don't. 

[hardcoregames_]

pokester wrote:

I just helped out a nephew this weekend with an AMD laptop and he had the same issue. I could not make any driver from 2020 work and I know I was doing nothing wrong. While AMD claims that support for control has moved to Microsoft it is glaringly obvious that it is not working that way and that returning to the older drivers where AMD controlled this does still work. 

Now who's fault is this I don't know. Is it failure in the new AMD drivers to properly hand that control off? I don't know. All I know is a lot of people can't use their laptops as is with current drivers regardless of who is to blame.

All I can say is that if the control now exists in Microsoft hands then that sure doesn't full explain why old drivers still work and new ones don't. 

I have many laptops with discrete graphics and windows 10 ans switchable graphics are a real headache, both AMD and NVIDIA are bad news

This is why I use only machines with integrated graphics now and delegate gaming to my high performance desktop

[pokester]

Not saying that some may not have issues with Nvidia but I have had 4 AMD laptops and 2 nvidia laptops. I have no issues with the Nvidia laptops using the correct graphics and also being Windows 10 upgradable. I have easily 30 plus intel laptops at work and none of them have issues with graphics. Had only a few AMD ones at work and all had issues with graphics. Thus I wold never buy an AMD laptop with graphics again unless the reputation seriously improves. Anytime I have had a game that did not use the Nvidia graphics I can go into the NV control panel and choose the Nvidia processor for that game. This is still available in current drivers. 

So I guess to some that may be a headache but to me a few clicks and it just works. 

[hardcoregames_]

Modern integrated graphics are now adequate for most clerical tasks.

Driver woes are not limited only to Radeon  cards, NVIDIA has lots of problems too. Intel's drivers are more a testament to the limitation of the hardware than anything.

[pokester]

Well it really isn't a point of how adequate the integrated graphics are when the much more powerful discrete graphics are never used. The customer sure isn't getting what they paid for. 

I don't see the complaints on this on the Green Team. Not in their forums and not when you do web search either. You do however see endless results of AMD laptop customers complaining. Again not saying that some don't exist for the green team, but it is a drop in the bucket if that by comparison. And frankly Intel integrated graphics being sold today compare pretty well to the many current offerings from AMD. So without the discrete graphics no so much of a difference. 

Honestly you don't even see the complaints with AMD discrete graphics when paired with an Intel mobile CPU. You place an AMD APU with AMD discrete graphics and good luck to you. 

[hardcoregames_]

all i know is that forums all over are full of questions about using integrated vs discrete

this is why i use only integrated graphics in the portables 

[Nightblazer]

Hay guys i am having all the same problems but something odd happend no games will run off my dedicated gpu I can't change gpu on my Windows display setting BUT! When I run portals 2 it runs on my dedicated gpu but it's the only game that will is there anything we can take from that if you have portals 2 try it 

[lilmagua]

Hello! I have read the content of this forum several times, I have implemented different solutions that are proposed without having a good result. After all this, did you find a solution? 
Thank you!