PC Drivers & Software

[sonic67]

I have a laptop with an intel CPU/GPU combo (i7-4810Q) and a Discrete/Hybrid AMD Radeon HD 8790M.

I have installed the latest Radeon Software (20.3.1) and under "Switchable Graphics" I have a few programs that have a "lock" on them. See attached. I am interested especially in PDR.exe to be associated with the "High Performance" GPU. It is a video editing software that cannot use the AMD hardware.

Can anyone explain why is that locked?

[kingfish]

I know nothing about PDR, but if it is a OGL application, laptops will use the integrated graphics by default.

Here is a old post from HP...all laptops are the same:

HP Notebook PCs - OpenGL Applications Cannot Use Discrete GPU with Intel + AMD Switchable Graphics |... 

[sonic67]

It has an OpenCL option... that can be deactivated. No OpenGL though.

[kingfish]

You should ask the laptop manufacturer..use their support venue.

Edit: You can try disabling the on-board/integrated/switchable graphics and force the laptop to use the discrete graphics...this is done in the bios. The HP article describes the process.

Check for a bios update from the manufacturer.

[sonic67]

There isn't such an option in BIOS. Probably there isn't the actual hardware like on the HP laptops that you quote.

My laptop it's a Dell Latitude E6540.

[kingfish]

Dell has a bios update

Support for Latitude E6540 | Drivers & Downloads | Dell US 

[sonic67]

Yes,I have installed the latest one from Dec 2019.

Also I am confused what that missing OpenGL API is, because supposedly I have OpenGL installed:

[kingfish]

Notice the absence of OGL on the discrete card you posted. This is something laptop manufacturers decide....

[sonic67]

It looks like I have it. Regardless, the app doesn't need OpenGL, only OpenCL.

[kingfish]

This is what matters:

You say it's not a OGL application...alright. The only difference between the integrated graphics and the discrete graphics is the OGL support. Your not going to be able to use the high power graphics for your application. That's one of the features of laptops...all of them. So live with what you bought.

Hardware acceleration is a browser option...not a graphics card setting. All browsers have this setting:

[colesdav]

Hello.

Do you know what the PDR.exe executable is?

A quick search seems to indicate it is most likely CyberLink Power Director version 15 executable.

Is that software installed on your laptop?

If that is correct then exit the software / kill it first.

Then try mouse Right Click on the launch Icon for the program and select "Run as Administrator".

Then open AMD Radeon  Settings and go to "Switchable Graphics" options and see if it is unlocked.

Bye.

[sonic67]

It is Power Director version 18 (current one). It won't have available the encoding hardware acceleration available for this card.

[colesdav]

Thank you for the information.

[sonic67]

And yes, I have tried to launch it with Admin and still the same.

[sonic67]

Not only that Power Director doesn't see the hardware encoding in this AMD GPU,  Handbrake doesn't see it either. Hadbrake at least is selectable (but nothing happens):

[kingfish]

I would revert back to the drivers that you were using before. The ones that didn't have this issue.

[sonic67]

It never worked. Not even with manufacturer (Dell) drivers, dated 2015....

[kingfish]

The only way you can disable the integrated graphics and force the use of the discrete graphics to run that app is in the bios. Look again...the wording can/is/usually different between laptop manufacturers but there (hopefully) should be a setting somewhere concerning display or graphics, etc. Search well.

[colesdav · Accepted solution]

Have you seen this video - it is for an Nvidia GPU where Nvidia Control Panel is unable to make Cyberlink Power Director use the Discrete Laptop Graphics either.

Make CyberLink PowerDirector use dedicated graphics card - YouTube 

It looks like you have to use the following setttings on your laptop:
Display Settings -> Graphics Settings and choose which GPU the application should run on.
Since I have a desktop PC with multiple GPUs attached - it is selecting the two RX Vega (64 & 56 in this case) that I have attached. I also have an R9 390X and an Nvidia RTX2080 OC connected so i will have to work out how to set a low power and a high power GPU in that case.

Here is what I see.

Maybe you have already tried this solution out.

Bye.

[sonic67]

I think you answered my initial question. The app is locked in the AMD control panel when it is actually controlled by Windows (instead of being on "system default". So I set it on "Performance".

However, even if I thought that might help my problem, it actually doesn't. It seems that both nvidia and AMD, when they get routed through intel GPU,even forced, will not route their ASIC decoder/encoder. That setting applies only to the screen video memory...

So, unless the laptop  has a dedicated MUX inside to completely switch  the chip (and even disable it in the BIOS), the  ASIC decoding and encoding will notbe capable of being used. That's a sad state of laptop GPU...

PS: Here is the proof that the setting actually changed and is still locked if the Windows is not set on "default".

[colesdav]

Just a thought - you probably checked this already - could you double check your Windows Power Settings and check the  the High Performance Power -> Advanced settings options you have used?

I was looking for a guide or video about it since I do not own a modern laptop with AMD APU or mobile GPU.

During Google search I found this information on AMD Forum already.

I cut and paste from this thread: Adrenalin 2020 Edition switchable graphics problem 

"

loz 28-Mar-2020 15:37

Acer Nitro 5 with AMD Adrenalin 2020, switchable graphics

If your game is not recognised by the AMD Adrenalin software, it will probably default to the iGPU within your processor, ignoring your dedicated GPU. This will have a huge impact on performance. AMD have removed the Switchable option from their drivers relying on the Operating System to do it for you, which is very unfortunate, especially for those whom don’t like tinkering and just want their laptop to give the best experience. Below is a guide I made to get SOMA to use my RX 560X, even though I had set it to High Performance in graphic settings, it still only used my Vega GPU (this can be easily established by looking at GPU usage in Task Manager). It was my Power Settings causing it not to switch.

Hope this works for you:

From Power Options (Right click your battery Icon)

Select your active plan and select Change plan settings

Then select Change advanced power settings

Expand Switchable Dynamic Graphics and change to the following:

               Global Settings

                              On Battery: Optimize power savings (Use integrated GPU)

                              Plugged in: Maximize performance (Use dedicated GPU)

*My plugged in was set to Optimize performance, which was causing the following options to be ignored, I didn’t change my On Battery settings.

Now Search for Graphics Settings and launch

Choose Classic app and Browse for your game’s executable, then click Options

Now choose High performance and Save

You game should now successfully use your dedicated GPU, but remember to set your power options correctly, otherwise it will ignore this setting."

[sonic67]

Even if I put the video apps on that "High Performance" setting, their ASIC (hardware video decoding and encoding) is not "exposed" trough the Intel connection. Only what is actually written by AMD in the video memory is "exposed", because Intel still has to be the one that displays the video memory content.

[colesdav]

I  just wanted to check you had definitlely set the Power Plan Switchable Dynamic Graphics options to High Performance as well. 

Which Intel Graphics driver are you running on the laptop for your i7-4810MQ mobile processor?
Looking here: Intel® Core™ i7-4810MQ Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz) Product Specifications 
Download Intel® Graphics Driver for Windows* [15.40] 
It seems there was a recent update but it looks like it is only for a security fix.
Maybe you should update the intel Graphics Driver to the latest one because of that security issue.
Then DDU to remove AMD driver in safe mode disconnected from the internet. Reboot. Reinstall the latest AMD Driver for your laptop.

It looks like your laptop has HDMI and VGA outputs - I guess they are both shared and driven through the Intel Graphics as well so no way to force Discrete GPU to drive a second screen over HDMI, make it your main display and then the Application should launch and use the discrete GPU?

I know this has been done on some Dell Machines:
Precision 7510 / 7710: Graphics Special Mode Setting in the BIOS | Dell UK 

Only other things I think you might be able to do would be to add an eGPU to the laptop but I think it only has USB 3 and no Thunderbolt2/3 and by the time you buy a GPU and EGPU Box you may as well buy a new Laptop with better switchable graphics solution.

Wireless card to EXP GDC beast could also be used but it is low bandwidth PCIe connection and woulkd be lots of effort to get working.

Sorry I couldn't find a workaround for you.

[colesdav]

Looks like ExpressCard to EXP GDC Beast is also an option but again ... lots of effort.

[sonic67]

Yeah, those Dell Precision 75xx/77xx have an extra Multiplexer circuit in the video path, that can switch on one or the other GPU completely. More expensive, but definitely worth the money in certain cases.

[kingfish]

Did you update the Intel graphics with the latest update from Intel? > Downloads for Intel® HD Graphics 4600