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Nvidia Optimus: integrated graphics + Nvidia GPU. How to use Nvidia GPU for everything. Do I need Optimus installed?

Anonymous
2022-02-23T21:38:03+00:00

Windows 10 Home 21H2 19044.1526, 64-bit

Ten-year-old Dell XPS L502x laptop

Intel HD Graphics 3000

Nvidia GeForce GT 525M

Nvidia Optimus technology, switches between integrated graphics and Nvidia GPU

On Nvidia site, final driver release for my card is "GeForce Game Ready Driver WHQL 391.35", released March 27, 2018, for Windows 10 64-bit.

Hello, folks:

Quick summary of questions: how can I keep Nvidia GPU in use for everything? If I don't install Optimus, will that keep the Nvidia GPU on, or is Optimus needed to turn it on?

My laptop uses Nvidia Optimus technology. That allows integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 for less graphics-intensive tasks, to save power, and switches to Nvidia GeForce GT 525M card for applications that need dedicated GPU. As I understand, there's a list of applications that will switch to the Nvidia card, that list is updated by Nvidia but there is some way for users to add other applications to it.

My laptop is ten years old and can slow down with the increasing number of processes in Win10, browsers and modern apps. So, I prefer a minimal installation to avoid extra bloat and processes. I don't play any games, I mainly use old MS Word, Excel, modern web browsers, iTunes to play music, sometimes YouTube videos and occasional photo/graphics editing.

Nvidia's final driver release for my card is 391.35. It includes lots of stuff that runs extra processes that I don't need, such as Telemetry, ShadowPlay, 3D stuff, PhysX, etc. I'm going to use NVSlimmer utility to pre-open the driver package, select only what I want and avoid installing the rest. (https://m.majorgeeks.com/content/page/remove_bloatware_from_your_nvidia_driver_package_with_nvslimmer.html)

I always run this laptop on AC power. So, it's fine if the more power-hungry Nvidia GPU is used for everything.

Is that possible?

Would that give me better performance for my general usage than sometimes using integrated Intel HD Graphics?

What is the default for the Nvidia GPU in this situation: on; or off?

If I don't install the Optimus stuff from the Nvidia driver package, what would happen? Would Nvidia GPU always be used or would it never be used? IOW, do I need the Optimus install in order for the Nvidia GPU to be used, or would preventing the Optimus install cause the Nvidia GPU to always be on?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. DaveM121 871.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-02-24T08:09:15+00:00

    Hi franklin-xy

    Yes, that is correct, your PC would be more responsive if you just use the Nvidia graphics card.

    5 people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Anonymous
    2022-02-25T17:04:01+00:00

    Thanks, DaveM121. I appreciate your insights.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-02-23T23:00:26+00:00

    Thanks, DaveM121.

    Nvidia Optimus is not available on the newer Nvidia cards or Nvidia control panel or in BIOS.

    My laptop, Nvidia card and the Nvidia driver package are all old.

    If you use Optimus, you can choose to set the Nvidia graphics card to be used all the time, by enabling Optimus, the integrated graphics card will essentially be turned off.

    Where would I set that? In the Nvidia control panel?

    If Optimus is disabled or not installed, then Windows will manage your graphics options, and the integrated graphics would be used for most tasks, and the Nvidia card would be used for more graphically intensive tasks only.

    Okay, it sounds as though I should install Optimus.

    Would it make sense to set the Nvidia card to be used always? (Power saving is not an issue, as I'm always on AC power.) Would that give me more responsive performance than letting the system use the integrated graphics for many things?

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  3. Anonymous
    2022-02-23T22:59:58+00:00

    "Nvidia Optimus is not available on the newer Nvidia cards"

    Technically that's true from one angle but is incorrect as I don't think you're going for that lol. You learn something new everyday: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/rtx-laptops-advanced-optimus/

    "One key Max-Q advancement is NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, giving GeForce RTX laptop users the best performance"

    Sure, its Advanced Optimus so plain old Optimus isn't available :-)

    But this user has a much older GPU anyway so yeah, it doesn't even compute.

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  4. DaveM121 871.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2022-02-23T22:13:33+00:00

    Hi franklin-xy

    Nvidia Optimus is not available on the newer Nvidia cards or Nvidia control panel or in BIOS.

    If you use Optimus, you can choose to set the Nvidia graphics card to be used all the time, by enabling Optimus, the integrated graphics card will essentially be turned off.

    If Optimus is disabled or not installed, then Windows will manage your graphics options, and the integrated graphics would be used for most tasks, and the Nvidia card would be used for more graphically intensive tasks only.

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