Why are games on my laptop not utilizing my dedicated GPU

Question

I am currently using the latest and updated version of Windows 11. Since the last month, my games have been lagging heavily at the loading screen. After having a look at Task Manager, I realized that my games are utlizing my default Intel UHD Graphics Card with almost 100% utilization. However, the games do not use my dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 1650, and its utilization is 0%.

After looking up possible solutions, I uninstalled and performed a clean install of my NVIDIA GPU, and installed the most up-to-date version of the GPU from the official website. But that was of no help. I further tried selecting my respective game and selected the High Performance GPU to be used in the Settings > System > Display > Graphics Settings. The problem was not solved. I am also using High-Powered performance plan, and not Battery saving mode.

I proceeded to turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling and restarted my PC as promted by the PC, but that didn't help. I even tried disabling my Intel UHD Graphics from the device manager. While my laptop could use NVIDIA GPU for display purposes, it could still not utilize it upon launching the game and remained at a black screen. I even tried all possible measures in the NVIDIA control panel, such as preferred Graphics card is Set to NVIDIA in "Manage 3D settings".

After trying all possible solutions, I decided to raise the question here. Hope to find a solution soon.

Certain Information about my laptop:

• Dell G3 15
• 8 gb ram
• Intel i7 10th gen
• BIOS: latest version for my device
• 4gb NVIDIA GeForce 1650
• Latest display driver

Answer 1

Hello,

It looks like you've already tried several common solutions to force your games to use the dedicated NVIDIA GPU instead of the integrated Intel UHD Graphics. Since the issue persists, here are some additional steps you can try to resolve the problem:

Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, Del, or a similar key during boot).

Look for an option related to "Graphics Settings," "Primary Display," or "GPU Selection."

Ensure that the dedicated GPU (NVIDIA) is set as the primary graphics adapter.

Save changes and exit.

Open the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Go to Manage 3D Settings.

Ensure Power Management Mode is set to Prefer Maximum Performance.

Save changes.

Some games have their own graphics settings that override system settings. Check the in-game settings to ensure the game is set to use the dedicated GPU.

Check if there is a problem with the NVIDIA GPU itself.

Check for physical problems, such as loose connections or overheating.

Run the relevant NVIDIA GPU diagnostic tool.

I hope the information above is helpful.

Best regards

Zunhui

============================================

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.