E420s switchable graphics with opengl

[JameZ]

@All,

Issue has been escalated to engineering.

//JameZ

[Ilythiiri]

Will it fix problem on E520 too ?

[JameZ]

@All,

Engineering tested the OpenGL using Google Earth running in OpenGL mode and it works fine. Also they said Farcry 2 is a Direct X game and they can play fine. Is it the Farcry 1 which you are having issues with? Someone also mentioned CAD, appreciate if you can let me know which CAD that you are having problems with.

Do let me know which game is having problem, did it crash, any error message? The more info the better and faster they can get it solved.

//JameZ

[urindanger]

@JameZ,

Hi Fable 3 doesn't work, it only lists INTEL HD graphics and not 6630m when I access graphics configuration. This is on the e520 btw, many people on the Whirlpool forums have encountered this problem.

[paralityk]

Yeah that's same motherboard in E520 as in E420 where this problem exists too, I'm also pretty sure it'll fix E320 with HD6630M (if anyone got his hands on it somehow, saw pics of it on some chineese site).

The story goes like this:

AMD used to use parallel connection with a display switch so that each GPU was connected to Display by itselft. The problem with that is that when switch occurs screen's blanking and it takes a while. It looked like this

[AMD]

       \

    [switch]|----> Display

  /

[Intel]

Now AMD uses muxless(serial connection) design, same idea as with Nvidia's Optimus,

so it goes like this:
[AMD] ----> [Intel] ----> Display

Yeah, you guessed it, Intel is always ON! And even though AMD renders 3d the image itselft always goes through Intel.

Now what's the problem you may ask? Nvidia's doing allright? right? Well now it is but it didn't earlier.

Problem is AMD does NOT support switchable designs consisting of Intel CPU with AMD GPU.

So all support is theoritically left to OEMs. (here afair it's Compal, though I'm sure Lenovo takes more time participating in designing & manufacturing process then, say, dell)

Anyway... current drivers do pretty good job at forcing DirectX apps to use different GPU then the one detected first (which is also the one that's connected to display. ) however, and I don't know exactly why, switch does not occur for OpenGL apps they simply keep using Intel graphics. The way it probably is, it's not implemented at all which is a shame... wait, back, it's STUPID and someone should be taking responsibility for this!!! You buy a nb with a GPU which is supposed to match manufacturers specifiaction which specify that this GPU accelerates OpenGL instructions - it's not happening so the product is not working as advertised neither as it's supposed to work. REFUND RIGHT AWAY! (that's the way I see it)

whoa... that's a lot off text I wrote here, probably made some huge mistakes, so read carefully

btw. downloaded IdeaPad G770 drivers - won't install, didn't do anything further though I will try some tricks.

oh also, some HD 6xxxM equipped hardware uses the previous design.

[Ilythiiri]

Minecraft dosnt work so good too... i have only 15-25 FPS on the lowest grafic option... with "high performance" option at windows... (for java and for minecraft too)

[Mattaust]

Yes, Jamez.. Can you tell them that the problem with minecraft is that it's only using the Integrated graphics, and not the  AMD graphics because it's OPENGL, and the game is not  very  playable.

Cheers.

[Anno]

@JameZ

There is no error message. It just uses the Intell 3000 instead of the AMD 6630M.

Every OpenGL game and program won't work.

Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OpenGL_programs

All of them will not run on the 6630M.

[paralityk]

"Engineering tested the OpenGL using Google Earth running in OpenGL mode and it works fine."

LOL. What kind of engineering is that... sure it works fine, using INTEL GPU!! Is that so hard to get? Look:

May I sum it up for you?

Renderer: OpenGL

Video Driver: Intel

Google Earth set to High Performance (ATI)

Should be:

Renderer: OpenGL

Video Driver: ATI

Google Earth set to High Performance (ATI)

Also same story with FurMark:

Unigine Heaven nearly crashed, at almost lowest setting, definetly not using ATI gpu

http://i.imgur.com/X30X6.jpg

And at lowest settings, OpenGL (not using ATI gpu, though it should)

http://i.imgur.com/tCdRa.jpg 10FPS

Same settings but with DX11 (which is using ATI gpu)

http://i.imgur.com/iZXon.jpg 60FPS

[geogre]

hi all,

i'm also having these big problems with the so called "switchable" graphics that does *not* switch.

in my case, i don't use the laptop for games, but for working and that makes it even worse.

i work with professional CAD software ("bricscad", an autocad-clone) and with the professional visualisation software "autodesk 3ds max". unfortunately both do not at all use the amd radeon graphics!

i can tell because the render-mode in bricscad does not work at all (it did on a 5 year old nvidia-gpu machine) and in 3ds i can use directx or opengl or an intern mode and i can let the program display what hardware it's using and it says "intel" in all 3 cases, the only difference is that opengl does not work at all (viewport stays black), while directx and so called nitrous graphics mode work way too slow and with errors.

i am having an e520 with win7pro64 and all the newest drivers installed through lenovo update.

thanks for any help!

@JameZ: i have written about this issue in two other threads, very good to hear that a lenovo representative is responding here. thanks!. i just need to know if there is going to be a solution, because i need the computer for working. i'm very disappointed and if it is not going to work i have to get rid of this laptop very quickly and get one that does what it promises (unfortunately, because i like the laptop).

see also:

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-Edge/E520-immense-problems-with-switchable-graphics-3D-requirin...

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-Edge/Thinkpad-Edge-e520-graphics-problem/td-p/438397