Often on laptops are installed several graphics processors, that is, video cards. This is done for many reasons, but we will not deal with this. Let's talk about how to switch video cards on a laptop to each other. For example, from less productive to more powerful and vice versa. There is nothing complicated, for this you need to be familiar with the basics of owning a PC. You don’t need to do anything manually, but various crashes or a “crooked” build of the operating system make the GPUs not switch among themselves.
Some general information
If your laptop has a function for switching video cards, then it is obvious that you have several of them. As a rule, one of them is energy-saving, which is intended only for simple tasks, and the second is a high-performance discrete board, it copes with more complex tasks, such as graphics in games, 3D-video, etc. Intel GPUs are most often installed. and AMD. But there are other ligaments with which there are many more problems. The users of the Windows XP operating system will have the worst of all, we will tell about this a bit later. Each manufacturer has its own characteristics, but we will not talk about which is better, let's better deal with the issue that interests us. First you need to get the right software. Just download the Catalyst Control Center utility.
Integrated and discrete graphics processor
I would immediately like to note that as an example we will take an AMD card, which is the base one. To enable a more powerful graphics processor, you must run the Catalyst Control Center program. In addition, drivers for video cards are a prerequisite. According to the factory parameters of the laptop, the integrated video card, that is, the one that consumes less power, gets the basic priority. To run a game or high-quality video, discrete GPU is best. Since you can switch video cards on a laptop in several ways, we will consider each of them. Launch the Catalyst Control Center and minimize the utility to tray. From there, you can immediately choose the video card that you need at the moment. If you need to switch to the initial GP, then the sequence of actions is exactly the same.
How to switch video cards on a laptop: some good ways
In fact, the GPU must switch itself. This happens, for example, when you start a certain program or when the laptop is connected to the network. If you insert the battery, the integrated card will turn on. But it happens that the settings get lost and the necessary GPU does not turn on. To solve the problem, go to "BIOS" and find the Switchable function there. It is located in the Display mode menu. If we are talking about a nVidia discrete card , then you need to go to the control panel of the GPU and find 3D control there. Next, you need to find the section “3D Parameter Management” and set the video card for a specific program. In simple words, then if you want to play something, then for this game you need to install a discrete graphics card and save the settings. But if you use the XP operating system, then you need to go to the "BIOS" and manually disable the integrated graphics.
Switch laptop video cards
We will now consider several schemes that are most common. For example, an integrated AMD card and discrete ATI. In this case, switching GPUs to each other is easiest. To do this, you need to use the Catalyst Center program mentioned above, where you can easily disable the weak and turn on the powerful video card, and vice versa. If you are running XP, then you need to go to the BIOS, select instead of Switchable, Discreete. It is worth saying a few words that if you have a mobile card from ATI, then it is advisable to use clean builds of Windows. This is due to the fact that on others, for example ZverDVD, such a sensitive driver will work with problems, and this is a confirmed fact. Keep this in mind and always monitor your operating system.
Switching Intel and ATI Graphics Cards
A similar bunch is also common enough. As practice shows, there are no special problems. In our case, the second video card on the laptop is discrete, that is, more powerful. To enable it, you need to go to the Catalyst Center or do it through the desktop. To do this, you need to install special drivers, after which an icon will appear in the tray through which the GPU can be turned on and off. If you are a complete beginner and wonder how many video cards are on a laptop, then the answer is extremely simple. The graphics processor may be one or several. Typically, two adapters are installed to save power. For example, during battery life, the integrated card is turned on, and when the device is connected to the network, it is discrete. This solves many problems, a performance problem in particular. This is very convenient, so this solution in most cases pleases users.
Conclusion
That's all that can be said about how to switch video cards on a laptop. If you have a bunch with the nVidia GPU, then everything is a little more complicated, since a lot depends on what technology is used. Certain series of GPUs work without problems and switch from the desktop tray, while others must be constantly set manually through the control panel of the GPU. If for some reason you are unable to turn on the discrete card, it is recommended to completely remove and then reinstall the drivers and update them to the latest version. To do this, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest ones. In addition, this must be done for two video cards. But if all else fails, it is recommended that you manually configure the settings. For example, if you want to play some game, go to the card control panel and select a priority. This should solve all the problems. Pay attention to the OS assembly, since a lot depends on this too. You know how to enable a graphics card on a laptop, and that should be enough.