Nvidia Optimus VS X8.5

[smeogan]

Hello, I bought myself an Alienware 17R2 with a GTX970M 3GB GDDR5 but it uses the Nvidia's Optimus technology which means that it is running on both integrated crappy GPU Intel HD graphics 4600 and the GTX. In the Nvidia's options i cannot set VS X8.5 to startup using the GTX since it is setted up by default on the integrated GPU. It wont start with the GTX970M even if i right click on the VS icon and select run with the Nvidia graphics processor. So i cant get CUDA and the power of a nice graphics adapter. Does anyone can help me with that very bad problem please? Thanks alot. Please refer to the screenshots(in french)

Thank you

[Ken Berry]

I have a similar situation, though the right click on the desktop option seems to work for me. At least NewBlue titler works then, and it refuses to work on the Intel GPU.

The only other way I know of is to set your NVidia card as the default. To do this you go to the NVidia Control Panel (right click desktop again). And on mine you select Manage 3D Settings > Global Settings and then in the Preferred Graphics Processor window change the Auto Select to your NVidia card. This seems to be similar to your French language one. Once the NVidia card is selected, though, you must then click on the Apply button which appears at the bottom of that screen. At least that's where it appears for me. Your images are too small for me to be able to read clearly what is on the buttons that I can see (and I understand French)...

[smeogan]

Hello Ken, thanks for the answer. (Edit: I resized the images and uploaded them right on corel.)

I did select the Nvidia as the preferred graphics processor already in global settings but it wont allow me to open VS with the GTX. I tried many things and many different settings but in vain. It seems that it really doesnt want to open with it.

I forgot to mention that the option #2 is greyed out in "manage 3d settings-programs settings-videostudio" and it set by default on the integrated graphics adaptor which is the Intel HD graphics 4600.

[Ken Berry]

When you have the image of the NVidia control panel open in full screen, and you scroll to "High performance NVidia Processor" and select it, does an "Apply" button appear in the absolute bottom right of your screen? It does in mine but I don't see it in either of those images... Mine only changes after pressing that button. In my case I had to press it twice and then wait for a few seconds for the change to be made...

[smeogan]

Hello, i did apply this setting in global but it doesnt make any changes in the program settings for videostudio. It's greyed and wont let me change anything Maybe it's a driver issue since it works great with many programs... Only few programs has that problem. I did ask on Nvidia and Alienware forums about a month ago but no answers.

Oh please could you show me your program settings screenshot with video studio? I would like to see

[Ken Berry]

Oh please could you show me your program settings screenshot with video studio?

I'm not sure what you mean by screen settings...

[smeogan]

Oh please could you show me your program settings screenshot with video studio?

I'm not sure what you mean by screen settings...

Oh very sorry my bad English lol. I meant in the "Program Settings" Tab please set it to videostudio in #1. and take a screenshot and send me so i can see the real difference between your option #2. and mine so i can compare to see. So if yours is really set on the Nvidia, it would mean the problem would really come from the Nvidia's driver. I need a proof to find out and fix the problem, if it's even fixable. Please thank you

[smeogan]

Hello, the problem is resolved. I did create a hardlink of vstudio.exe to be able to add it in the Nvidia's settings. Here's how to proceed:

1 - Run CMD as administrator (search for CMD in the windows's search button and right click run as admin)

2 - Select the right path by using this command

Code: Select all

cd (your right directory path)

in my case

Code: Select all

cd C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X8

So now the path is: C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X8>

3 - You will have to create the link by using this command

Code: Select all

mklink /h (your shortcut's desired name .exe) (the real .exe 's name)

in my case

Code: Select all

mklink /h gpu-vstudio.exe vstudio.exe

Looks like this: C:\Program Files\Corel\Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X8>mklink /h gpu-vstudio.exe vstudio.exe

4- Hit "Enter" this message will pop: Hardlink created for gpu-vstudio.exe <<===>> vstudio.exe

5- Close everything. Fix all the Nvidia's settings. Go in manage 3d settings select the global nvidia's processor and in programs settings add the new .exe (gpu-vstudio.exe) and in option 2 set to run with the nvidia's processor etc etc etc

Now you can right click on the .exe you created and send to shortcut desktop or whatever. You will have to start the program only with that .exe you created, otherwise the program will start with the Intel HD graphics!

Well... et voilà! Hopes it helps.

[Ken Berry]

Thanks for all that and I'm glad you got it working for yourself.

In fact, my program settings in the NVidia control panel were exactly the same as yours, with VideoStudio being linked to the on-board Intel graphics, and this could not be changed.

But as I said in my first post above, right clicking the VS icon on my desktop and choosing to run it with the NVidia graphics card works for me, where it didn't appear to for you. The way I can tell this is that I have the NewBlue Titler program on this computer, and it simply won't run with the on-board graphics. In fact during the installation routine for X8, it even told me that the on-board graphics were not sufficient to run Titler. But when I start X8 by choosing NVidia graphics, I have no trouble at all with Titler -- which indicates to me, at least, that X8 is using NVidia and not the Intel on-board graphics and despite the settings in the NVidia control panel.

EDIT: I have now created the link you suggest above, and adjusted the NVidia control panel to use NVidia for that link. When I opened X8, it went through the updating of templates and databases as though it was a new install or a new 18.0 was being created in AppData, though this took much longer than usual. When X8 opened, however, I could detect no change in performance from what I get by the right click method I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Have you made any measurements of performance differences yet?

[smeogan]

Hello, thank you for your help. I am very happy to be able to use the GTX because i bought this laptop for using VideoStudio and some other programs for my personnal hobbies like recording music etc.

VideoStudio acted the same way when i started it for the first time from that hardlink but once done, it startups normally everytime then.

Yes for me there is a big performance difference between using the GTX970M versus the Intel HD Graphics 4600 even it might be not be noticeable by my eyes. For some reasons the Intel HD 4600 is not able to use CUDA but the GTX can use this feature paired with VideoStudio and oh the GTX is alot better on all facets Also for the pluggins, i guess the discrete gpu is a better option over the integrated gpu; it can handle much more. Maybe i'm just crazy! There is a GTX in my laptop, i must use it for a video editing program and so far hehe Anyway i dont understand why they removed the option to choose which GPU we want to use for our applications. Maybe it's just a mistake they will repair someday in next drivers updates, or not, i dont know. I know by browsing forums in the last 2 weeks for a solution that some ppl have this problem on multiples applications and even games. I dont really play games anymore but i guess for a gamer it might be very hard to accept it when you find out that you cant use the best graphics adapter to play a favourite game on a laptop you bought only for that purpose. I hope they will fix this issue.

I forgot to mention in my previous post:
For the ppl who wants to be sure they are running VideoStudio or any other program with the Nvidia's card on a system using Optimus thecnology's hybrid graphics, please download GPU-Z (you dont need to install it, just run it classic) it's a good program to tell which graphics processor is running while running applications(refer to GPU load % in the sensor tab etc) here is the link: http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/25 ... -6/mirrors (choose which Mirror to dl by clicking on the one of the flags)

GPU-Z showing my GTX while playing a video in VSX8 when opened by default with the Intel HD Graphics

GPU-Z showing my GTX while playing a video in VSX8 when opened now by default with the GTX

And in the Nvidia's control panel at the top left check the option to see the activity of this graphics processor. Also in the bottom right corner you can click on the icon and this will tell you which programs are used by your Nvidia GPU (please refer to the screenshots) as you can see videostudio's icon is present in my Nvidia's activity! yay