dGPU Switch and Freeze Problem

[RBalt1]

Hi,

there is a problem with laptops which have Intel CPU + GTX 1050/1050Ti/1060/1070/GT 640M. The problem is, whenever you try to do some action on the OS, discrete GPU is triggered and it causes a 0.5s freeze.

Some actions, which cause the dGPU to wake up and lock up the whole system for about 0,5 seconds are:

• Left click on battery-icon in task-bar
• Opening Chrome-browser
• Opening Windows Image Viewer (app + classic Foto viewer)
• Opening system control panel
• Provocation any animation on task bar (e.g. thumbnail-preview, ...)
• Loading a new tab in Firefox

Here is a video demonstrating Display Setting Freeze:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7K1SpCQgAY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7K1SpCQgAYAnother video showing dGPU switch on a lot of simple tasks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euiZmHZwlc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-euiZmHZwlcAnother one:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQZWfWFhlc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQZWfWFhlcWe have tried updating every software possible, but no luck.

• Intel driver
• NVIDIA driver
• Chipset driver
• BIOS
• Firmware

The problem can be found on all laptop brands: ASUS, Acer, Clevo, Dell, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo, MSI, Razer.The problem can be solved by either disabling Intel GPU, which forces the system to always work with NVIDIA, or disabling NVIDIA GPU. Both of them is not an option though, as if you disable Intel, not only you will drain the battery faster, but also some games will stop working. If you disable NVIDIA, then what is the point of buying a laptop with a discrete GPU?There is a also a workaround: configuring https://github.com/jobeid/TrayPwrD3 TrayPwrD3 to always work with NVIDIA in the backgound. This keeps the NVIDIA GPU alive but also drains battery faster. And there is no poaint in that as it renders Optimus useless!So, manufacturers have to come up with a fix.Thank you.

Reported Models:

• Acer VN7-793G

• Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-51-536M)

• Acer Nitro 5, i5 7300HQ, GTX1050 Ti

• Acer Predator Helios 300 (PH317-51)

• ASUS N580VD

• Asus GL503VD

• Asus GL503

• Alienware 13 R3

• Alienware 17 R4

• Dell 7567

• Dell XPS L521x

• Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming 7577

• Dell 7510 (Early 2017)

• Gigabyte Aero15W

• GIGABYTE P37XV6

• Gigabyte P35 v6

• Gigabyte Aero 15

• HP Omen 15

• HP Omen HD630 + GTX1050

• HP Pavilion

• Lenovo Y720

• Lenovo Y520

• Lenovo W530

• Lenovo P51 Xeon

• MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider 4K

• MSI GS60 2PE

• MSI GS43VR 7RE

• MSI GS63VR 4K

• MSI GS73VR 7RG Stealth Pro

• MSI GS73VR 7RF

• MSI GP62MVR 7RF

• MSI GE72MVR 7RG

• MSI GE73VR 7RE

• MSI GE73VR 7RF

• MSI GP72MVR

• MSI GX63VR

• Monster ABRA A7 V7.2 (Clevo)

• Razer Blade 14

• Razer Blade 14 2017

• Razer Blade 2017

• Samsung Odyssey i7 7700 + GTX 1050

• XMG A517-dnj

• XMG P507

Non-Effected Models:

• MSI PL62 7RC

Effected Windows Versions:

• W...

[RBalt1]

Actually no, this is not a driver issue. It is related to Windows, which triggers the discrete GPU in most cases.

[ssamb1]

Perhaps, learn it from Mac OS, their graphics switching structure works flawlessly from intel to nvidia. ta-da. It's too bad, sold my macbook pro retina.

[RLasm1]

Any news?? I have same problem on Dell 7567 with GTX1050TI and Intel Graphics 630

[ADear]

I've just tried the newest windows insider build 17074! The same problem happens again. It's really annoying and I don't understand why microsoft is doing this thing.... PLEASE MICROSOFT FIX THIS PROBLEM!

[NVanb]

I have the same problem ... I contacted lenovo, they were not advised ... I had to send it in repair .. it's a joke ... intel plz save us Haha -_-

[MBong1]

any news ? , something is changed since the last intel's respond?

[TNowa4]

Yeah, I sold my laptop in the meanwhile, hahaha 🙂

[AB_2]

Hello guys,

specially registered to report same problem with same behavior on Lenovo Y520 15IKBM 80YY.

It took me 2 weeks to figure out the problem as on the internet nobody seemed to have the same issue until I narrowed the problem to the graphics driver and only then found the solution.

This is unacceptable!

Shame!

[NVanb]

what is your solution? I contacted lenovo before seeing this topic and took it back to the workshop! be saying that it changes a component there ... pfff ..

[THens2]

The main thing that helped get my Intel 630/Nvidia 1050 Laptop stuttering and hitching under control and largely fixed was to shut off Nvidia Optimal Power in their control panel.

Optimal Power is known for being troublesome and causing random issues so try setting it to Adaptive. It may not solve your problem but I bet it will help you in some ways. For me it did a lot more good than things like TrayPwr did (I found TrayPwr to be a wildly inconsistent bandaid, personally)

From what I understand, Optimal basically allows the Nvidia GPU to completely go to sleep when nothing is drawing to it. So when that occurs and the iGPU tries to switch it has to wake it up and that causes it to hang for a moment while it does so. When you put it to Adaptive, it stays awake but sits in a very low power mode when it isn't being used, to the point where it won't even report temps or clock speeds.

Short of disabling the Nvidia GPU I would imagine that is as good as you can do. By setting it to Adaptive, my hang ups have went away along with my stutters like when I start a video and go into full screen and oddball performance quirks when using HDMI out or multi-monitor mode. I noticed a ton of little performance improvements.

I might be misunderstanding some of this, my apologies if so, just trying to provide some relief.

[JObei]

Shutting off Nvidia Optimal Power in their control panel (to adaptive or any other setting) did nothing for me. I still got the stutter everytime. The only solution in my mind remains https://github.com/jobeid/TrayPwrD3 TrayPwrD3. It has consistently and reliably worked for me. I have been using it for months now without a problem, while waiting for any fix from Nvidia, MS or Intel.

[MRodr23]

I have the same problem. I am using https://github.com/jobeid/TrayPwrD3 TrayPwrD3 and i think that are fixin the problem. But i am a little scare. That problem maybe dangerouse for my GPU no?

[TNowa4]

It seems the problem is only related to selected laptops. Why I think so? I was using a i7+1060 laptop previosuly. Recently sold it. Bought an ultrabook with i5+1050. Result with Fall Creators Update? No issues.

[RG8]

Mind telling us what notebook you're using and most importantly what driver version you're using?

because I supsect you're running a GTX 1050 notebook without optimus.

[TNowa4]

ASUS N580VD. It has Optimus - Intel HD 630 with GeForce 1050.

[RG8]

What windows version are you running?

and I don't mean windows 10 or 8, I mean actual Build number.

[TNowa4]

Windows 10 1709 Fall Creators Update.

[RBalt1]

It is indeed not seen on every laptop. There are models with 1050 /1050 Ti which does not have this problem. I've also experienced this since I review a lot of laptops.

[RG8]

I have no clue why you guys would complain on intel forums about an optimus feature by NVIDIA, but i digress.

So I talked with NVIDIA support about this and did some research on the matter. Like you guys I'm also suffering from this issue. From my research this is not something caused by intel, but nvidia, as you know optimus is handled by NVIDIA and not intel. This issue is happening for people who use pascal only. This issue does not happen for AMD users using enduro and older NVIDIA cards. So obviously intel is not at fault here, they can't do anything about this. As far as I gathered from NVIDIAs support,they didn't even know that this problem even existed to begin with.

So after live support and some emails back and forth, I finally got there:

Your case is being escalated to our Level 2 Technical Support group for further attention. The Level 2 agents will review the case notes. As this process may take some time and require a good deal of testing and research, we ask that you be patient. A Level 2 tech will contact you as soon they can to assist or point you in the right direction.

Best Regards,

NVIDIA Customer Care

I linked this and another microsoft thread to NVIDIA about this issue, they will reproduce this error and finally fix it boys.

[RBalt1]

I've contacted NVIDIA nearly 6 months ago bro... To sum up my emails, they are basically saying that this is an OS related problem and they can do nothing about it. But I gotta add, they do not want to directly face Microsoft. So, I won't be able to share any internal e-mail here. But that is the truth. I'm following this issue for more than 6 months and I'll be here until it gets solved.

[RG8]

Can you take a GTX 1050 model which doesn't have this issue and then check the windows version?