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]

Windows version does not matter much. I install 1709 on all models and if there is a problem, it shows up on all builds... If not, it is OK on all builds...

Some say that 1703 with no updates have no problem but I have tries all builds on my GS43VR 7RE and every one of them had it...

Windows 8.1 does not have the issue though...

[RG8]

Can you provide a list of all notebooks that work and those who don't?

I would like to see if I can figure something out.

[FSapi]

My Dell 7577 (i7 7700HQ, GTX 1060 Max-Q) running Windows 10 1709 has this issue.

[JWalk12]

Same here, I have the Dell 7577 (i5 7300HQ, GTX 1060 Max-Q) , and I can't right click on desktop without stuttering.

I would also like to note that keeping NVidia GeForce experience up and running alleviates this issue. (probably because it keeps NVidia gpu active)

[VFote]

"This issue is happening for people who use pascal only."

Not true. My GTX 960M (+ 6700HQ) laptop has the issue as well.

[FSapi]

Yeah, happened on my old MSI GS60 2PE and it's now happening on my Dell Inspiron 15 7577. Really hope this hasn't been shoved to the bottom of the priority queue as it affects most laptops with Nvidia GPUs.

Also released v1.0.0.1 of Bye Optimus with automatic GPU disabling based on power mode.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1htPMbPPnEV72LCYojOEDvXHIjTjw03tU Link

[TCava]

Well, that's good to know!!! Definitely waiting to get my Dell until this issue is resolved. Can't believe the lack of support this is having from the companies involved, it's a total deal breaker.

[RG8]

Could you provide your NVIDIA driver version as well? After that I'll see what I can find out.

[FSapi]

For those interested, I've created a tool which runs in the taskbar and allows you to enable/disable your NVidia GPU quickly and easily. I will release the source code at some point (once I've cleaned it up a bit) but for now you can get it from https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zJpWGyYyUvR62iBifEoojl_CS-oPSX7E here

You need to ensure you extract all the files and run the tool as an Administrator or else it won't do anything.

I call it Bye Optimus

[RG8]

This is actually a better solution than running the dGPU all the time, since it would stop killing the battery.

[FSapi]

Yea that is my primary problem with other solutions, running 3D enabled apps in the background just creates more heat and drains the battery faster.

Not ideal at all for a laptop.

[NScho3]

I'm using the tool right now and it works good as a temporary solution. It would maybe be nice if you could integrate the TrayPwr D3 function of idle-ing the dGPU when the GPU is enabled, this way we have a 'all in one tool' and no more stutter 🙂

Thanks for the work!

[FSapi]

Hmm, I'll look into doing that.

Hopefully I won't need to add many features to it as I want this problem gets properly fixed sooner rather than later

[NScho3]

Yes I hope too that this gets fixed as soon as possible.:-D Just got my new laptop this weekend (Dell 7577 gaming) and this stutter is really annoying me. Your solution is the best so far. Though I also liked the TrayPwr3D but it drains the battery way too fast.

It would be very cool if you could integrate this feature so that it's easy to enable when the laptop is plugged in. Maybe just as a third option (Enable 'idle' Nvidia GPU) with a blue icon then or something so that you have grey, blue and green.

If wish I knew anything about programming so I could help

[FSapi]

Unfortunately after looking more into integrating TrayPwrD3 into my app; it won't be a very elegant solution since the program doesn't shutdown cleanly like mine does. It means for the solution to work I'd need to force end the process leaving the TrayPwrD3 icon stuck in the taskbar until you mouse-over it.

Also TrayPwrD3 is programmed in C++ which I do not understand, so I'm currently unable to help fix the other guys solution

The good news is, the automatic battery mode detection you mentioned is a good idea and is definitely something I could implement!

[NScho3]

Too bad ;-). I'm already happy to be able to use your program.

Cool that you are willing to implement automatic battery mode. So when plugged in the dGPU would switch to always 'idle' or just 'on'. Because in your tool the stutter only goes away if the dGPU is set to off. Or would we need to run the TrayPwrD3 in parallel for this function?

[FSapi]

Essentially I'd just need to implement a module which would detect whether or not the laptop is currently connected to AC power. If unplugged, it could automatically disable the dGPU and then re-enable it once it's connected again. TrayPwrD3 is not required for such a feature, as you said the issue disappears once the dGPU is disabled.

[NScho3]

That would be a cool feature, but that would also mean that there will be stutter once the computer is plugged in..

Yes the problem disappears when the dGPU is off, however I just noticed that the battery also drains much faster when the dGPU is turned off (strange enough..) and I also just had a blue screen :-(. Any idea how this battery drain is possible since your programs turns the power hungry dGPU off..

[JObei]

Hi Fil. Interesting thought. I can try to help integrating features when you share your code. Thanks for the solution.

B.t.w, you should definitely exit TrayPwrD3 before you disable dGPU, otherwise traypwr will crash since it's process is attached to the dGPU to keep it idle. Also you cannot start it when dGPU is disabled for the same reason.

[JObei]

For those of you who have a Nvidia GPU indicator LED, I noticed that when I disable Nvidia GPU from device manager, the GPU indicator light shows that it is constantly on. What gives?

Did anyone confirm that disabling Nvidia does in fact improve battery life?

[RG8]

This is normal behaiovor, due to the dGPU being completely disabled it just shows if your integrated GPU is on or off, and since your iGPU is on at all times, it will permanently light up, so no worries, absolutely normal behaivior.