windows - Disabling discrete GPU in Win8 (UEFI) Laptop
2014-07
user3371391
Seeing how the Intel HD Graphics 4000 is covering all my needs perfectly for the moment, I would prefer to disable the NVIDIA dedicated GPU in my Lenovo Z400 for a while.
I've already went to the control panel and set the Global Settings for integrated but it still turns on (for a very small amount of time) every now and then.
From my research I would guess I would do it by: (Windows 8):
- Disabling the "NVIDIA GeForce GT 635M" driver in the Device Manager
- Switching from "Switchable Graphics" to "UMA Graphics" in the UEFI settings
I would like to know/confirm if:
- "UMA Graphics" means the Intel HD Graphics 4000 in my case
- The NVIDIA GPU will not actually turn on and generate heat/consume energy, just not be used
- The process is reversible/safe
Thank you very much for your help!
Specs:
Laptop: ideapad Z400
OS: Windows 8.1 (64 bit)
CPU: Intel i7-3520m (w/ Intel HD 4000)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 635m
RAM: 8GB @ 800 Mhz
PS: This is a double from the post I made at the lenovo forums.
Jason
"UMA Graphics" means the Intel HD Graphics 4000 in my case
Yes, that's what it means. UMA isn't a very common term. In this context it stands for Unified Memory Architecture, referring to how HD Graphics uses system memory instead of dedicated graphics memory. Here is Lenovo Support Specialist specifically confirming what this is.
The NVIDIA GPU will not actually turn on and generate heat/consume energy, just not be used
Yes, that's the purpose of switchable graphics and using HD Graphics. Also confirmed in the previous link.
The process is reversible/safe
Yes, it's reversible by reverting the same settings. I'm not sure what you mean by "safe". If you have an application that requires graphic capabilities beyond HD Graphics 4000, that application will run poorly or not at all.
I would recommend disabling it in the UEFI rather than the Device Manager. This should prevent a utility from re-enabling it. It would also disable it when you are outside of Windows.
Abhishek Sha
I've read quite a few questions on SuperUser of people having laptop shutdown problems but mine is different.
My laptop specs:
- Intel Core i7 3610QM (IvyBridge)
- NVIDIA GT630M 2GB and Intel GMA4000
- 8GB RAM
- Windows 7 64 Bit
My laptop occasionally shuts down when playing FarCry 3. It's around 5 months old. I've played games like Crysis and it never shuts down unexpectedly. Since I experienced this shut down recently, I decided for GPU-Z to log the temperatures. The final log value at the time of shutdown were thus:
GPU Core Clock [MHz] - 797.3
GPU Memory Clock [MHz] - 896.8
GPU Temperature [°C] - 89.0
GPU Load [%] - 99
Memory Controller Load [%] - 36
Video Engine Load [%] - 0
Memory Usage (Dedicated) [MB] - 535
Memory Usage (Dynamic) [MB] - 53
VDDC [V] - 1.0620
My drivers are up-to-date and I didn't encounter any BSODs at the time of shut down. It simply turns off.