Many users of laptops with two Intel and Nvidia video cards are often interested in the question of switching these video cards between each other. When starting a particular game, it is not clear which of the two video cards is used. In this article, you will learn how you can switch from intel to nvidia on a laptop, and also make sure that you are using a discrete nvidia video card.

What do you need to successfully switch video cards on a laptop?

The only and mandatory condition is the presence of drivers for both video cards. You can check this as follows.

Go to Device Manager by right-clicking on the “ My computer" on the desktop and in the menu that opens, selecting " Control«.

Entering computer management

In the window that opens on the left, select “ device Manager«.

Video cards in device manager

There should be no "standard video adapter drivers". There must be names of both video cards.

Otherwise you will need .

Setting up the nvidia video card driver to add switching capabilities

If everything is in order with the drivers, then by clicking on any free space on the desktop, a menu will open in which you need to select the item “ NVIDIA Control Panel«.

Logging into nvidia control panel

The Nvidia video card settings window will open. In it you need to click on the menu item “ Desktop" and put the last two checkboxes - " Add Run with GPU item to the context menu" And " Show GPU activity icon in notification area«.

Enabling context menu items for switching video cards

After this, you can close the settings window.

Now, before launching the game, right-click on its shortcut and select “ Run with GPU» -> « High performance Nvidia processor«.

Updated method

Standard method (does not always work)

Currently, there is such a solution: the laptop has two video accelerators - most often an Intel HD Graphics core and a discrete chip from Nvidia, the switching mode of which can be selected in the Nvidia control panel.

Standard way:
1. In the Nvidia Control Panel, go to the Software Settings tab:
2. Click the Add button and specify the executable file of the game that we will force to launch with discrete video.
A special case is only for games that use the Java machine (Minecraft and others). What needs to be added to the list is not the game's executable file, but the Java machine itself. To do this, you first need to find where the javaw.exe file is running from. For example, you can launch the task manager, go to the Processes tab, hover over the process of interest to us, right-click and select Properties. The path will be indicated in the window that opens. I have javaw.exe in the folder C:WindowsSysWOW64 (Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, Java 7SE 32 bit). After the location of the file is known, add it as described above.
3. Select Nvidia High-Performance Processor from the drop-down list.
4. Click the Apply button.

Alternative method (workable)

If the standard method does not help, there is another one - not very obvious, but quite workable.

ATTENTION:
This method was tested on Windows 7.
This method does not work on Windows 10.

1. Open Screen Resolution:

2. Click the Find button. Two more monitors will appear with the words No other screen detected:

3. Select a monitor that matches the discrete video accelerator:

4. Select Try to connect to VGA anyway from the Multiple screens drop-down list and click the Apply button:

The result will be the following:

5. Select Extend these screens, click Apply, confirm saving the parameters:

Note

If your video card did not work after enabling the alternative method, do the following.
With the alternative method enabled, do additional regular and enjoy the game.

Result of the alternative method

We observe the result.
Games can now see both video cards.
TES: Skyrim settings window:

The video card monitoring gadget from 0rbmu2k now normally determines the total amount of memory, the amount of occupied memory and GPU load as a percentage:

Needless to say, games are running faster now?
By the way, I played many games by adding the executable to the Nvidia Panel using the first method. For a comfortable game, I had to set the graphics settings to the very minimum. Now FPS has increased in many games by 20-40%. In some games I didn’t see a significant increase in frames, but the lags and freezes disappeared.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to run this or that application or game with an NVidia or Intel video card in manual mode, but not all users know how to choose a video chip. Today we will tell you how to switch the video card on a laptop from NVidia to Intel and vice versa, so that you can independently select the desired video chip.

Why do you need manual switching if it is carried out automatically?

Switching using standard means

As you can see, nothing could be simpler - you just need to make just a few mouse clicks to activate the corresponding item in the Windows context menu.

What should I do if the method above does not work?

Many models of modern laptop computers have two graphics video adapters: integrated and discrete. The system itself decides which one to use for a specific task. There are several options for how to configure a video card on a laptop so that the weaker chip does not turn on in games by mistake.

How to switch between video cards on a laptop

For those who do not know what a video adapter is in a laptop, you need to remember that at the moment there are two types of this element of the system. The first is built into the processor; the adapter cannot boast of high performance, but consumes little energy. PC models with this combined option are usually cheaper. There are models of such processors from both global manufacturers: Intel and AMD.

The second type of video adapters is discrete or separate. These cards are good for gaming and video processing, but they are more expensive, have higher power consumption and run hotter. It is not necessary for the system to have only one type of graphics chip. Many laptop computers have both types of adapters at the same time. By default, the operating system itself makes the choice of which one to run in a given task. Sometimes it makes mistakes and needs adjustment from the user.

If video adapters are of the same generation and from the same company, you can set parameters at which they will work simultaneously, increasing computer performance. However, game developers recommend choosing one main option. This can be done using:

• task manager;
• in BIOS;
• special programs.

How to switch video card in BIOS

This option always works on desktop machines, but is not always present on laptops. Some models do not support it, so you just need to check. Below are instructions on how to enable the video card on a laptop and make it the main one:

1. Start or restart your PC.
2. During the first splash screen, press DEL or F2 (for different versions).
3. When you get into the BIOS, control will be carried out using the arrows on the keyboard.
4. To change the card priority, find the item called “Advanced” or “Config”.
5. Here you need a section that includes the word "Graphics". The names in models from Asus, Lenovo or HP may differ, but this word is always present.
6. You need to either disable the second chipset by setting it to Disabled, or move the main adapter to the first line.
7. Save the changes and exit the BIOS.

How to change the video card on a laptop through the device manager

The second option on how to switch the video card on a laptop is to use the Windows Device Manager tool. This menu contains all the system elements that are installed on the laptop. You cannot change the configuration here, but you can disable some of the devices. To go to the panel, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the “My Computer” icon.
2. Select "Management".
3. In the left menu, find the line “Device Manager”.
4. Expand the "Video adapters" item. It contains those chipsets that are installed in the system.
5. Right-click on the built-in adapter and select “Disable”.

This manipulation will turn off the extra chip and only one main one will remain. This is a temporary measure because after restarting the computer, the device will resume operation. To permanently switch the startup priority, you should use specialized software that comes with AMD Radeon and Nvidia GeForce adapters. This method of changing priority is much more reliable and simpler.

Switching laptop video cards using special programs

The two main programs for managing video cards are released only with a discrete type of adapter. For products from AMD this is Catalyst Control Center, and for Nvidia it is NVIDIA Control Center. These applications make it possible to more precisely manage devices, set their priority, enable or disable collaboration, and set automatic chip changes depending on the running game or program.

How to select the main video card on a laptop in NVIDIA

Along with the adapter, the kit includes a disk with special software for the product. It stores drivers, some specialized applications for adjusting the chip frequency, fan speed, and a program for general management of the system’s graphics parameters. For Nvidia, this function is performed by the Control Center section. Inside this application, you can set special settings. Instructions on how to switch the video card on a laptop:

1. Click on the Nvidia icon in the system tray (bottom right corner of the screen) and click on “Open Control Panel”.
2. Click on the item from the left menu “Manage 3D settings”.
3. On the right, select the “Program Settings” tab.
4. The system will find all possible applications for which you can set the preferred graphics adapter.
5. Find the game or program that runs with the wrong chip from the drop-down list.
6. Below it is a section through which the required video card is specified.
7. If you couldn’t find the file you need through the list, you can add it manually using the “Add” button.

How to switch to a discrete graphics card in a laptop in Catalyst

You can also change your preferred adapter through software from Radeon. It also comes with the card, but if you lose the disk, you can download the latest version for free from the manufacturer’s website. Remember that you can configure a mode in which both cards will work simultaneously. Instructions on how to switch AMD video card on a laptop:

1. Launch the Catalyst utility.
2. You need a menu item from the "Power" section called "Switchable Graphics Adapters".
3. Click on the "High GPU Performance" button. If your PC is connected to the network, then the discrete card will always work. If you need to switch to integrated, then select “Low GPU consumption”.

Video: how to switch to another video card on a laptop