gpugraphics cardthinkpadwindows 7
I have a Lenovo W520 laptop with two graphics cards:
I think Windows 7 (64 bit) is using my Intel graphics card ₃ which I think is integrated — because I have a low graphics rating in the Windows Experience Index. Also, the Intel card has 750MB of RAM while the NVIDIA has 2GB.
Laptops are quite a bit different than desktops in the sense that every laptop motherboards vary in shape and are limited in how much they can be upgraded.
This isn't really going to help much, but the answer is Yes and No. The video processor may not be removable (thus requiring switching out the motherboard, which obviously means you might as well just buy a new laptop).
First it would be good to lookup your model (for example, on Lenovo.com), and find out what the highest graphics processor available to your model is. This is the safest bet as your motherboard should have no problem supporting the upgrade (to the specific graphic processor models available on the manufacturer's model lineup)
However, having had a Lenovo Y530, I believe my video processor was removable. I have a semi-complete tutorial on disassembling a Lenovo Y530. I'll try to dig it up and post up the additional details.
-- So I dug up my photos from my Lenovo Y530 disassembly and I can't confirm whether its removable; however, from the looks of it, it is. I attached (2) images. The black heatsink is where the video processor is while the other image is of the CPU processor (with heatsink)
Best Answer
geoffc is right. I found out from exploring the BIOS that my machine is using NVIDIA Optimus, a "new" technology for saving battery. The general idea is that it allows the driver to pick the right graphics card based on the demand, i.e. a 3D game will use NVIDIA, while surfing the net in Chrome will use the integrated Intel card.
There are two ways to manually use a specific card:
Change it in the NVIDIA Control Panel: