I have a Samsung RC720 notebook with Intel Integrated Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M.
As you can see it has two video adapters and Optimus is supposed to switch between them. But when I choose dedicated GPU in NVIDIA Control Panel and try to run, for example, GTA IV, it uses integrated graphics and I get very poor performance.
I have already installed last NVIDIA and notebook drivers, chose high-performance in NVIDIA Control Panel, tried to execute with "Run with graphics processor…" context option and so on.
Thanks for help.
Best Answer
Download and use the latest drivers from the notebook manufacturer website, both Intel first and the Nvidia. Once installed, download the latest driver from Nvidia. Start the program and after it does the compatibility check, cancel the installer. Click start, right click "My Computer" and select properties.
In the popup window on the top left side, click device manager. In this popup window, find your Nvidia under "Display Adapters", and select update driver software. Select "Let me pick", have disk and then browse to the unpacked Nvidia folder which is by default C:/Nvidia and continue in until you get to Display driver. It will find the .inf itself and select open. When it reloads back to the screen where your driver is listed click to install and allow it to finish.
Reboot and your Nvidia works with the latest Video driver. Unfortunately, there is no way to update the Optimus controller and it still work and if you update the Intel video driver from Intel it will break as well.
The older Optimus controller with the latest Nvidia video driver works fine with all of the benefit of the new display driver and it does not matter that you have older Intel video driver as it will default to Nvidia anyways with the higher performance need.
OH! Do not update the physX system software as it will break the Optimus also!