Ubuntu – How to manage two video cards on a laptop (ATI and Intel)

atigraphicsintel graphics

I have a laptop with two video cards. One ATI and on integrated Intel.

On Windows, I can choose which video card I want to use.

For example, I use the Intel card for normal use and for gaming, I switch to my ATI card for better performance, but a shorter battery life.

In Ubuntu 10.10, only the Intel driver is installed, the ATI driver for my card doesn't work at all and there's heat coming out of my computer all the time, like when I'm playing video games on Windows. I think both cards are active, but only the Intel one is usefull.

How can I solve this by making sure Ubuntu is aware of the two video cards and by disabling my ATI. Or may be I am all wrong about this?

Best Answer

I know this is not a concrete answer, but I've found a couple links that might be able to help you out:

1. Ubuntu Documentation for Hybrid Graphics

2. Ubuntu forums discussion on the topic.

3. This one is for users with less experience in kernels etc.

I had found other links late last year - if I can find the articles again I will add them to my answer :)

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Disable ATI Radeon HD6470 in Dell Vostro 3350 and use integrated Intel in core i5

my case: Thinkpad T500: ATI HD3650 -> Intel
I think I did similar operation just minutes ago. First and foremost - simply switching option in the BIOS to 'Integrated' resulted in Ubuntu booting into command line only, without desktop.
I did the following to solve my problem (general outline):

Changed the BIOS display setting to 'Integrated' and booted into command line
Uninstalled ATI drivers (proprietary) as per http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Oneiric_Installation_Guide#Removing_Catalyst.2Ffglrx
Rebooted

For software switcher you may try the switcheroo https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HybridGraphics

Ubuntu – Two ATI radeon cards on 10.04

As said so done. I tried to set up two graphic cards but I failed. However I think my little research might be helpful for some other users.

FIRST OF ALL: BE SURE THAT YOUR MAINBOARD SUPPORTS USING TWO (OR MORE) VGA CARDS. For example on my mainboard there's no such possibility to use both: integrated and PCI card at the same time. Only one at a time. You can check it in bios. the HowTo is very helpful, but many things are different in Lucid (10.04) at which I worked, so I will give a little update to it. As I said: I DIDN'T SUCCEED BECAUSE OF MY MAINBOARD LIMITATIONS so feel free to edit my answer and add Your remarks to it.

1) First of all there might be no xorg.conf file in Lucid. We have to create one:

a) disable Your graphic enviroment, for Gnome it is:

sudo stop gdm

b) After it is stopped, it may look like it was suspended or sth, then press

Alt+Ctrl+F1

c) login in text mode using Your user

d) create xorg.conf file:

sudo Xorg -configure

e) the contents of the file should be written on the screen and the path to the created file should be written also (path depends on how You are logged, as super user or as Your user and just using sudo command)

f) copy created xorg.conf.new (it is created instead of xorg.conf, but it is the same)

sudo cp xorg.conf.new xorg.conf.new.CARD0

2) Turn off Your PC DISCONNECT IT FROM ELECTRICITY and remove Your first card (CARD0) from Your mainboard (physically). Place Your second VGA card. Turn on the PC and repeat the steps from point 1.

3) Turn off the PC and insert first card into PC so both cards are installed. If necessary enable required BIOS features to use both cards.

3) Open both created xorg files (xorg.conf.new.CARD and xorg.conf.new). xorg.conf.new.CARD can be opened with gedit without permission to make changes, xorg.conf.new has to be opended with permission to make changes:

sudo gedit xorg.conf.new

4) From xorg.conf.new.CARD copy the sections titled "Screen", "Monitor" and "Device" (my content was):

Section "Monitor"
    #DisplaySize      380   300
    Identifier   "Monitor0"
    VendorName   "AOC"
    ModelName    "919"
    HorizSync    30.0 - 80.0
    VertRefresh  55.0 - 75.0
    Option      "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Card0"
    Driver      "radeon"
    VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName   "Radeon 2100"
    BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device     "Card0"
    Monitor    "Monitor0"
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

and paste it to xorg.conf.new file.

5) Edit the xorg.conf.new file (I will give the sections in which I made changes): Numerations have to be changed (of screens, monitors and devices):

So in the text that WAS NOT pasted change Card0 to Card1, Screen0 to Screen1 and Monitor0 to Monitor1 (other names are possible if You wish):

Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "X.org Configured"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        Screen      1  "Screen1" RightOf "Screen0"   #ADDED THIS LINE
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
    ModulePath   "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi"
    FontPath     "/usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi"
    FontPath     "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
    FontPath     "built-ins"
EndSection

Section "Module"
    Load  "record"
    Load  "glx"
    Load  "dri"
    Load  "dbe"
    Load  "extmod"
    Load  "dri2"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Keyboard0"
    Driver      "kbd"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
    Identifier  "Mouse0"
    Driver      "mouse"
    Option      "Protocol" "auto"
    Option      "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
    Option      "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
EndSection


Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Card0"
    Driver      "radeon"
    VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName   "Radeon 2100"
    BusID       "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    #DisplaySize      380   300 # mm
    Identifier   "Monitor0"
    VendorName   "AOC"
    ModelName    "919"
    HorizSync    30.0 - 80.0
    VertRefresh  55.0 - 75.0
    Option      "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen0"
    Device     "Card0"
    Monitor    "AOC"
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

#I DID CHANGES BELOW HIS LINE---------------------

Section "Device"
    Identifier  "Card1"
    Driver      "radeon"
    VendorName  "ATI Technologies Inc"
    BoardName   "RV535 [Radeon X1650 Series]"
    BusID       "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier   "Monitor1"
    VendorName   "SAM"
    ModelName    "SyncMaster"
    HorizSync    30.0 - 75.0
    VertRefresh  56.0 - 61.0
    Option      "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier "Screen1"
    Device     "Card1"
    Monitor    "Samsung"
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     1
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     4
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     8
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     15
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     16
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Viewport   0 0
        Depth     24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

After reboot it should work.

to check if both cards are installed please use:

sudo lspci | grep VGA

this should list two VGA cards

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOMEBODY EXPERIENCED WITH LINUX/UBUNTU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND TO DO SOME REMARKS.

Regards, Misery

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Ubuntu – Disable ATI Radeon HD6470 in Dell Vostro 3350 and use integrated Intel in core i5

Ubuntu – Two ATI radeon cards on 10.04

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