Ubuntu – How to turn off Nvidia GPU in a hybrid graphics laptop using Ubuntu 14.04

14.04hybrid-graphicsnvidia-prime

I have a HP zbook 15 with hybrid graphics (Intel/nvidia).

I want to save power and only use the Intel GPU in Ubuntu 14.04. I am dual booting between windows 7 (for work) and Ubuntu 14.04. So I can't turn the nvidia GPU of in the bios because I need it in windows 7.

I have tried to use nvidia-prime/nvidia 331 and 340 like this:
How to turn off nvidia (hybrid graphics)

But both GPU is turned on at the same time and using a lot of power. Take a look at this:

enter image description here

Is there any other way for me to turn the nvidia card off?

Best Answer

acpi_call

If you just want to have long battery life and slow temperature, you can use acpi_call: a linux kernel module that enables calls to ACPI. With acpi_call_GUI you can easily install and configure it via graphic interface.

It is a java program that allows you to:

  • install the acpi_call kernel module (kernel would be recompiled automatically after each update);
  • Deactivate discrete GPU;
  • Automatically deactivate discrete GPU on every boot.

If you have enabled systemd, or if you're using other linux distros that support it, you can use acpi_call_GUI_systemd.

See here: https://github.com/marcoDallas/acpi_call_GUI_systemd

Installation

Ensure that you have installed java and git, if not install these packages: git and openjdk-7-jre

After that open a terminal and type the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/marcoDallas/acpi_call_GUI.git
cd acpi_call_GUI
sudo chmod +x install.sh
sudo ./install.sh

How to use

To launch acpi_call_GUI search it in yuor dash and click on the icon, or type in a terminal:

sudo java -jar $HOME/acpi_call_GUI.jar

If you have a separate /home partition, you may need to use this command to launch acpi_call_GUI:

sudo java -jar /usr/local/bin/acpi_call_GUI/acpi_call_GUI.jar

Here's a step-by-step video tutorial that shows how to use this software

FROM: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HybridGraphics

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