Nvidia Optimus: Not detected.

[nymusicman]

I'm really, really shocked that I have not found this mentioned before on this forum except under linux. And even under linux MY mention is one of the very few. However, fear not THIS IS NOT A REPEAT QUESTION.

My wife just got a new laptop with an Nvidia 540m (Optimus) and she is using Windows 7. I'm really shocked because it seems that no matter which video card I try to run rolauncher under (Intel or Nvidia) it comes up in settings as unknown hardware. My wife, not being very technical is really not concerned with this as from her point of view the game runs fine and smooth. But from my point of view, I want her to get the most out of her Nvidia experience. Mostly the setting that seems to make the most difference is that intel only supports shader 2.0 and nvidia can support 4.0. But none the less I would like her to get the full experience from her card.


So, has anyone found a way to run Regnum off the Nvidia card instead of Intel when using Optimus?

[Tigerious]

Hi,

Can't you disable that optimus features like described there (http://techreport.com/articles.x/18443/2) ?

[ieti]

Optimus do not work on Linux. There are some dirty hacks, but Nvidia still says they will not put this in their linux drivers. The only good way to make it work for now is if there is bios setting to choose what card to be used.

For windows driver is good i think.

[nymusicman]

Hi,

Can't you disable that optimus features like described there (http://techreport.com/articles.x/18443/2) ?

The tinfoil hat crowd will be pleased to note that users are free to disable Optimus' automatic profile updates.

...

At least with the old switchable graphics approach, users could turn off the discrete GPU and be confident that it was going to stay off.

There is no way to actually turn off the optimus feature.

The real problem is this. I have rolauncher starting with the Nvidia GPU but the rolauncher settings don't even say that it's a Nvidia GeForce GT 540M. It just says unsupported card 1024MB. When the game officially starts and you go into options -> video it says it's using the Intel HD Accelerator card.

Optimus do not work on Linux. There are some dirty hacks, but Nvidia still says they will not put this in their linux drivers. The only good way to make it work for now is if there is bios setting to choose what card to be used.

For windows driver is good i think.


And all this is happening in Windows 7. I won't even try to give my linux experience. That was crash and burn.

[nymusicman]

You know what I think the problem is. And a few other posts in Spanish are dealing with this issue. I just don't speak Spanish [Thank you Google Translate].

I think that we tell windows to launcher rolauncher with the nvidia card. Rolauncher detects some of the features of the card (but not the card itself, odd) and when rolauncher then launches the official game binaries windows puts those game binaries on the intel card. That is also why if you enable shader 4.0 through rolauncher the game itself crashes.

The only thing I think would make my argument not true was that I told windows to put every binary I could find in the live folder on the Nvidia card to and that is still not working. Somewhere along the rolauncher and windows is not getting the game to launch with the nvidia card.

[time-to-die]

Well it says at my laptop to. Unsported video cart. so i play shader model 2.0 with 150fps ..... Why they dont make it like all other games. That we can choose it self.

[nymusicman]

So while the game will probably forever report that it is using the Intel card...

If you follow what I did below you will actually be using the Nvidia regardless of what the game says. My proof is that it is currently playing shader 4.0 completely maxed out, way beyond what the Intel card can handle. And it's playing it super smooth at 1600x900.

Right click on yoru Win7 desktop and go to Nvidia Settings. Instead of setting up each application to use one card or the other go to Global Settings and say you want every program to use Nvidia.

From there run the game, change the settings, no more crash and super smooth beautiful graphics! :clapclap:

Hopefully one day it will be written into the game to support Optimus officially but for now my wife is a happy gamer. :D


Sadly no linux love yet.

[nymusicman]

Unless something changes in linux I think this will be my last update to this post!!!

Okay, using tools found here: Optimus Test Tools (http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/26992-optimus-test-tools-finally-in-users-hands/) you can see what apps are using the nvidia card and which ones are not.

I was even able to get this to work without forcing everything to use Nvidia (which I learned breaks mumble by the way).

So here is what to do (remember this is for win7).

Right click on Desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
In Global settings set to Auto-Select
In program settings add the following to your list

rolauncher.exe found in (most likely) C:\Games\NGD Studios\Regnum Online\

roclientgame.exe found in (most likely) C:\Games\NGD Studios\Regnum Online\LiveServer

and

rogameclientex.exe found in (most likely) C:\Games\NGD Studios\Regnum Online\LiveServer

Start regnum online and use the optimus tools to detect that the game is using your nvidia card (you may need to restart your computer after above).

If it is don't worry about mumble the overlay will start and everything should be good.

You still have to ignore the fact that it says Intel in the options cause now even the tool proves that you are using the Nvidia card. Now enjoy the graphics you paid for and enjoy your game!!! :)