Games only recognizing Intel graphics card, but using a real card

[CasualSpooner]

I have an Alienware m14x laptop with a GeForce GT 650M graphics card, but lately my games have been recognizing the "Intel HD graphics 4000" as my graphics card.

Anyway to disable the intel card without messing anything else up?

 

[Semicolon]

I don't know to much about Alienware computers. But the first place I would look is in the BIOS. My old T400 had an option in there to disable the integrated or discrete graphics cards.

 

[archer]

I have an Alienware m14x laptop with a GeForce GT 650M graphics card, but lately my games have been recognizing the "Intel HD graphics 4000" as my graphics card.

Anyway to disable the intel card without messing anything else up?

Hi CasualSpooner, Welcome to the forum. Can you please let us know which games are you trying to play and which are not recognizing the Nvidia card? As mentioned earlier, try to disable the onboard card from BIOS. If that helps, well and good. If not, try this.

1) Disable integrated gfx card and uninstall drivers for the Nvidia in the device manager.
2) Reboot and install most recent Nvidia drivers
3) When launching any game, right click on icon and select "Run with graphics processor -- High-performance NVIDIA processor."

Tell us the output.

 

[CasualSpooner]

Thanks for the responses. Before I continue, I have to ask a really dumb question...where do I find BIOS? Ive searched everything I can think of, but I am not quite as good with computers as I thought I was.

 

[Solarstarshines]

Thanks for the responses. Before I continue, I have to ask a really dumb question...where do I find the BIOS you are talking about? Ive searched everything I can think of, but I am not quite as good with computers as I thought I was.

in the Bios it would either say Intergraded in tittle or IGPU

check to see if it is set to auto then it will switch on and off as you wish

 

[paulpicks21]

To enter the bios you need to restart the laptop and usually repeatedly tap one of the F keys on the keyboard, I had a quick dig around and I think its F12 but it might be F2 depends on what revision you have.
The bios is before Windows starts.

 

[Faladu]

Normally on desktop's it's the DEL key to get into the BIOS, and it SHOULD have a setting to disable the on-board video, if it doesn't, then I would look for a setting related to video (slot, on a desktop) priority and set it to the 650M.

If those don't help, I'd call tech support # of your laptop brand and have them help you with options/walk-through it.

 

[CasualSpooner]

Well I found BIOS, but i cannot actually edit the "Integrated graphics card" section. I cannot even highlight it.

 

[Faladu]

If it's greyed but seen, this another setting is usually required to enable editing it.

At this point though since you aren't an expert, I would contact their tech support to walk you through options.

I'd call on this stuff and have, BIOS info sadly is very lacking/vague most of the time, it's not your imagination.

 

[CasualSpooner]

ok cool thanks.

I just contacted Alienware and it turns out, all I needed to do was mess with a couple of settings (that I had seen before, but didnt know this was what they did) in the Nvidia Control Panel to set the good graphics card to be used globally. So I was trying to kill a mouse with a grenade. But its all fixed now.

Thank you all so much for your responses! It's nice to run into nice/helpful people on the internet rather than complete jerks who want to do more harm than good.

 

[Faladu]

Cool, glad it was doable and not painful.

 

[Semicolon]

Glad you got it sorted out.