Windows 7 - Dell Laptop: Switchable Graphics using i7 & AMD Radeon

From what I can tell from the Dell documentation, you can only use one or the other and if the optional video, such as you have, is installed that is the default.

The Dell BIOS is protected and any attempt to modify the Dell BIOS will most likely cause it to Corrupt. There is no recovery from a corrupted BIOS on a Dell, the ONLY option is to replace the motherboard.

I agree with fireberd.

I am amazed at Popeye and the gang over on the Acer thread with their willingness to play with modded BIOS. But it works and they seem to have found a solution. But the key is that someone with mad programming skills created that modded BIOS for that one system. Unless you found the same thing I would steer clear.

What you can do is complain loudly to Dell and on every public forum you can find. They need to make their machines functional. It is unacceptable to have dual graphics but with no way to switch to whichever graphic adapter you, the owner, want to use at any given time.

Looking at the Dell specs for this model (and several other similar models), it looks like they apparently use the same motherboard on all the related models, a basic model with just the Intel graphics and upgraded models with a separate video card. On the models with a separate video card that is made the default in those models.

What the manufacturers do is use a "switchable graphics" method.
For "normal use" and anytime you are on battery power the system defaults to the intel graphics.
Only when the system determines that you are entering a "high graphics" mode does the system switch to the dedicated graphics adapter.

What gamers are complaining about is that the system does not make the switch when playing a game that could benefit from it. They want a manual method to use the higher performing adapter right off. They are willing to take serious risks to do so too.