Arch Linux

Sviests

Member

From: Riga, Latvia

Registered: 2016-03-24

Posts: 42

Use discrete GPU for external display

I am using a 4K external display with my laptop and with multiple applications open, the rendering can become a bit too difficult for the integrated GPU. I have it set up so that it uses the intel GPU for everything and the NVIDIA GPU is turned off using bbswitch, when I need to run something graphically more demanding, I use primusrun. The issue is that now at 4K almost everything is "graphically demanding" for the intel GPU and I would either like to find a way to run GNOME with primusrun, so that it would use the discrete GPU or, best case, have it so that the screen connected to the display port uses the discrete GPU.
I`ve gotten as far as reading this section in the wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/bu … Intel_chip and figured out that, most likely, my outputs are all wired to the intel chip. I understand that I should write a rule similar to what is in the example but I am confused by how I can identify the display port out or the screen. By the output of lspci, I know that my Intel GPU is on 00:02.0 and my NVIDIA GPU is on 01:00.0, also, from the output of xrandr, the integrated screen is on eDP-1 and the external screen is on DP-1-8.
I would be very thankful if someone could guide me in the right direction. Thank you!

mrunion

Member

From: Jonesborough, TN

Registered: 2007-01-26

Posts: 1,938

Website

Re: Use discrete GPU for external display

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NV … e_graphics

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Matt

"It is very difficult to educate the educated."

Sviests

Member

From: Riga, Latvia

Registered: 2016-03-24

Posts: 42

Re: Use discrete GPU for external display

Thanks for the reply! But it doesn`t answer my question. I do not want to use only the discrete GPU, what I want to achieve is a way to either render everything on an external monitor (connected through the display port) on the discrete GPU, or run gnome-shell with primusrun so it would use the discrete GPU or to be able to switch the GPU to be used. Currently I have a working setup where primusrun works, the NVIDIA GPU is completely powered down and I get great battery life, I really don`t want to loose this.

Lone_Wolf

Member

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 11,919

Re: Use discrete GPU for external display

Have you tried nvidia-xrun ( bottom of that wiki page) ?

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

(A works at time B)  && (time C > time B ) ≠  (A works at time C)