[SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

jasonc · 2019-11-10 03:20:05

I recently bought a Thinkpad T440P that happens to have a Nvidia GeForce GT 730M as well as the integrated Intel graphics. I don't really care to use the Nvidia graphics, and after an hour or two was unsuccessful getting optimus-manager set up to use it anyway. Currently I'm just running Arch without the Nvidia driver installed at all.

Do I need to use something like bbswitch to stop the Nvidia card from being used? If so, what are the costs of not doing so (e.g., high power usage, bad graphics, etc.)?

Last edited by jasonc (2019-11-10 04:05:12)

Trilby · 2019-11-10 03:26:41

You should not need bbswitch. If you don't want to use the nvidia card, just don't install drivers for it.

Not using the Nvidia card will certainly not result in higher power consumption - almost certainly the opposite. Your graphics also should not be "bad" - you will not get all the bells and whistles 3d acceleration if you had any use for it, but your graphics will be as good as anyone else's with no discrete graphics card (e.g., me).

The one possible effect (I stress possible as I'm not sure this will even happen) but you may have slightly higher CPU use as no graphics processing gets offloaded to the discrete card. But again, this would just be like any other system without a discrete graphics card.

Last edited by Trilby (2019-11-10 03:27:13)

jasonc · 2019-11-10 03:38:17

Well that's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I was thinking that the Nouveau driver might cause the Nvidia card to be doing some work and thereby consuming extra power, but it sounds like that's not the case.

Trilby · 2019-11-10 03:40:15

Not likely - but perhaps I misunderstood the question. Why would you have the nouveau driver installed? If you don't want to use the discrete card at all, don't install any driver for it.

Last edited by Trilby (2019-11-10 03:41:35)

jasonc · 2019-11-10 03:45:09

My understanding was that nouveau came with the mesa package, which is required even just for the integrated Intel graphics, right?

Trilby · 2019-11-10 03:52:01

Ah, terminology confusion: mesa provides nouveau-dri, but this is not the same as xf86-video-nouveau which is what I had assumed "nouveau driver" referred to. You should have mesa installed, but not xf86-video-nouveau.

jasonc · 2019-11-10 03:54:41

Gotcha, well I don't have xf86-video-nouveau installed, so looks like I'm good. Thanks for your help!

Arch Linux

#1 2019-11-10 03:20:05

[SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#2 2019-11-10 03:26:41

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#3 2019-11-10 03:38:17

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#4 2019-11-10 03:40:15

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#5 2019-11-10 03:45:09

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#6 2019-11-10 03:52:01

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

#7 2019-11-10 03:54:41

Re: [SOLVED] Using only integrated graphics on Nvidia Optimus laptop

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