[SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

Mona5 · 2023-07-25 06:19:21

Hello,
I have a laptop Lenovo ideapad 500-15ISK
it's has a two display adaptor

Intel Skylake GT2 [HD Graphics 520]
AMD Radeon R7 M360

the lspci output

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v5/E3-1500 v5/6th Gen Core Processor Host Bridge/DRAM Registers (rev 08)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Skylake GT2 [HD Graphics 520] (rev 07)
00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP USB 3.0 xHCI Controller (rev 21)
00:14.2 Signal processing controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP Thermal subsystem (rev 21)
00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP CSME HECI #1 (rev 21)
00:17.0 SATA controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP SATA Controller [AHCI mode] (rev 21)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #1 (rev f1)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev f1)
00:1c.5 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #6 (rev f1)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP LPC Controller (rev 21)
00:1f.2 Memory controller: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP PMC (rev 21)
00:1f.3 Audio device: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio (rev 21)
00:1f.4 SMBus: Intel Corporation Sunrise Point-LP SMBus (rev 21)
01:00.0 Display controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265 / M340/M360 / M440/M445 / 530/535 / 620/625 Mobile] (rev 81)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 Plus Bluetooth (rev 99)

i don't know how to switch my graphic cards or how to install drivers my amd graphic old that new driver manager from amd(on windows) won't support my graphic card it's say my graphic card is not supported

i get the recommended software for my graphic card but even so it's say no longer is supported

anyhow i dual booted my laptop for windows and arch but i don't know how to use my other graphic on this laptop i use Lutris for playing old games on arch but program output show that it's using my intel

[System]
OS:              Arch Linux  
Arch:            x86_64
Kernel:          6.1.39-1-lts
Desktop:         GNOME
Display Server:  wayland

[CPU]
Vendor:          GenuineIntel
Model:           Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz
Physical cores:  2
Logical cores:   4

[Memory]
RAM:             7.7 GB
Swap:            8.0 GB

[Graphics]
Vendor:          Intel
OpenGL Renderer: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (SKL GT2)
OpenGL Version:  4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL Core:     4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL ES:       OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 23.1.4
Vulkan:          Not Supported

my amd seem like are not used but i can find it in lspci where is the problem?

i don't know how to install my graphic card on arch and i scare do something that break my arch

if it break i can fix it with wiki but problem is i don't have a good internet connection where we gonna travel so i scare that i do something and then i can't fix it for about a month until I get a stable connection to internet

Last edited by Mona5 (2024-10-29 07:01:37)

Lone_Wolf · 2023-07-25 11:04:29

01:00.0 Display controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265 / M340/M360 / M440/M445 / 530/535 / 620/625 Mobile] (rev 81)

That's your amd card. It may work with the modern amd kernel driver, but we need to be sure.
Please post the output of lspci -knn .

Mona5 · 2023-07-26 06:03:37

hello, Lone_Wolf

Lone_Wolf wrote:

01:00.0 Display controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265 / M340/M360 / M440/M445 / 530/535 / 620/625 Mobile] (rev 81)
That's your amd card. It may work with the modern amd kernel driver, but we need to be sure.
Please post the output of lspci -knn .

output of

lspci -knn

for my amd card is

01:00.0 Display controller [0380]: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265 / M340/M360 / M440/M445 / 530/535 / 620/625 Mobile] [1002:6900] (rev 81)
	Subsystem: Lenovo Topaz XT [Radeon R7 M260/M265 / M340/M360 / M440/M445 / 530/535 / 620/625 Mobile] [17aa:3804]
	Kernel driver in use: amdgpu
	Kernel modules: amdgpu

output for my amd i don't know what it's saying only i get it's say it's using amdgpu for both kernel driver and kernel modules

Perniciosius · 2023-07-26 07:26:59

You can try using `switcheroo-control` package for launching applications on different gpus

Lone_Wolf · 2023-07-26 08:14:58

Pernicosius, that is gnome specific and only valid when using reverse prime.

Mona5, there are 2 kernel modules for amd graprhics in the linux kernel. The output confirms what I suspected : your amd card uses the modern amdgpu module, not the older radeon one.

Also your sytem uses a a "Hybrid Graphics" setup, for intel+amd the PRIME wiki page describes what such a system can and can't do .

Please post full output of

$ xrandr --listproviders
$ glxinfo -B #comes with mesa-utils
$ DRI_PRIME=1 glxinfo -B

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2023-07-28 09:25:44)

Mona5 · 2023-07-27 03:58:40

thanks for your reply i will post all ouputs and seperate them with +++++

$ xrandr --listproviders

Providers: number : 0

++++++++++++++++++++++
$ glxinfo -B

name of display: :0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
    Vendor: Intel (0x8086)
    Device: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (SKL GT2) (0x1916)
    Version: 23.1.4
    Accelerated: yes
    Video memory: 7862MB
    Unified memory: yes
    Preferred profile: core (0x1)
    Max core profile version: 4.6
    Max compat profile version: 4.6
    Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
    Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.2
OpenGL vendor string: Intel
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (SKL GT2)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile

OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL profile mask: compatibility profile

OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20

++++++++++++++++++++++
$ DRI_PRIME=1 glxinfo -B

name of display: :0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes
Extended renderer info (GLX_MESA_query_renderer):
    Vendor: AMD (0x1002)
    Device: AMD Radeon R7 M360 (iceland, LLVM 15.0.7, DRM 3.49, 6.1.39-1-lts) (0x6900)
    Version: 23.1.4
    Accelerated: yes
    Video memory: 4096MB
    Unified memory: no
    Preferred profile: core (0x1)
    Max core profile version: 4.6
    Max compat profile version: 4.6
    Max GLES1 profile version: 1.1
    Max GLES[23] profile version: 3.2
Memory info (GL_ATI_meminfo):
    VBO free memory - total: 4086 MB, largest block: 4086 MB
    VBO free aux. memory - total: 3924 MB, largest block: 3924 MB
    Texture free memory - total: 4086 MB, largest block: 4086 MB
    Texture free aux. memory - total: 3924 MB, largest block: 3924 MB
    Renderbuffer free memory - total: 4086 MB, largest block: 4086 MB
    Renderbuffer free aux. memory - total: 3924 MB, largest block: 3924 MB
Memory info (GL_NVX_gpu_memory_info):
    Dedicated video memory: 4096 MB
    Total available memory: 8027 MB
    Currently available dedicated video memory: 4086 MB
OpenGL vendor string: AMD
OpenGL renderer string: AMD Radeon R7 M360 (iceland, LLVM 15.0.7, DRM 3.49, 6.1.39-1-lts)
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6 (Core Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL core profile shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL core profile context flags: (none)
OpenGL core profile profile mask: core profile

OpenGL version string: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL shading language version string: 4.60
OpenGL context flags: (none)
OpenGL profile mask: compatibility profile

OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 3.2 Mesa 23.1.4
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 3.20

Lone_Wolf · 2023-07-27 09:11:40

The glxinfo outputs match a prime system and confirms basic switching using DRI_PRIME works.
Xrandr doesn't see any providers which is weird, more info about your system setup is needed.

Are you using X or wayland ?
Do you use a Display manager (graphical login manager) or login to console / tty and start graphics from cli ?
What Window Manager and / or Desktop Environment ?

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2023-07-27 09:12:10)

Mona5 · 2023-07-28 04:48:03

i used Gnome desktop environment for my arch

it is my first fresh arch install that worked i followed wiki for it first i login with console (tty) then i used systemctl to start it's gnome service i thinks it was gmd.service (i forgot what service gnome use)automatically on start up with enable it and start it so whenever i start my arch it's gnome run with it and i have a login interface it seems like gnome ver 44 it's coming with wayland out of box i mean it's default on gnome i wanted to use X11(i don't know what was it's number in X) at first because i can't use desktop icons on wayland because the developer thought that not a good(safe) way to communicate between linux and user and stuff like that some of one of my programs can't run on wayland or some of their option aren't usable like don't let sleep in mpv or other stuff but actually using wayland didn't let me use one of my programs and that program was a extra repo of gnome at it's not a critical program it's a normal program the only problem i had was that other programs works perfectly except if it's want a option on wayland that not exist you mean what i mean like mpv program

i didn't know gnome use wayland i had mint and ubuntu and i installed xorg too (because of using X11) and in my graphical login their is option like , classic , classic on xorg , wayland(my default i think) , wayland on xorg

at first i thought it was weird too i mean in wiki i saw that xander out put show something but in my case it's show nothing
i thought at first because the name of two drivers are 0 xander out put is 0 to it means it using the two my graphics as one what i thought at first

i forget to tell you in my first post in this topic lutris system output show my linux kernel and my display server if you need more info tell me to post it here

Last edited by Mona5 (2023-07-28 04:50:40)

Lone_Wolf · 2023-07-28 09:33:11

Please break down texts in multiple lines to make them easier readable .

xrandr is a special command for the X (also called x11 and xorg) environment) , and it is near useless on wayland.

GDM is the display manager that comes with gnome and does default to gnome on wayland.

Wikipedia has a comparison between X and wayland that should help understand the differences , see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayland_( … land_and_X .

Do you like working under wayland ? If not, gdm can be configured to use X as default .

Mona5 · 2023-07-29 04:19:14

i like wayland it's very intersting when i was using mint and ubuntu i was you know have used to xorg and X11 but now using wayland i want to continue using wayland for now to see what happens and i had problem with xorg when i used mint like my desktop crushed or i have to restart cinnamon and other stuff but in wayland i didn't have this problem, yet.

if in wiki there is a way to configure gnome to run Xorg and X11 instead of wayland post link if you like

but lets focus on topic of how to use switchable graphic cards on wayland because i don't know what to do exactly

seth · 2023-07-29 06:24:18

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GDM#Use_Xorg_backend and Lone_Wolf more or less already told you how to use prime on wayland in https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 5#p2111705

anyhow i dual booted my laptop for windows and arch

3rd link below. Mandatory.
Disable it (it's NOT the BIOS setting!) and reboot windows and linux twice for voodo reasons.

Mona5 · 2023-07-29 06:58:58

hello again seth thanks to you i find a way to completely eject my external hard https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=287455 but i don't know it's safe or not could you revisit to check it's safe or not?

but i am new in Arch (like installed just for a month or 2) but the problem I scare to mess it up we are in a vocation with my family and my network connection is weak

i scare i do something then i can't return it to way it was it's working as it but i want to see how can i be sure that it's using my amd and how to change it what i want and asks from users who have more experience than me

Last edited by Mona5 (2023-07-29 06:59:54)

seth · 2023-07-29 14:49:53

I replied there.
Please do not again cross-reference your threads and stay on topic.

Is there any open question wrt how to use your AMD GPU?

Mona5 · 2023-07-30 04:01:52

thanks for giving your time seth

i found out that the drive is installed thanks to Lone_Wolf

but i don't know when i use a program which GPU is used (gnome system monitor won't give any data about my GPUs) (xrandr is for PRIME? it's give 0 for providers)

or if i want to use amd GPU as will i don't know what command or program to use

for now i don't know how even when i read wiki about PRIME , it say for gnome desktop environment install swicheroo-control i think it was, but it's say another thing about wayland

seth · 2023-07-30 08:13:34

Did you click on https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PRIME# … figuration ?
Cross reference that w/ teh commands you copypasted from #5 …

Mona5 · 2023-07-31 05:06:10

i Check those commands with wiki the only parts that was weird was xrandr that didn't give me anything except 0 please check https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/PRIME#Installation

$xrandr --listproviders
Providers: number : 0

and didn't even gave me data about my two display cards and another weird thing was that glxinfo for my intel give the name of display 0

and for DRI_PRIME=1 or (DRI_PRIME=0000_1_00_0 with pci) for my amd for name of display gave me 0 too i mean one of them i think must be 1 and one of them i must be 2 or zero from what i think not both of them be zero

$glxinfo
name of display: :0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes

DRI_PRIME=pci-0000_01_00_0 glxinfo
name of display: :0
display: :0  screen: 0
direct rendering: Yes

the command in wiki only give me output about opengl render for my graphic card drivers

$ DRI_PRIME=pci-0000_01_00_0 glxinfo | grep 'OpenGL renderer'
OpenGL renderer string: AMD Radeon R7 M360 (iceland, LLVM 15.0.7, DRM 3.49, 6.1.39-1-lts)
+++++++++
$ glxinfo | grep 'OpenGL renderer'
OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 (SKL GT2)

both display name are zero and xrandr give 0 for providers if xrandr give zero for providers doesn't mean that xrandr didn't find my graphic cards? maybe i am wrong but when i play game it won't show any error about display drivers or even when i use my laptop screen there isn't a problem (i have to screen one laptop one built in display and a LG monitor sometime i use it and don't have any problem with it)
you can check my output in https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 0#p2111850

seth · 2023-07-31 06:49:51

Lone_Wolf wrote:

The glxinfo outputs match a prime system and confirms basic switching using DRI_PRIME works.
xrandr is a special command for the X (also called x11 and xorg) environment) , and it is near useless on wayland.

Mona5 · 2023-08-01 02:05:15

so xrandr isn't a thing that is useful in wayland
now what to do i mean just type DRI_PRIME=pci-(my amd card pci number) will change my graphic card? do i have to install swicheroo-control
how to figure it out that which graphic card is used for my programs?

seth · 2023-08-01 06:36:05

just type DRI_PRIME=pci-(my amd card pci number) will change my graphic card?

No.
It is an https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Environment_variables (a concept your want to become familiar with asap…) and DRI_PRIME=1 will do.

do i have to install swicheroo-control

Lone_Wolf previously already wrote:

that is gnome specific and only valid when using reverse prime

how to figure it out that which graphic card is used for my programs?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/AMDGPU#Monitoring - or simply the programs report about the render device.

Arch Linux

#1 2023-07-25 06:19:21

[SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#2 2023-07-25 11:04:29

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#3 2023-07-26 06:03:37

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#4 2023-07-26 07:26:59

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#5 2023-07-26 08:14:58

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#6 2023-07-27 03:58:40

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#7 2023-07-27 09:11:40

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#8 2023-07-28 04:48:03

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#9 2023-07-28 09:33:11

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#10 2023-07-29 04:19:14

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#11 2023-07-29 06:24:18

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#12 2023-07-29 06:58:58

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#13 2023-07-29 14:49:53

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#14 2023-07-30 04:01:52

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#15 2023-07-30 08:13:34

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#16 2023-07-31 05:06:10

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#17 2023-07-31 06:49:51

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#18 2023-08-01 02:05:15

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

#19 2023-08-01 06:36:05

Re: [SOLVED] Question about Switchable graphics cards on Laptop

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