my new laptop has both Intel HD graphics and a dedicated 1 GB NVidia 420M graphics card. The computer is using the HD graphics card, which I tried disabling in order to try to force it to switch to the NVidia card, but it seems that it won't switch over even though I'm keeping the computer's AC power plugged into it at all times - how do I force it to make the switch and save this setting?

I know the laptop was using its HD graphics card b/c when I last tested Alter Ego on it after applying my successful fix (in another thread) to render the invisible game characters fully visible, I saw text at the bottom of the game's menu that said something like "using HD video (low-end graphics)".

I tried looking in the user guide for how to make the switch, but it seems as if I cannot find the instructions. It's a Acer Aspire 5745G laptop.

The only paper-based docs that came was the Quick Guide. I did a quick scan of the .pdf user guide that's on the computer, but didn't find any instructions, and I tried my "P" (programmable) key, but this doesn't work either.

You said you disabled the HD graphics. You shouldn't have done that. You can just switch between the two. But I don't know what the switch is if it isn't in your user's manual or the quick guide.

EDIT: I did find this in a review...

It could be in your power options, mine has quite a few different selections, such as High Performance, Quiet Office. Those might have something to do with what graphics card it uses. Mine has only the NVidia card so I couldn't tell you how it affects switching. Mine also has a one touch button at the top of the keyboard, along with a few others. Try mousing over the taskbar and see what the icons say.

Reading stuff on google it says her machine should switch when plugged into a wall and again when unplugged. Manually you do it with a P button above her keyboard

That's what I read too - but if she somehow disabled something she shouldn't have..... I just don't know.

Did a system Restore back to Feb. 26 (the day after I got it) everything looked ok, found out it was the Alter Ego config settings that I changed (shaderLevel @ 0, antialiasingLevel @ 0) that caused the text "Compatibility (low-end HW detected)" to show at bottom of game's main menu - anyone know what causes this text to be displayed at these settings?

I'm beginning to suspect that this text has nothing to do with whatever graphics card (HD media card or NVidia card) that the computer is using while gaming thus.

Following my System Restore back to the 26th, the HD Media card has automatically been re-enabled, and I haven't disabled anything since.

EDIT - read in Terri's post that this message may be indicating that my NVidia graphics card may be low-end - either that, or it's default set to use the HD Media chipset card. But the laptop's NVidia card is a GeForce GT 420M DDR3 - this isn't low-end, is it?

According to the folks at notebookcheck.net it's not -

The NVIDIA GeForce GT 420M is a fast mid-range laptop graphics card presented in 2010. It is based on the GF108 core, which is related to the Fermi architecture. Therefore, it supports DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.0. In contrast to the GT 415M, the card features the full 96 shader cores. Compared to the GT425M and GT435M, the 420M offers lower clock rates.

Edit -

The notebook I'm looking at to replace my HP has an GTS 350M, both are class 2 IGP's (by today's standards).

Found out how to fix the graphic card settings -

I went to Control Panel > NVidia Control Panel > 3D settings > Highlight "manage 3D settings" in left pane, > In "manage 3D Settings" (right pane) go to Program Settings > Select a program to customize > Add > Computer > C:\ > Program Files (x86) > Viva Media (highlight this) > Open > Highlight game > Open > select game's shortcut-like icon > click on this > Open, and it takes you back to the Manage 3D Settings panel, from there where it says "select preferred graphics processor for this program", you have 2 choices - either the Integrated graphics or the high performance NVidia Processor, Highlight "NVidia processor" > Apply.

They really buried it deep, didn't they.

That's Nvidia for you - when I need to change graphics settings for a specific game (if the option is not inside the game options), I have to follow the same path for my GTX 260. It's actually not as bad as it looks and is pretty intuitive.

Comparing my new laptop's graphics card with that of my old HP Compaq Presario X6000 laptop, I found this at Notebookcheck.net -



I'm starting to believe my old laptop's graphics card is a bit slower than the one in my new laptop, but was the one in my old laptop a low-end graphics card?

Quite a bit slower.


Yes it was low end, and strictly speaking it was a chipset built into the motherboard and not a separate card. I don't know if your particular card had discrete VRAM or not, which is another consideration for games.

I've use the NVidia control panel to try to make the game (alter Ego) switch to Nvidia card, and changed the default Intel HD graphics setting to Nvidia GeForce GT 420M in the game's engine file, saved it, but it didn't work - the game strill automatically switches to Intel HD graphics, running in Compatibility graphics mode (low-end HW detected) mode. Nothing I try forces it to switch to the NVidia card, and at one point in the game, half of Tim's body is cut off in the basement at the bar after the fight - I believe this is because the HD card isn't rendering the scene properly which is why I need to force the game to switch to the NVidia card - how do I force the game to switch to NVidia instead of running in compatibility graphics mode?

I've never had a laptop with switchable graphics, so I don't know any tricks to getting it to work. Maybe ask over at the Notebookreview.com forum.

It sounds like you managed to boot back into Windows 7 though, which is good to hear.

Thanks, Jenny. I didn't even know this site existed! I've just registered over there, and posted from this thread there, adding some screenshots of Alter Ego's amonaly. Do I should've went there before picking out my new laptop so that I'd avoid "buyer's regret" (not that I have it, I hope I'm going to be quite happy with my new laptop)?




Yes, I did, Jenny, but now (until I do the MS fix Inland linked to) I have to keep going into the BIOS and switching back and forth from AHCI to IDE each time I want to boot into Win 7 or XP.