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Author Topic: [EN] SOLVED -- Hybrid Intel/Nvidia graphics -- has anyone configured this?  (Read 3637 times)

Offline dibl

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I got a new System76 laptop to replace my failing HP 350g from 2014. This one came with Pop! OS (Gnome) and I'd rather install siduction (Plasma). But there is a graphics challenge, that I have never faced.  Here it is:

Code: [Select]
  Device-1: Intel driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: NVIDIA GA104M [GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile / Max-Q] driver: nvidia v: 470.86
  Device-3: Acer BisonCam NB Pro type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: modesetting,nvidia
  unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~144Hz
  OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU/PCIe/SSE2
  v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 470.86

System76 uses a console (no X) command to switch between these chips, and then it remains with the selected mode when I reboot the machine. Do any of you have experience configuring one of these?

Thank you.
« Last Edit: 2021/11/22, 20:52:45 by dibl »
System76 Oryx Pro, Intel Core i7-11800H, SSD 970 EVO Plus;  Asus ROG STRIX X299-E, Core i7-7740X, Nvidia GTX-1060, dual monitors, SSD 860 EVO

Offline Mister00X

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Re: Hybrid Intel/Nvidia graphics -- has anyone configured this?
« Reply #1 on: 2021/11/19, 19:16:30 »
As I got rid of Nvidia on my systems some time ago the only thing I can point you to is the Nvidia Optimus article on the Debian wiki and maybe the Bumblebee article.

With Optimus prime render offload you can launch dedicated applications on the Nvidia card and run the rest on the iGPU.

The Nvidia Optimus article states:
Quote
This method makes the most effective use of Optimus-capable hardware and is the recommended approach for any user who is willing to rely on the proprietary NVIDIA driver.

As of X.Org Server 1.20.6 (with more patches enabling automatic configuration in version 1.20.8), official PRIME Render Offload functionality from NVIDIA should be available and working out-of-the-box as soon as you install the proprietary drivers. Debian 11 and later versions support everything required for this. This method supports both OpenGL and Vulkan. Bumblebee/Primus must be uninstalled before this can be used. Also make sure that the outdated xserver-xorg-video-intel package is not installed. The "modesetting" xorg driver has superseded it and will be used in this configuration.



« Last Edit: 2021/11/20, 08:45:57 by dibl »
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Offline dibl

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Re: Hybrid Intel/Nvidia graphics -- has anyone configured this?
« Reply #2 on: 2021/11/20, 00:34:15 »
Thank you, Mister00X!

I did review the Debian wiki guidance. I am doubtful that this hardware is "optimus" -- it is newer and I think a different design. System76 has provided a command -- "system76-power" -- that is used to set the graphics chip to be used, and then the laptop must be rebooted to use the chosen graphics chip. I think their command is resetting a selection in the underlying UEFI, which is not user accessible in this system.

I will continue looking into it. Worst case, I will leave it Pop! OS and change to a KDE/Plasma desktop.

EDIT

On a siduction live USB stick, it loads the i915 driver.
Here is the graphics, running siduction live with inxi -G:

Code: [Select]
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel TigerLake-H GT1 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
           Device-2: NVIDIA GA104M [GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile / Max-Q] driver: nouveau v: kernel
           Device-3: Acer BisonCam NB Pro type: USB driver: uvcvideo
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1920x1080~144Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (TGL GT1) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.1
« Last Edit: 2021/11/21, 23:20:26 by dibl »
System76 Oryx Pro, Intel Core i7-11800H, SSD 970 EVO Plus;  Asus ROG STRIX X299-E, Core i7-7740X, Nvidia GTX-1060, dual monitors, SSD 860 EVO

Offline dibl

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Re: Hybrid Intel/Nvidia graphics -- has anyone configured this?
« Reply #3 on: 2021/11/22, 20:52:19 »
I am going to mark this thread SOLVED, because I have successfully installed the ver. 495 nvidia driver and I believe (but haven't tested) that if I use the correct CLI command, as per the Debian Wiki, that I will be able to use it in Optimus mode for selected apps that can benefit from it.

Code: [Select]
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel TigerLake-H GT1 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
           Device-2: NVIDIA GA104M [GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile / Max-Q] driver: nvidia v: 495.44
           Device-3: Acer BisonCam NB Pro type: USB driver: uvcvideo
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa
           resolution: 1920x1080~144Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (TGL GT1) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.5
System76 Oryx Pro, Intel Core i7-11800H, SSD 970 EVO Plus;  Asus ROG STRIX X299-E, Core i7-7740X, Nvidia GTX-1060, dual monitors, SSD 860 EVO

Offline DeepDayze

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Keep us updated how it goes in getting to be able to switch between Intel and nvidia on the fly without having to reboot.

Offline dibl

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I hear you, @DeepDayze.  Not being a gamer, it's a stretch for me to find Optimus-aware applications to play with the Optimus command, as per the Wiki.  But I'll do it one of these days.

BTW, to their credit, System76 has developed, for their Pop! OS, a method to change to the Nvidia card full time, it just requires a reboot after changing the graphics setting. But that eats up the battery time and makes no sense for the kind of research and web surfing that I normally do.

EDIT:  I installed supertuxkart and pasted the command from the wiki into a terminal to start it.  It works as advertised.   8)
« Last Edit: 2021/12/02, 23:40:58 by dibl »
System76 Oryx Pro, Intel Core i7-11800H, SSD 970 EVO Plus;  Asus ROG STRIX X299-E, Core i7-7740X, Nvidia GTX-1060, dual monitors, SSD 860 EVO