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Author Topic: [EN] choosing video card  (Read 5008 times)

Offline finotti

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[EN] choosing video card
« on: 2017/06/09, 23:54:24 »
My new laptop has two video cards:

Code: [Select]
$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Device 591b
           Card-2: NVIDIA Device 1c8d
           Display Server: X.Org 1.19.3 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.05hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Kabylake GT2 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 13.0.6

Which one is it using?  How would I select the nvidia (with nouveau drive), since I assume it would be more efficient.

Here is more info on the system:

Code: [Select]
$ inxi -v3
System:    Host: luis-pc Kernel: 4.10.1-towo.1-siduction-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 6.3.0)
           Desktop: KDE Plasma 5.8.6 (Qt 5.7.1) Distro: siduction 17.1.0 Patience - kde - (201703051755)
Machine:   Device: laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 5577 v: 1.0.0
           Mobo: Dell model: 0MVD5F v: A00 UEFI: Dell v: 1.0.0 date: 02/10/2017
Battery    BAT0: charge: 64.9 Wh 100.0% condition: 64.9/64.9 Wh (100%) model: SIMPLO Dell status: Full
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i7-7700HQ (-HT-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 22472
           clock speeds: max: 3800 MHz 1: 899 MHz 2: 899 MHz 3: 899 MHz 4: 899 MHz 5: 899 MHz 6: 899 MHz
           7: 899 MHz 8: 900 MHz
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Device 591b bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Card-2: NVIDIA Device 1c8d bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.19.3 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.05hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Kabylake GT2 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 13.0.6 Direct Rendering: Yes
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: f4:8e:38:f1:1a:ce
           Card-2: Intel Wireless 3165 driver: iwlwifi bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: 70:1c:e7:dc:47:f4
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1143.9GB (2.6% used)
           ID-1: model: TOSHIBA_THNSNK12
           ID-2: model: WDC_WD10JPVX
           ID-3: model: DataTraveler_2.0
Info:      Processes: 246 Uptime: 37 min Memory: 1448.7/7759.9MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 6.3.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.4.121) inxi: 2.3.11


Offline piper

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Re: choosing video card
« Reply #1 on: 2017/06/10, 04:56:16 »
This is a tough call, I would wait for towo's answer

The nv card you have I think became supported with 375.10

https://wiki.debian.org/Bumblebee  not sure that will work or not

Free speech isn't just fucking saying what you want to say, it's also hearing what you don't want to fucking hear

I either give too many fucks or no fucks at all, it's like I cannot find a middle ground for a moderate fuck distribution, it's like what the fuck

Offline finotti

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Re: choosing video card
« Reply #2 on: 2017/06/12, 18:32:57 »
This is a tough call, I would wait for towo's answer

The nv card you have I think became supported with 375.10

https://wiki.debian.org/Bumblebee  not sure that will work or not



Interesting!

The issue is not a big deal at all to me.  It's working fine (or so it seems, as I haven't used it much yet).  It was more a curiosity.  I am not even sure which one is being used...  But Bumblebee looks very interesting!

Offline towo

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Re: choosing video card
« Reply #3 on: 2017/06/12, 18:46:16 »
Quote
How would I select the nvidia (with nouveau drive), since I assume it would be more efficient.
What makes you think, nouveau would be more efficient than nvidia blob?
And i would oracle, nouveau would not support your card really, but without an

update-pciids
inxi -G

it's hard to say, if nouveau would support that card initial.

For me bumblebee is a crappy solution, but sadly it's the only available in debian, since the better tool nvidia-prime isn't packaged in debian.

With nouveau you could use dri offloading to activate the nvidia gpu for the choosen application.

All over all i would never buy such optimus hardware.
Ich gehe nicht zum Karneval, ich verleihe nur manchmal mein Gesicht.

Offline finotti

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  • Posts: 269
Re: choosing video card
« Reply #4 on: 2017/06/12, 20:20:13 »
Quote
How would I select the nvidia (with nouveau drive), since I assume it would be more efficient.
What makes you think, nouveau would be more efficient than nvidia blob?

I din't think it would.  I just thought it would be easier to maintain than the blob (and that having the NVidia card running would be more efficient than having the intel one.)

Quote
And i would oracle, nouveau would not support your card really, but without an

update-pciids
inxi -G

it's hard to say, if nouveau would support that card initial.

Here it is:

Code: [Select]
root@luis-pc:/home/finotti# update-pciids
Downloaded daily snapshot dated 2017-05-25 03:15:02

finotti@luis-pc:~$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Card-1: Intel Device 591b
           Card-2: NVIDIA GP107M [GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile]
           Display Server: X.Org 1.19.3 drivers: modesetting (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.05hz
           GLX Renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Kabylake GT2 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 13.0.6

Quote
For me bumblebee is a crappy solution, but sadly it's the only available in debian, since the better tool nvidia-prime isn't packaged in debian.

With nouveau you could use dri offloading to activate the nvidia gpu for the choosen application.

All over all i would never buy such optimus hardware.

Thanks for the helpful comments.  I will use this laptop for only a month and a half (on a trip).  It would also not have been my choice.  That's why I said it is not a big deal.  It's working just fine, but made me curious of how these things work now on Linux.

Again, thanks for the replies!