97 replies to this topic

[Stefano89]

Hey guys,there's a way to play VP with the best grapichs card(gt540m) in my notebook?
The integrated intel graphic card make the gameplay really slow.
I've tried to set all .exe to start with the nvidia card, but always start with the intel card.

[chocky909]

Hey guys,there's a way to play VP with the best grapichs card(gt540m) in my notebook?
The integrated intel graphic card make the gameplay really slow.
I've tried to set all .exe to start with the nvidia card, but always start with the intel card.

I'm also having this problem. Adding vpinball.exe to the list of programs that be run by my GT555 doesn't work unlike other programs.

I bought this decent gaming laptop witht the intentions of playing pinball among other things and it won't let me do it!

[maceman]

When you select "Hardware Rendering" in the options, you are telling VP to use the GT540m. You don't need to do anything further, but your Nvidia Control Panel settings must be correct or it will look like garbo.

Here are my settings: Off, 16x, On, Enhance, 32X, Off, All, 3, Multiple, Prefer Max, Off, Clamp, HQ, On, Auto, Off, Force On

Maceman

[chocky909]

Thanks. Are you sure though because even with Hardware Device Render ticked my Optimus State Viewer app shows no activity.

Also, can you clarify those settings because they don't tally with mine.

I have 18 options under vpinball912.exe in Control Panel version 3.5.756.0 but the 1st, Ambient Occlusion is greyed out.

[maceman]

Hi Chocky,

yes, i can confirm what i said. When you select hardware rendering, you are telling the computer to use an external(added) video card rather than the integrated. If you want to be absolutely sure, i think you can disable the integrated card in the bios, and therefore, you will be assured you are running the better card.

As for the settings...these will get you very close, you may have to tweak some things such as multiple or single monitor depending on your situation, but they should match closely. Let us know what happens.

[chocky909]

I agree that it should be using the GT555 when that is ticked but it doesn't and I think it's because of the Optimus. Thing is, it does behave differently when I untick it - mainly slower to complete rendering. I've also looked in the BIOS and can't see any option to disable onboard gfx AFAIK.

I've also copied your settings as close as I can to no avail. Besides, it doesn't seem to make much difference because the best I can get it to run is in Windows 7 Basic mode (it switches automatically) which has graphical defects or usually it just crashes as soon as it tries to render the table. I can confirm via my NVIDIA Optimus GPU State Viewer tool that at no point does the program utilise the GPU.

This is all causing me a massive headache. Sometimes I can get it to work via an external monitor and via the GT555 (in multiple display settings the laptop sets the external display to be controlled solely by the GT555) but usually not. Most times it just crashes no matter what and it seems to be doing that now. I know that when the GT555 properly runs Visual Pinball it plays well but I'm having a hell of a time getting it to do that. If I could find a way to have the laptop permanantly run via the GT555 I would.

Edited by chocky909, 08 January 2012 - 05:10 AM.

[GSGregg]

I wonder if there's anything in this Feb. 2010 article that you can use:

http://www.notebookc...ew.25467.0.html

I read some of it, but since I don't have the gear to put it into practice, it kind of went in one eye and out the other. I figure that I'll wind up with a 'Seven' system someday, though, so stuff like this gets me curious.

[maceman]

Chocky,

You may be correct my friend. To be honest, i am giving you answers based on experience, but experience changes with new technologies. I too am having the exact issue as you presently, so just wanted you to know you are not crazy, nor alone.

I just got my new laptop on Thursday and last night i was up till 2 am fiddling with drivers and such, and presently my VP is broken but i am still looking into this.

Thanx for your post.. it will help others in future, if only we can solve this.

btw- when i removed the intel driver and such, my laptop would not let me install nvidia drivers solo...it said i MUST have the Intel HD driver in first, which i had to do. After installing just the intel, i then realize that the quality and speed was exactly the same as what it was with the nvidia drivers, and thus i knew something was wrong!!

-to be continued...
Maceman

edit: one sol'n someone posted was to make sure the physx is pointing to the 540 in the NVCP, but in my case, i cannot switch it out.. see if you find the same thing?

Edited by maceman, 08 January 2012 - 09:31 PM.

[Bob5453]

Chocky, just in case you don't know this, after you check the Hardware Rendering Device, you must close VP and then restart VP for it to work.

[maceman]

Okay, here is some important info:

1. With Optimus based computers, the intel HD is actually embedded right into the CPU, so you cannot separate the nvidia processes from the intel.

2. To try to force the computer to use Nvidia, make sure the power options are set to max performance, thus although it uses more battery etc... it will use the nvidia card.

3. In the NVCP under preferred graphics processor, make sure the selection is to use the "High performance Nvidia card"

I am still trying to get mine to work better as ell, but this is some info i found to date.....

[Itchigo]

When you select "Hardware Rendering" in the options, you are telling VP to use the GT540m. You don't need to do anything further, but your Nvidia Control Panel settings must be correct or it will look like garbo.

Here are my settings: Off, 16x, On, Enhance, 32X, Off, All, 3, Multiple, Prefer Max, Off, Clamp, HQ, On, Auto, Off, Force On

Maceman

Thanks Maceman, I just reset to default and for got to save my settings.

[maceman]

Okay, I think i just solved this!!!!!!

I have VP running smooth as butter- better than i have ever seen it on my cab!

Here is what i did, and it may seem backwards:

1. I downloaded the new BETA driver 290.53 With this one, you don't uninstall anything, you just install over top of your previous driver. Reason being, there is no NVCP with this beta, so you won't be able to tweak otherwise....plus it tells you to do this way in the install

2. Believe it or not, change this back to auto as follows:


This causes my Nvidia to kick in for some reason with this set-up. I hope it works for you.
Maceman

[chocky909]

Very interesting developments...

Ok, I installed the beta drivers and at first there was no change as I chose the express install which kept my settings. Then I did a clean install over that but my NVCP doesn't look like yours but the same as it always has. However, I've added vpinball912.exe to the program settings list and set it to use the GT555 and IT ACTUALLY DOES! As verified by the Optimus Viewer Tool.

I'm thinking this was maybe a bug in the last official driver software maybe?

Anyway, it seems to work but not perfectly yet and I'm confused - I could only get it to run when I unticked the Hardware Device Rendering box in VP. Otherwise it ran at about 1fps. Unticked though it is almost perfect but it is still suffering from occasional stutter so I'm not really sure what that is all about. Maybe alter the settings in my NVCP?

Still, at least we're getting somewhere!

[maceman]

Glad to hear you are a step closer. Is it possible for you to list what you have set in your NVCP as i did above? List for us what you have in the manage 3d settings box in the ctrl panel.

Getting there!

Edited by maceman, 09 January 2012 - 02:32 PM.

[blur]

Hi Chocky,

yes, i can confirm what i said. When you select hardware rendering, you are telling the computer to use an external(added) video card rather than the integrated. If you want to be absolutely sure, i think you can disable the integrated card in the bios, and therefore, you will be assured you are running the better card.

As for the settings...these will get you very close, you may have to tweak some things such as multiple or single monitor depending on your situation, but they should match closely. Let us know what happens.

Not true.
HW rendering in VP doesn't know anything about your internal and external graphics card so it cannot dispatch requests on one or the other.
HW rendering means only - use graphic card for rendering textures - or if it is off - it means use main cpu for rendering textures.
Off is limited to 1024 max texture resolution, and main memory is usually ddr2 or ddr3 which is slower then gpu memory, and has smaller bus width.
That's one of the reasons why expensive cards work best on vp eventhough vp doesn't use anything of 3D rendering features of the card - because top cards allways have widest memory bus.

[maceman]

Hi Chocky,

yes, i can confirm what i said. When you select hardware rendering, you are telling the computer to use an external(added) video card rather than the integrated. If you want to be absolutely sure, i think you can disable the integrated card in the bios, and therefore, you will be assured you are running the better card.

As for the settings...these will get you very close, you may have to tweak some things such as multiple or single monitor depending on your situation, but they should match closely. Let us know what happens.

Not true.
HW rendering in VP doesn't know anything about your internal and external graphics card so it cannot dispatch requests on one or the other.
HW rendering means only - use graphic card for rendering textures - or if it is off - it means use main cpu for rendering textures.
Off is limited to 1024 max texture resolution, and main memory is usually ddr2 or ddr3 which is slower then gpu memory, and has smaller bus width.
That's one of the reasons why expensive cards work best on vp eventhough vp doesn't use anything of 3D rendering features of the card - because top cards allways have widest memory bus.

Blur,
I always appreciate your input! In this case however, i think you need to read up on the new optimus notebooks because your information is lacking.
What you said is very true, for non-optimus systems, but in the optimus, the integrated card and the nvidia cards are link and cannot be separated, thus turning HD on will indeed kick in the nvidia card. If in the NVCP it is selected to use the Nvidia for VP, HD on will indeed kick in that card.

Sorry,

Maceman

http://www.nvidia.co...hitepapers.html

Edited by maceman, 09 January 2012 - 05:21 PM.

[chocky909]

Any idea why my VP is so slow when I tick the HDR box? The Optimus Viewer still says it's running vpinball912.exe with that ticked or not but much better although still slightly stuttering with it unticked. I think I may reinstall VP because it has crashed so many times since I installed it, it may be corrupt.

maceman, I think I copied the NVCP settings you gave me earlier but I could try some others.

[maceman]

Hi Chocky,

It makes sense for it to studder when unchecked, as it would be utilizing the CPU solely for graphics processing...but with HDR checked, VP will use the video card(s), and thus any studder from that point would be mostly due to driver or bottleneck from a slower bus perhaps.
However, in saying that, i have had good success with a 128 bit memory interface, but 256 is better!

I don't think this is your issue. I think it is driver related. But i could be wrong, and maybe a new mobo as Blade did would help. I just don't think your specs are bad at all and i would continue trying more myself!

[blur]

Hi Chocky,

yes, i can confirm what i said. When you select hardware rendering, you are telling the computer to use an external(added) video card rather than the integrated. If you want to be absolutely sure, i think you can disable the integrated card in the bios, and therefore, you will be assured you are running the better card.

As for the settings...these will get you very close, you may have to tweak some things such as multiple or single monitor depending on your situation, but they should match closely. Let us know what happens.

Not true.
HW rendering in VP doesn't know anything about your internal and external graphics card so it cannot dispatch requests on one or the other.
HW rendering means only - use graphic card for rendering textures - or if it is off - it means use main cpu for rendering textures.
Off is limited to 1024 max texture resolution, and main memory is usually ddr2 or ddr3 which is slower then gpu memory, and has smaller bus width.
That's one of the reasons why expensive cards work best on vp eventhough vp doesn't use anything of 3D rendering features of the card - because top cards allways have widest memory bus.

Blur,
I always appreciate your input! In this case however, i think you need to read up on the new optimus notebooks because your information is lacking.
What you said is very true, for non-optimus systems, but in the optimus, the integrated card and the nvidia cards are link and cannot be separated, thus turning HD on will indeed kick in the nvidia card. If in the NVCP it is selected to use the Nvidia for VP, HD on will indeed kick in that card.

Sorry,

Maceman

http://www.nvidia.co...hitepapers.html

You are quite right this time.
Meaning when you select hdr in vp then graphic cards are used - which one is defined by optimus and laptop drivers.

What i was referring as not true is this sentence:
"When you select hardware rendering, you are telling the computer to use an external(added) video card rather than the integrated."
If you turn hdr off you tell computer to use cpu for texture rendering, not the internal gpu.

Best regards


By the way - good luck with trying to get optimus to work, and great find - for this new beta driver.

Let's hope intel and nvidia will fix that drivers eventually - though i would be much happier with straight nvidia gpu - somehow i don't believe intel can do good graphics. I have nvidia 140 in my oooold laptop and it works quite ok.

Edited by blur, 09 January 2012 - 07:43 PM.

[chocky909]

Hi Chocky,

It makes sense for it to studder when unchecked, as it would be utilizing the CPU solely for graphics processing...but with HDR checked, VP will use the video card(s), and thus any studder from that point would be mostly due to driver or bottleneck from a slower bus perhaps.
However, in saying that, i have had good success with a 128 bit memory interface, but 256 is better!

I don't think this is your issue. I think it is driver related. But i could be wrong, and maybe a new mobo as Blade did would help. I just don't think your specs are bad at all and i would continue trying more myself!

But this is the strange thing! It's stutters awfully (like I said about 1fps) when i CHECK the box but runs a lot better with it UNCHECKED but still a bit jerky at times. The GT555 is running though because I can feel it heating up and the laptop fan turns on full. Also the Optimus Status tool confirms it.

I doubt my laptop is lacking as it is a GT555 card which is fairly hefty. Maybe the fact that I'm running an i7 processor would explain why the performance is so good when I leave the HDR unchecked.

Like I said, I might try doing a fresh installation of VP later and see what happens.