AutoCAD 2015 doesn't use dedicated graphics

[marta.smu1]

Hello,

I’ve got a problem with my Lenovo W540 and performance when working with AutoCAD 2015. Despite the fact that hardware configuration is powerful and installed graphics card is recommended by Autodesk I get lower performance then on 5 years old notebook. I suspect the issue to be in graphics card used by AutoCAD. It seems that program works on internal graphics card instead of discrete one. I have checked this in AutoCAD in “Graphics performance” window which shows: “Hardware Setup: Video Card : Intel HD Graphics 4600”. I looked for solution and tried two different Nvidia drivers:

1.      NVIDIA Optimus Display Driver 9.18.13.2768

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/products/laptops-and-netbooks/thinkpad-w-series-laptops/thinkpad-w54...

2.      NVIDIA Quadro K1100M driver for Autodesk AutoCAD 2015 version 9.18.13.3311 (333.11)

http://support.lenovo.com/us/en/downloads/ds040485

In both of them in NVIDIA control panel I've looked into settings and checked that for Autodesk AutoCAD, system will use NVIDIA high performance graphics. I have tried to turn this option as a global setting but I always get the same result - AutoCAD shows it uses integrated graphics. I have also looked into Intel HD Graphics menu and in BIOS setup but didn’t find any solution for my problem. Also solutions from other posts in this forum do not work for me.

This is a fresh PC with following specification:

Lenovo W540

Processor: Intel Core i7- 4700Q

Graphics: Nvidia Quadro K1100M

Memory: 32GB

Disk: Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500GB

System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-bit) Pro (version: 6.3.9600)

BIOS: GNET61WW (2.09)

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> In both of them in NVIDIA control panel I've looked into settings and checked that for

>> Autodesk AutoCAD, system will use NVIDIA high performance graphics

I have a newer nVidia driver 340.52 (9.18.13.4052) for my nVidia K1000M installed and no performance issues as well as GRAPHICSCONFIG shows the nVidia as current used graphic card. I'm also running Win8.1 x64.

If you have your AutoCAD icon on the desktop, can you try to right-click that icon and see if you have an option in the context menu that lets you choose the gc to be used?

The context menu shows "start with graphics processor" and a submenu that shows now the installed graphic cards, select the nVidia one and see if AutoCAD shows now the nVidia within the GRAPHICSCONFIG.

One additional question: did you install Win8.1 from scratch or have you installed Win8 and then updated?

HTH, - alfred -

[marta.smu1]

Thanks for response, I have tried Nvidia driver you have mentioned:

http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/76996/en-us

but problem stil exists. Also when I click on AutoCAD 2015 icon I do not have option "start with graphics processor".

This was the order I have installed software on my lenovo w540:

1. Fresh PC with Win8 x64 OS

2. Upgraded to Win8.1 x64

3. Installed Autodesk Building Design Suite (AutoCAD 2015, Revit, 3dsMax)

  Here because of performance issue I have noticed Autodesk software is not using Quardo K1100M graphics.

4. Installed Nvidia drivers (I have tried 333.11, 327.68, 340.54) 

Do you think that the fact that point 3) was done before point 4) may be the reason of this issue?

In your case do you also have lenovo w540 and AutoCAD 2015?

Thanks,

Marta

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> In your case do you also have lenovo w540 and AutoCAD 2015?

No, I don't have a Lenovo laptop.

But there are a lot of posts here around Lenovo that preinstalled tools have conflicts with AutoCAD, maybe uninstalling the tool might help (search here for "Lenovo" and see if you can find something that helps you too).

>> 1: Fresh PC with Win8 x64 OS

>> 2. Upgraded to Win8.1 x64

I would not have installed Win8 and then update. I did a fresh install with 8.1 (there are a lot of issues with Windows updating from 8 to 8.1).

Good luck, - alfred -

[darawork]

Hi,

Did you manage to find this message: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2013-2014-2015/is-anyone-using-a-gtx760-with-autocad-2015/m-p/... ?

It might be helpful. I use a Lenovo E30 Thinkstation.

[marta.smu1]

Hi,

I have gone through messages in thread you have posted link to but none of those solution work for me. I have gone through all BIOS settings and I didn't find any which would turn off internal graphics or just force to use dedicated one.

If I do not find any solutions I may end up with reinstalling whole system from beginning and try starting from Win8.1 without doing an upgrade.

Regards,

Marta 

[marta.smu1]

Hi,

I was doing some experiments  in which I've tried to get some NVIDIA activity on different programs. I've failed for most of them (Autodesk Revit 2015, Adobe Photoshop CS6, AutoCAD 2015, Google Chrome with youtube HD clip). I have just noticed that Autodesk 3ds Max 2015 is an only application for which if I run it with high performance NVIDIA graphics I get in notification area signal that 1 program is using my Quadro K1100M. So it seems that the system doesn't want to use dedicated graphics for most cases even if I try to force him (right-click and run with dedicated GPU).

Thanks,

Marta

[Kenth_Kristoffer]

Please help, I have same problem as the poster above.
My bios settings only let's me select "Switchable or Integrated" graphics.

When I right click the autocad app and use "Run with graphics processor>NVIDIA", it still shows my Intel HD 4000 as the graphics card within autocad.

I'm using Acer Travelmate P245-MG laptop with these specs:
i7-4500U
16GB ram
128GB SSD Samsung Evo 840
GeForce 820M
Intel HD 4000

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

what OS do you have? If Win8.1 .. did you also first install Win8 and then update to 8.1?

What version of nVidia driver do you have?

And just as one additional option not dicussed yet within this thread: >>>this article<<< shows how to specify that AutoCAD should use DirectX9 instead of DirectX11. Therefor at least service pack 1 has to be installed for AutoCAD and the option with right-click to start AutoCAD on the nVidia should then be used.

Good luck, - alfred -

[Kenth_Kristoffer]

I have Win8.1, installed cleanly.
nVidia driver 344.75

I tried the article, still listed as Intel HD when I checked in autocad.

One thing to note; I changed some settings in the nVidia control panel to include the folder C:\* and run them all on nVidia Card.

So now whenever I start autocad, it shows up in the nVidia GPU Activity thingy. (previously it wasn't on there)

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> One thing to note; I changed some settings in the nVidia control panel to include the

>> folder C:\* and run them all on nVidia Card.

Wow .. can you show please what setting that is? (if possible with screenshot)

I guess that might help a lot of people!

- alfred -

[Kenth_Kristoffer]

Hello, I simply added the folder C:\* inside the nVidia control panel.

You can simply just add the entire autodesk folder, but I want to be safe 🙂

Then now the autocad and 2 other app shows up in the nVidia GPU activity thingy.

Note that I only have Civil 3D 2015 running and nothing else. I assume that the acwebbrowser is part of the Civil 3D program.

But Autocad still detects Intel HD graphics as my graphics driver.

Time to go back to Civil 3D 2014 😄

[marta.smu1]

Hi Kenth_Kristoffer,
I have tried your idea of adding entire c:\ but unfortunately this didn't help in my case, still Nvidia is not used when running AutoCad 2015.

Thanks,

Marta

[cbrconsultants]

i found a program that was enabling the on board cpu graphics for my CORE i5 4430 as soo as I uninstalled it my crashing stopped.  I had added a video card and upgraded ram and powersupply but wrong type of graphics card so I got Quadro using NVIDIA K2000 from Amazon on line $245.00 using HP 64 bit 66 watt power supply but that ended being overkill for the K2000 if you go way up you will probably need more watts from your power supply.  Also ahve 16 bit connection not 4 or 8 bit but no SSD that will be the next upgrade.

[darawork]

Yeah, you should always go for for a 64bit PSU.

[darawork]

That option is only available with Quadro drivers. GTX owners still have to be a little bit more 'Barbaric' to get some cards working. One good reason to get a Quadro, I suppose. 🙂

That said, 2016 ran on a 980 straight off the bat. First run of -3Dconfig told me I had a 560Ti, but after a manual tune it realised it was wrong and corrected itself. I am really liking AutoCad 2016 btw. For once I can actually leave predictive command line suggestions, etc... on, without system slowdown. There are a few suspected memory leaks, so I won't leave it running for days on end without a restart. But so far it's flying along.

[cbrconsultants]

Alfred this is Ralph and not sure who your directing the request from me or someone else. I have to say that if anyone is using Autodesk stay away from gaming equipment altogether they don't support the technology to keep the program from overflowing and crashing and I had so many issues that at one time I thought I was being sabotaged or monitored by the NSA or FBI talk about paranoid all from using the wrong video card. If you also have on board graphics it will conflict with a Quadro or other brand video card so make sure it is disabled either by going into the BIOS or if there is a program like in mine that was installed to run the on board graphics i5 4430 quad core so I am not exactly sure if I have completely fixed things as I am still locking up during 3d operations that are not kosher.

[cbrconsultants]

I have been tinkering with this graphics card on and off board. Of course the NVIDIA is very powerful especially the pricier models. But as far as this settings goes I have been turning off the hardware accelerator that unchecks all these options as seen with two checked here. If I were using the onboard i5 CORE graphics I might leave the hardware accelerator on but find that if i am using the separate card (NVIDIA K2000) for graphics and disabled the less powerful on board graphics (I hope) and dedicated the k2000 to graphics then the hardware accelerator seemed to be a hinderance and seemed to have interfered with smooth operations (slow performance very slow just to move a polyline using the grips like molasses. However all this will change soon I will be getting a high end HP workstation xeon processor NVIDIA 6000 series card and other options that might help with stability. Which I should have done in the first place and avoided so many costly mistakes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nearly broke me, luckily I have some good clients.