AutoCAD uses integrated graphics instead of discrete graphics

[Anonymous]

Hi folks,

I've just installed AutoCAD Civil 3D 2016 on a new laptop, but it appears to keep defaulting to the integrated graphics card rather than the much more powerful discrete graphics card that is avalible.

I've followed the process in the AutoCAD Knowledgebase, but there is no option to disable integrated graphics in the BIOS and even though I've specified for it to use the more powerful NVIDIA card in the Control Panel, it still defaults to Intel Integrated graphics.

I've even tried right clicking on the AutoCAD shortcut - in the context menu there's an option to choose which graphics card you want to use. Even when I click on the NVIDIA processor it STILLS shows its using the integrated Intel unit... 

ಠ_ಠ

Any help would be MUCH appriciated!

Oh, and here is the Tuner Log, in case that's any help:

Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500
Driver version: 10.18.15.4268
Tuning Date: 14/12/2015
Virtual device: Dx11 (Hardware)
The card and driver meets the recommended requirement.

Display Adapters:
Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500(Primary)

Certification:
Hardware Available True
Hardware Recommended False
Status 0
Hardware ID 2
Hardware Feature Level 50
Software Feature Level 50

General Options:
Adaptive Degradation True
Discard Backfaces False
Dynamic Tessellation True
Generate Vertex Normals False
Handedness Right
Maximum LODs 6
Redraw on Window Expose True
Surface Tessellation Tolerance 92
Transparency MediumQuality

Additional System Information:
ComputerSystem
Manufacturer ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
Model K501LX
NumberOfProcessors 1
TotalPhysicalMemory 12782567424

Processor
MaxClockSpeed 2394
Name Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5500U CPU @ 2.40GHz
NumberOfCores 2
NumberOfLogicalProcessors 4
Revision 15620

OperatingSystem
Name Microsoft Windows 10 Home|C:\WINDOWS|\Device\Harddisk0\Partition3
OSLanguage 1033
ServicePackMajorVersion 0
ServicePackMinorVersion 0
TotalSwapSpaceSize
TotalVirtualMemorySize 13004076
Version 10.0.10586

DiskDrive
Model Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB
Name \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE0
Size 500105249280

DesktopMonitor0
MonitorManufacturer (Standard monitor types)
MonitorType Generic PnP Monitor
Name Generic PnP Monitor
ScreenHeight
ScreenWidth

DesktopMonitor1
MonitorManufacturer
MonitorType Default Monitor
Name Default Monitor
ScreenHeight
ScreenWidth

DisplayConfiguration
DeviceName Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500
DisplayFrequency 60
DriverVersion
PelsHeight 768
PelsWidth 1024

VideoController0
AdapterDACType Internal
AdapterRAM 1073741824
ConfigManagerErrorCode 0
CurrentHorizontalResolution 1920
CurrentVerticalResolution 1080
DriverDate 20150805000000.000000-000
DriverVersion 10.18.15.4268
InstalledDisplayDrivers igdumdim64.dll,igd10iumd64.dll,igd10iumd64.dll,igd12umd64.dll,igdumdim32,igd10iumd32,igd10iumd32,igd12umd32
Name Intel(R) HD Graphics 5500
Status OK
TimeOfLastReset
VideoArchitecture 5
VideoModeDescription 1920 x 1080 x 4294967296 colors

VideoController1
AdapterDACType Integrated RAMDAC
AdapterRAM 4293918720
ConfigManagerErrorCode 0
CurrentHorizontalResolution
CurrentVerticalResolution
DriverDate 20151124000000.000000-000
DriverVersion 10.18.13.5906
InstalledDisplayDrivers nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um
Name NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
Status OK
TimeOfLastReset
VideoArchitecture 5
VideoModeDescription

PageFile
FileName pagefile
FileSize 533606400

Process Information:
Loaded ARX and CRX Modules
acapp.arx
acapp.crx
acautoloader.crx
acautoloader.arx
acjscorestub.crx
acgsconfig.arx
acgsconfig.crx
accloudconnect.crx
acismui.arx
acismui.crx
aeccore.crx
acETransmitui.arx
aecloader.arx
aecapp.arx
acblock.crx
acpointcloud.crx
acdbpointcloud.arx
acauthenviron.arx
acparameter.crx
aeccsubentsel.arx
acmapgwsetransmit.crx
acstetransmit.crx
acblock.arx
aecutilities.arx
AecProject.arx
AcFdUi.arx
AecGuiBase.arx
AecUIStatusBar.arx
acpublish.crx
aeclayermanagerui.arx
acmaploader.arx
AcMapCmdTarget.arx
acadmap.arx
AcMapAde.arx
AcMapAnnotUi.arx
AcOcSchemaUtil.arx
Acpi.arx
acmapird.arx
ase.arx
acmapobjclassui.arx
AcMapObjClassPwApi.arx
acobjclassimp.arx
acmapworkspace.arx
AcMapDisplayManagement.arx
AcMapObjClassApi.arx
AcMapFeatureSourceManager.arx
AcMapMapBook.arx
AcGiMapToHeidi.arx
AcMapRastUtils71.arx
AcMapPropMan.arx
AcSmPublishUtils.arx
AcFdEval.crx
AcSmDwgMine.arx
accalcengine.crx
acpublish.arx
aecpublish.arx
aceplotx.crx
acmaprightclickmenu.arx
acmapfeatureentitytooltips.arx
acmapdmtask.arx
AcMapFeatureEntityUI.arx
AcTcTools.arx
acopm.arx
AcTp.arx
acmapmapbookui.arx
acmapstatusbar.arx
acmapdwfapi.arx
acmaprastex71.arx
acvmtools.crx
vl.crx
acopmext.arx
AcPEXCtl.arx
aclaunchnfw.arx
acsign.arx
acetutil.arx
aeccuimodel.arx
AeccCoreBase.crx
AeccUiBase.arx
AxUi.arx
AeccUiLand.arx
AeccUiTce.arx
AeccPlanProdSvc.crx
aecceventviewer.arx
aeccuiqto.arx
AeccPublishSvc.crx
aeccuinetwork.arx
aeccuipressurepipes.arx
aeccuiroadway.arx
aeccuisurvey.arx
aeccuiplanprod.arx
aeccpublish.arx
aeccuihydrology.arx
aeccuimapcheck.arx
aeccuibuildingsite.arx
aeccuipointcloud.arx
aeccuimgr.arx
aeccuistyleman.arx
aeccuicfdb.arx
aeccuidataexchange.arx
aeccuiaiwinterop.arx
AeccImxImpExpSvc.crx
vl.arx
AeccISDBatchConverter.arx
aeccuimgrland.arx
aeccuimgrhydrology.arx
aeccuimgrnetwork.arx
aeccuimgrpressurepipes.arx
aeccuimgrroadway.arx
aeccuimgrsurvey.arx
aeccuimgrplanprod.arx
aeccuimgrbuildingsite.arx
aeccuimgrpointcloud.arx
acsceneui.arx
AcCamera.arx
acsceneui.crx
acdim.arx
acdim.crx
acexperience.arx
acworkflow.arx
acsecopt.arx

Effects:
ACAD_LineSmoothing not supported turned on
ACAD_PerPixelLighting supported turned on
ACAD_AdvancedMaterial supported turned on
ACAD_FullShadows supported turned on
ACAD_TextureCompression supported turned off
ACAD_HQGeom supported turned on
ACAD_GlowHighlighting supported turned on
ACAD_Dx11 supported turned on

[DarrenP · Accepted solution]

don't know if you read the note for the article

here it is: Note: Some computer systems may use a master-slave video configuration. Intel HD Graphics is the master and NVIDIA/AMD is slaved to it. All display signals go through the Intel chipset no matter what card is being used. With this configuration, the second option above is the only solution. The bios will not have a setting to disable dual graphics. Also, after setting AutoCAD to use the high performance GPU, the tuner log in AutoCAD may still show Intel but the program will really be using the NVIDIA/AMD card.

[Anonymous]

So, you may be using the correct configuration, but there's no way to know for sure?

*Sigh*

[Todd_Rogers]

I uninstalled mine from the Device Manager so it is forced to only use the NVIDIA.

[Anonymous]

I had the same problem. Only solution is to remove integrated graphic card driver and uninstall in device manager.

[mrajendra2150]

how to do that

[jasonKRR62]

I've had users with the same thing, even though it was specified in both nVidia's Graphics display and Windows Graphics options as outlined here. 

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-f...

However, from time to time, AutoCAD fails to launch using the nVidia GPU or seems like it fails to do so. Task Manager and the nVidia GPU Application monitor seem to verify this as well. 

What usually works is to update the nVidia drivers and application and reboot.

AutoCADlt 2020 is the only application that seems to do this. Other applications specified to use the high performance GPU stick and work without issue.

After doing the above, AutoCADlt 2020 seems to launch and run using the high performance GPU.

I'm not sure why the system whether it is Windows, nVidia or AutoCAD somehow forgets to launch and run AutoCAD using the high performance GPU rather than the integrated.

For reference, the computer is a Dell Precision 3550 with both an Intel  UHD and a nVidia Quatro Pro 520.

Basically, my issue is not that it can't use the high performance GPU, but the system forgets this setting even though it's showing as still set up that way.