7690M GPU = HP HORRIBLE DRIVER SUPPORT

[CJacksonLASD]

Dynamic Switchable Graphics is where your PC selects which GPU during normal operation.  That is where you right click on desktop, select configure switchable graphics, and select each individual program which GPU to utilize when loaded.  However it rarely works properly.

Fixed Switchable Graphics is where you the user select which GPU to utilize.  You also right click on the desktop, select configure switchable graphics, and you have 2 options "use high performance GPU" or "use power saving GPU".  You switch GPUs right there in windows.  Its very simple and takes 2 secs to switch GPUs when you need to.  You could also leave on your higher performance GPU, i only notice 1 degree C higher running heat and I see no battery difference at all.

[nathanskates]

I just discovered that after you download 12.2, you can go to Device Manager, go to Display Adapters, then right click Radeon HD 6770M, and choose Update Driver Software.  After that, it will recognize it as the Radeon HD 7690M XT AND you will still have Catalyst 12.2 Installed! Hope this helped

[CJacksonLASD]

Thanks for the info.  I just followed your directions, and yes indeed it shows that I have a 7690M XT installed, however it still clocks the GPU at 6770 levels of 725/800 instead of the proper levels of 725/900.  Now I did OC to the correct levels and its only a 1.8% increase which you will never notice, but it is a sign that we still have underdeveloped drivers on the GPU which might not be utilizing the GPU to its fullest ability. 

Bad news, I have an aquaintence with HP who just told me HP is preparing to close down their personal computer developing, abd go from personal developers to business developers only.  That is a reason their support is so horrible, they are not spending the money to enhance their personal hardware.

[aplant92]

is there any officla word on working, good performance video card drivers for the 7690m?

[YujiDude]

I contacted HP directly via their contact HP's CEO page and eventually got a callback from them. The representative told me it wasn't their problem that their drivers didn't work and asked to close my support case. I thought this was so ridiculous that at first I just accepted that I would likely have to contact AMD to resolve the driver issue. As I was looking up AMD's contact information I realized that this was crazy and called back HP to try and see if they could be the ones to try and get a new driver from them.

When I called them back they pretty much claimed that they were just a hardware integrator and really had no responsibility to make sure the components functioned well together. They had offered to let me ship my Envy back to them and replace the graphics card, which would obviously have no effect since this was a driver issue. After some more complaining I eventually got the agent to tell me she would contact AMD directly and see if they could do something about their drivers, assuming it actually is AMD's issue. This all happened about a month back, I never got a call back.

I have no reason to believe we are going to get this driver issue fixed any time soon and I would wholeheartedly recommend against anyone picking up an Envy 17. This computer has caused me nothing but frustration and I have no reason to believe I would ever buy from HP again.

[VENOMs7000]

I understand Your pain guys, I have the same problem

I just recently purchased DV7 c602em
I7 processor, ATI 7690m XT & Intel HD3000, 8gb ram, 1TB HDD.

It was a nightmare from the start. With "dynamic mode" switch the Catalyst did not use the GPU I have assigned it. (and was using Intel for every application).  To tell you the truth I gets boring to assigning appropriate GPU every time a new application is opened.

I tried to assigning  "Steam " and most games to High Performance GPU but still the games used Intel HD 3000.

I have switched to "Fix" mode in Bios and  AC / DC auto switch was turned off. It worked like a charm.  I played all the games with ATI now.

But after some updates all went WRONG!! Even with these settings games still used Intel HD GPU!


Problem is that:
1. ATI doesnt have proper Drivers for Ati HD 7xxx series yet (on auto detect drivers) it offers 6XXX HD drivers (and you cant install them too because it is not for dual graphics laptop config).

2.HP is not exactly all over this issue and probably did not contact ATI about it.



Can some one tell me- why would ATI make a new type of GPU and not release a proper driver support for it?

There is promotional intro in to HD 7000series on ATI web site "New game revolution" "eye infinity"..etc.  but no drivers??? **bleep**??

p.s - miss my 500eur Toshiba and Nvidia Graphics (much more user friendly updates)

[VENOMs7000]

---

YujiDude wrote:

I contacted HP directly via their contact HP's CEO page and eventually got a callback from them. The representative told me it wasn't their problem that their drivers didn't work and asked to close my support case. I thought this was so ridiculous that at first I just accepted that I would likely have to contact AMD to resolve the driver issue. As I was looking up AMD's contact information I realized that this was crazy and called back HP to try and see if they could be the ones to try and get a new driver from them.

When I called them back they pretty much claimed that they were just a hardware integrator and really had no responsibility to make sure the components functioned well together. They had offered to let me ship my Envy back to them and replace the graphics card, which would obviously have no effect since this was a driver issue. After some more complaining I eventually got the agent to tell me she would contact AMD directly and see if they could do something about their drivers, assuming it actually is AMD's issue. This all happened about a month back, I never got a call back.

I have no reason to believe we are going to get this driver issue fixed any time soon and I would wholeheartedly recommend against anyone picking up an Envy 17. This computer has caused me nothing but frustration and I have no reason to believe I would ever buy from HP again.

---

Seriously dude? That happened?
Wow. HP is and "ashehole" (you know what I wrote xD )

That what they told you "not our responsibility to provide driver support" is bull/sherat!!

They are very much responsible for punting all components together and making sure they work (every single option provided needs to work, even though you might never use it)

It is in "Terms of Agreement"

But as I mentioned before ATI shares the blame here. Releasing something with no driver support is like "giving birth to a child with out providing it with a brain".

I hope ATI wakes up soon and make a "dual GPU ATI & intel " driver.

[aplant92]

That is just ridiculous!!! So we'll have to deal with our laptops crashing, freezing, hanging and god knows what else until a new driver comes out which, now more than ever, looks like its never going to happen! Would there be anyway to replace the dv6-6c38tx with a laptop with a 6770m? All other specs remaining the same? I got the laptop just over a week ago

[VENOMs7000]

Yes, I think

But common man, GPU transplant is :
Complicated
2.You will lose ur warranty privileges due to unauthorized modification

Expensive

4. Unsure of results and potential problems

I am thinking of re-selling my laptop and buying a toshiba Qosmio----

[CJacksonLASD]

Read my earlier comments.  HP does not design their own computers, they buy 3rd party components and put them into their custom designed shell.  They are also moving to solely sell business computers in the near future so they have no IT guys working on their hardware/wetware drivers for their personal computer components.  I am sure many of you like me purchased a HP however because of the good upgrades and $400 off discount.  I know my HP Dv7t Quad Edition, 8GB DDR3, 750 GBHD, 7690M XT, 17 Inch Monitor was purchased for a total of $1000 where the Dell equivelent would cost around $1300+ for example, so we all got good Hardware for a great price.  The issue is Hardware support.

For those of you not in computer development, nearly all computer manufacturers drivers are always out of date or months behind the actual drivers made from the component manufacturer like ATI.  That is why most people update their drivers directly from the source versus the computer company like HP. 

In regards to the 7690mXT it is not made by ATI.  It is the ATI 6770M GPU chip with upgraded firmware running it at higher memory speeds.  The 3rd party company that made the 7690mXT for HP (with the ATI 6770M Chip) calling it the 7690m XT (7000 series) purely for marketing.  This is why ATI does not support nor recognize the 7690m XT GPU.  Also when the 7690m XT is benchmarked to last years HP DV7t models with the 6770m GPU there is about a 1% increase in speed from that 100mhz increase in memory speed in the 7690m. 

This is why all you need to do is install the Catalyst 12.2 drivers (which labels the 7690m XT as it really is the 6770 on your device manager) and you can overclock your 7690 with afterburner if you want to increase the speed.  I had raised the core to 725 to 900 and memory 800 - 1000 getting a nice 7-9% speed increase, but i recommend against that because a laptops worst enemy is heat and it will kill your laptop much faster. 

In conclusion, we did get a good laptop for a great price.  Yes it does suck that HP has HORRIBLE TECHNICAL SUPPORT.  I spent over an hour schooling their tech support supervisor of the West Coast tech support division, because he knew nothing about his computers.  We just have to be resilient to find the apporpriate drivers created by other designers.

Warning however, it does depend on your programs you are utilizing, for 12.2 resolves some issues, but I still have random crashes.

Hope this helps