AMD Dedicated Graphics is crashing my laptop

[alex1177]

so from what ive been able to tell whenever im playing a game the system boots using the graphics card and uses it for most of the time. but at some points in games the Integrated graphics of the CPU try to take over. This causes my laptop to force a restart. i started noticing this because my GPU % would go from ~50%-0%-50% and my CPU would go from ~30%-100%-~30%. after looking at the graphs its like my GPU just shuts off and then turns itself back on super quickly and this load shift onto the CPU crashes it. I decided to go into device manager and disable, roll back the drivers, and delete the AMD integrated graphics. This works and puts all the workload on my GPU but for some reason every game when i do that doesnt recognize my GPU and plays at sub 10 fps. but if i enable the AMD Radeon Graphics in device manager it recognizes the GPU and starts to use it until it does the weird load shift thing and crashes. Ive confirmed its the integrated graphics in the CPU but i have no been able to find a solution to this problem with the load shifting. ive changed the Nividia control panel settings and the graphics settings on windows to use the GPU only but it still tries to use the CPU for some reason. any solutions would be helpful

[Alden4]

Hi @alex1177,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're encountering a complex issue with your laptop's graphics switching between the integrated AMD graphics and the dedicated GPU, which is causing crashes during gaming. Here are a few things you can try to resolve the issue.

Update All Drivers (GPU, Chipset, and BIOS)

• Graphics Drivers: Ensure both your AMD and NVIDIA drivers are up to date. Sometimes the switching issue can arise from outdated drivers.
  • Go to the AMD website to download the latest Radeon drivers: AMD Drivers.
  • Also, make sure your NVIDIA drivers are updated by downloading from NVIDIA's website.
• Chipset Drivers: Sometimes issues arise from the chipset drivers not being up to date. Go to your laptop manufacturer’s website (HP) and download the latest chipset drivers.
• BIOS Update: A BIOS update may help resolve conflicts with integrated and discrete graphics. Check HP’s support website for the latest BIOS version for your laptop.

Configure Power Settings

• Windows Power Plan: Set your laptop to "High Performance" mode in Windows power settings to prevent the system from downclocking the GPU.
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options and select High Performance.
• AMD Radeon Settings (Switchable Graphics Settings): Open the AMD Radeon Settings (usually accessible by right-clicking on the desktop). Check if you can set each game to use the dedicated GPU (you might need to force it to use the Radeon GPU instead of the integrated one).
• NVIDIA Control Panel Settings: Ensure that your laptop is set to use the dedicated GPU by default in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
  • Open NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D settings > Global Settings tab. Set the preferred graphics processor to High-performance NVIDIA processor.

Check for Hardware Conflicts

• Disable Integrated Graphics in Device Manager (Carefully):
  • If you're disabling the integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics) in Device Manager, it might be causing problems. Some laptops rely on the integrated GPU for power savings and other reasons. Instead of disabling it, try to ensure that the laptop only uses the dedicated GPU through the software settings above.
• Device Manager (Reinstall Graphics Drivers): In Device Manager, try uninstalling both the integrated and dedicated graphics drivers, then reinstalling them to eliminate any corrupted configurations.

System Cooling and Performance Monitoring

• Check Temperature and Load Balancing: Sometimes, the GPU may be throttling due to thermal issues, causing it to switch off or fail to maintain a stable load.
  • Use software like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner to track GPU and CPU temperatures.
• Fan and Cooling Performance: If your laptop's cooling system isn't working efficiently, it could lead to instability when the system needs to push higher performance. Ensure that vents are clear and functioning properly.

[Alden4]

Game-Specific Settings

• V-Sync and Frame Limiting: In some games, enabling V-Sync or setting a frame rate cap might help reduce the load shifts between CPU and GPU by controlling the frame rate.
• Game Settings: Try lowering settings such as texture quality, shadow details, and others that might strain the GPU more, which could help mitigate the load shifting problem.

Consider BIOS/UEFI Settings

• Some laptops with both integrated and dedicated GPUs have settings in the BIOS/UEFI to control how the GPUs interact. Check your BIOS for options related to graphics or switching behavior (look for anything related to "Switchable Graphics" or "Hybrid Graphics"). You might find an option to force the laptop to use the discrete GPU exclusively.

Testing with External GPU (eGPU)

• If the problem persists, it could be a sign of an underlying hardware issue with the integrated graphics. In this case, testing with an external GPU (if your laptop supports eGPU) might help isolate the problem.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support