ENVY 15t-k200 does not utilize NVIDIA GTX 850M

[najnad]

I have an ENVY 15t-k200 (K2T37AV) with i7-5500u processor, 16GB ram, Intel HD Graphics 5500, and NVIDIA GTX 850M running Windows 10 64. The problem is running any kind of application that would require use of the NVIDIA card...the computer does not switch over to it.  I have gone into NVIDIA Control Panel to select the NVIDIA as the preferred graphics processor and selected the NVIDIA for specific programs as well, no change in performance.  I have updated all drivers, no change in performance. On paper, this computer should handle the games and applications I use with no problems, but running 3DMark benchmarks, I get very low scores and any graphics intesive application I use is choppy at best.

Please help...how can I get my graphics card to work properly?  Is there a bios setting I need to change? Or?

thank you

[Sparkles1]

Hi @najnad,

Welcome to the HP forum!

I am pleased that you have become a HP forum member.  It is such a wonderful site to find answers and tips. Here is a link to the First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More for you to have the most rewarding experience and answer any concerns about posting.

I grasp that you are having a difficulty playing some games. You have tried altering the way the graphic cards perform, but there was no change.  Here is a link to  HP Notebook PCs - Green Screen and Other Video Playback Issues (Windows 8, 7) that should help overcome this issue. Now for the graphic cards. Here are two links to help you understand what switchable graphics are and how they operate together:

 HP Notebook PCs - Overview of Switchable Graphics or Dual GPUs

HP Notebook PCs - Switchable Graphics on Notebooks Configured with Intel and ATI GPUs

Please let me know the outcome.

Please choose "Accepted Solution"once you have found a solution that helped you. This will allow visitors and members alike to find the information with greater ease.

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[najnad]

Sparkles1,

No, none of that has resolved the issues I am having with the graphics cards not performing properly when it comes to graphic intesive games or testing them with benchmark utilities.

[Sparkles1]

Hi @najnad,

Thank you for your response.

When you have switchable graphics you can't select the card to use. When playing a game that is graphically intense it will automatically  use the AMD card although it may not show.   

 As you stated you have tried all the steps provided in the document and you are still experiencing issues playing games, please contact HP Support for further assistance.  With your permission, they can remotely connect to your system to help find and overcome difficulties. Please contact HP Support at Contact HP Support.

Please keep me updated on your progress.

[najnad · Accepted solution]

I contacted HP Support directly (funny, I thought this was part of HP Support). In a nutshell, they 1) uninstalled the NVIDIA driver and card 2) downloaded the newest driver from NVIDIA and 3) installed the new driver.  I verified that the computer was once again working properly, switching to the NVIDIA card when needed by using a video benchmark program that I used to diagnose the issue in the first place.

The problem seems to be that if you update the NVIDIA driver without uninstalling the old driver first, something goes wrong and the computer no longer switches to the NVIDIA card when needed. The NVIDIA control panel will simply install the new updated driver without uninstalling the old driver. Same if you go on HP or NVIDIA and download the updated driver directly, neither advise to uninstall the old driver before installing the new driver. 

Even if the driver you have installed is the newest driver, follow these steps if the NVIDIA card is not performing when it should be. 

I used 3DMark Demo to diagnose my video card problems, when it showed my computer performed better than 0% of systems tested I knew there was a problem.