HP EliteBook 640 G11 - Intel Arc Graphics Locked?

[HenriqueP]

Hello everyone,

I recently bought an HP EliteBook 640 G11, and I want to know if it's possible to enable Intel Arc Graphics.

Specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 165H
• RAM: 16GB (single-channel)
• Storage: 256GB SSD
• GPU Identified as: "Intel (R) Graphics"
• Hardware ID: 7DD5 (Meteor Lake - P)

I've searched everywhere, but my laptop only recognizes Intel Graphics instead of Intel Arc Graphics. I know that dual-channel RAM is required for Arc Graphics, but if I add another RAM stick now, will it automatically enable Arc Graphics? Or is there a BIOS/firmware lock preventing it from activating?
I also tried updating the drivers using the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, but nothing changed.

Has anyone tried upgrading RAM on this model and successfully unlocked Arc Graphics? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[tk_srq]

@Henrique,

Click this link for HP specs for your model and go to the 'Integrated' section that describes the hardware requirements for Intel Arc Graphics.

HP EliteBook 640 14 inch G11 Notebook PC specifications | HP® Support

The requirements are:

 "Available on select models configured with Intel Core Ultra H-series processor and a minimum of 16 GB memory in dual channel configuration."

Apparently, your processor meets the requirements, and you need to add a 16 GB RAM in the empty slot to run the memory in the dual channel mode. 

[HenriqueP]

@tk_srq

Thanks for your response!

I saw the HP specs page, but my question still remains because, according to Intel’s official specifications for the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H, it states:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/236851/intel-core-ultra-7-processor-165h-24m-ca...

"Processor Graphics indicates graphics processing circuitry integrated into the processor, providing the graphics, compute, media, and display capabilities.

Intel® Arc™ graphics only available on select V-Series Intel® Core™ Ultra processor-powered systems with qualifying system thermal design or H-series Intel® Core™ Ultra processor-powered systems with at least 16GB of system memory in a dual-channel configuration. OEM enablement required. Other Intel® Core™ Ultra processor-powered system configurations feature Intel® Graphics. Check with OEM or retailer for system configuration details.

Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics only: to use the Intel® Iris® Xe brand, the system must be populated with 128-bit (dual channel) memory. Otherwise, use the Intel® UHD brand."

This raises my main concern: the phrase "OEM enablement required."

• Nowhere in HP’s official documentation do they explicitly state that upgrading to dual-channel RAM will enable Intel Arc Graphics.
• In Windows Device Manager → Graphics Card → Details → Hardware ID. My system shows PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_7DD5, which corresponds to Intel Graphics, but it does not explicitly indicate Intel Arc.
  I have already tried updating the drivers using Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, but it made no difference.

My Questions:

Does HP limit Arc Graphics at a firmware/BIOS level, even if I upgrade to dual-channel RAM?
Has anyone successfully enabled Intel Arc Graphics on an EliteBook G11 by adding a second RAM module?
Does HP provide any way to verify if a model is permanently locked to Intel Graphics before purchasing additional RAM?

I would appreciate any insights or experiences from other users. Thanks in advance : )