My HP ENVY laptop is not recognizing my Nvidia Geforce 3050 graphics card

[JDPenigar]

I recently bought an HP Envy laptop that comes with an Nvidia Geforce 3050 graphics card. When I navigate to my video/display settings, the laptop is telling me it is still running the regular Intel graphics card, however, both the Intel and the Nvidia Geforce show up on the list when I go to Device Manager. How do I get my laptop to only run off of the Nvidia graphics card? 

[Raj_05]

Hi @JDPenigar,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

If your HP ENVY laptop is defaulting to the Intel integrated graphics instead of the Nvidia GeForce 3050, this is because of how laptops with dual graphics (Intel + Nvidia) are typically configured. They use Intel's integrated graphics for energy efficiency and switch to the Nvidia GPU only when needed. To force the laptop to use the Nvidia GPU, follow these steps.

Update Drivers

Update Intel Graphics Driver:

• Go to Intel's official website and download the latest graphics driver.
• Alternatively, update via Device Manager:
  1. Expand Display adapters.
  2. Right-click on Intel graphics, and select Update driver.

Update Nvidia Graphics Driver:

• Download the latest driver for the Nvidia GeForce 3050 from Nvidia's official website.
• Install the driver and choose Custom Installation → Clean Install to ensure any old files are removed.

Set Nvidia as the Default GPU

Using Nvidia Control Panel:

1. Right-click on your desktop and select Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Under Manage 3D Settings, go to the Global Settings tab.
3. In the Preferred Graphics Processor drop-down, select High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
4. Click Apply.

For Specific Applications:

• Still in the Manage 3D Settings, switch to the Program Settings tab.
• Add the application or game you want to run on the Nvidia GPU.
• Select High-Performance Nvidia Processor for that application and save.

Disable Intel Graphics (Optional)

If you want to force the system to only use the Nvidia GPU:

Open Device Manager.

Expand Display adapters.

Right-click on Intel graphics and select Disable device.

Note: Disabling Intel graphics may increase power consumption and reduce battery life.

Adjust Power Settings

[Raj_05]

Windows Graphics Settings:

• Go to Settings → System → Display → Graphics settings.
• Under Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, enable the toggle.
• Add specific apps and choose High performance to use the Nvidia GPU.

Change Power Plan:

• Open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options.
• Select High performance or create a custom plan that prioritizes performance.

Check BIOS Settings

Some laptops allow you to configure GPU settings in the BIOS:

1. Restart the laptop and press the key to enter BIOS (commonly F10, Esc, or Delete).
2. Look for settings related to graphics or hybrid mode.
3. Set the Nvidia GPU as the primary option if available.

Test

1. Use a GPU monitoring tool like GPU-Z or the Task Manager under the Performance tab to confirm which GPU is active.
2. Open a graphics-intensive application or game to check if the Nvidia GPU is being used.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support