ZBook 14U G6 not using Radeon WX3200 - or does it?

[BengtR]

I write this because I think it could help other users to not spend a lot of time and efforts for a non existing problem. Disclamer: Some Windows related names are translated from Swedish and may not be correct.

I noticed that whatever I did I couldn't make the computer to use the AMD grahics card, only Intel UHD graphics. I checked this for each of my monitors in the DisplaySettings/Advanced. In the information field I can read "Display 2: Connected to Intel UHD Graphics. I also checked in the Performance tab in the Task Manager and noticed that GPU 0 (Intel) was used to some percentage and GPU 1 (AMD) none.

After this I started searching the net for solutions and found that I was not alone. Many people was looking into this problem and it has been there in many or all versions of ZBook. I tried many suggestions, latest drivers from HP or AMD, possible driver conflicts but nothing changed.

I had to let it be and started using the computer and doing some work. Sometimes I opened up the performance tab to check how hard I was using the hardware. And at a time while working on a more complicated 3D model I noticed that the GPU 1 did show usage. I turned on all rendering features to stress it and rotated it rapidly and yes, there were no doubt that GPU 1 was used. Further investigating gave me that in the Processes tab, GPU engine is listed for each program. What's this? Is the GPU dedicated not per monitor but per program? Yes, obviously that must be the case.

So my conclusion is that the information in the Display Settings only shows a default setting and that the AMD graphics is used whenever it is needed. Problem solved. Exactly the point when the OS should switch graphic is out of user control but hopefully the software do a decent job to it. Everything is just because of lack of information. There are as you know not really any manuals that tells you this. Computers are usually not shipped this detailed manuals.