VWX using WRONG graphics Card - Quadro v Intel HD

[David Weiner Design]

I'm on a DELL Precision 5520 Workstation laptop connected to a Thunderbolt Dock with 2 - 1920 x 180 displays.  NVidia Quadro M1200 and Intel HD Graphics 630.  Regardless of the fact that I have the settings for VWX in the NVidia control panel set to only use the Quadro card, the system insists on using the Intel card.  As a result performance is AWFUL.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?  See attached screenshot of performance monitor and system specs.

 

All drivers are up to date.  

 

Dell have been no help.  Diagnostics on teh Quadro show no issues.  System "healthy"

 

Thanks!

 

 

[JuanP]

@David Weiner Design please follow the steps HERE to make the sure Vectorworks uses the Nvidia card instead of the Intel. 

[Guest Paulo Ferrari]

Hi David,

 

Follow this post from Jim too. This documentation it's Old, but works yet (It's be possible that some options, isn't available anymore). This it's cool because have others settings that will improve OpenGL and Wireframe performance.

 

 

Preferred Graphics Processor                                                  High-performance NVIDIA processor

 

Ambient Occlusion                                                                      Off

Anisotropic Filtering                                                                    Off

Antialiasing - FXAA                                                                      Off

Antialiasing - Mode                                                                      Application Controlled

Antialiasing - Setting                                                                    Application Controlled

Antialiasing - Transparency                                                        8x

CUDA - GPUs                                                                                 All

Maximum Pre-rendered Frames                                                Use 3D Application Setting

Multi-display/mixed-GPU Acceleration                                    Single Display Performance

Power Management Mode                                                         Prefer Maximum Performance

Texture Filtering - Anisotropic Sample Optimization             Off

Texture Filtering - Negative LOD Bias                                       Clamp

Texture Filtering - Quality                                                            Performance

Texture Filtering - Trilinear Optimization                                  On

Threaded Optimization                                                               On

Triple Buffering                                                                             Off

Vertical Sync                                                                                  On

[David Weiner Design]

Hi.  I realize this post is old, but still no solve.  I've tried all these suggestions.  Performance remains the same.

 

When I run FurMark GPU Test the system properly utilizes the M1200 card fully.  In the graph screenshot in my original post the GPU1 runs full blast, GPU goes quiet when testing with FurMark.

 

VWX does not do this ever and performance suffers.

 

Any other suggestions?

[Art V]

Could it be that because you are using the dock that it reverts to the Intel HD Graphics? I do have that issue with a USB dock.

 

Is it possible to connect both monitors to e.g. display port connections on your laptop, my laptop (not a Dell) has two mini DP ports and a HDMI port and when the monitors are connected to the mini DP ports it uses the nVidia GPU. When using a USB dock it uses the Intel graphics, as mentioned above, and there is apparently no way around that probably because of how things are wired on the laptop's motherboard.

[David Weiner Design]

Hi Art - The external display is attahed directly to the system via the HDMI port on the laptop.  I only use the dock to connect keyboard, mouse, and network. 

 

When I run FurMark GPU test under the same setup I get this result below fully utilizing the Quadro properly.  It's just that VWX does not.  Also, shown below is my NVidia setup.

 

thx,

David

 

 

 

 

 

[Art V]

If you disconnect the dock, does VW still use the Intel HD graphics or will it then use the Quadro card? I think it could be possible that Windows detects that a dock is connected and then switches to the Intel HD graphics anyway, regardless of settings in the nVidia control panel.

 

Testing/benchmarking software often accesses the hardware directly instead of through the OS like most programs, I guess Furmark does that which is why it does show using the Quadro card while the dock is connected.

 

If VW still does not use the Quadro card with the dock disconnected then you'll need to file a support request as it would then be something for VW staff to look at why VW is not using the Quadro card.

 

Something else to try, did you remove the entry from the nVidia control panel en then add it again? Just in case the link to the application might have gone haywire (e.g. after an update) so that even if it is listed it is not actually doing anything.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Art V