[HELP] Dual Graphics Cards: How do I switch?

You only have one graphics card.  The Intel HD is called integrated graphics or is an "on-board graphics adapter" and is part of your chipset.  It is not a "graphics card."  I believe the Vostro models have the Intel Integrated Media Accelerator 4500MHD.  The HD 6630M is a separate, actual video card.  But it is a AMD product (called Radeon) not Nvidia.  Two different companies.  If your system is not allowing you to access the 6630M card, try using the Control Panel first to see if you can turn it on in your Device Manager.  It should be listed as a Display Adapter.  It will tell you if it is working properly and allow to to update the drivers.  You can also go to the AMD website for help doing this.  AMD has a program called Catalyst Control Center which will definitely help get you up and going on the 6630M card, try downloading and using it.  As a last resort try calling AMD, they are very helpful and have excellent customer service.  

www.amd.com/.../amd-radeon-6700m-6600m.aspx

The AMD Radeon HD 6630M which is also called ATI Mobility Radeon HD 6630 is a mid-level graphics card made for laptops.  It's only medium level powerful, but is significantly better than the integrated graphics accelerator.

I've gone to the Control Panel, found the AMD Radeon in the Device Manager. The properties says that "this device is working properly" and I've updated the drivers. Once every so often when I run a new program, I get a popup from Catalyst, but I can't find Catalyst in the Control Panel. Should Catalyst be able to be found there, or am I looking in the wrong place.

btw Thanks for that answer

btw I found the Catalyst Control Centre, but it doesn't give me the option to change gpus

You should be able to access the Catalyst Control Center (CCC) at any time by right clicking

on an open area of your desktop.  It sounds like your video card is working- why do

you feel it isn't working?

And I would call AMD tech-support they can explain it in detail.  I think it is working

though.

Actually it is not possible to manually switch between the two graphic cards. The only possibility is to assign an application to one of the two graphics by right-clicking on the desktop --> configure switchable graphics. Unfortunally there is no way to see whether the intel or the ati is actually working - you'll only realise that by a better gaming-performance.

But the most annoying thing is that the HD 6630M can not be used to run OpenGL-applications!

@hapkiman @CHT Thanks for those answers, the reason I was asking is that I'm an midcore gamer, but sometimes I need that extra 'grunt' for games like BF2, etc. And from what I've read, it's quite hard and problematic to extract a laptop's gpu and replace it. I probably should have just used the money to build a desktop.

hi, i have the same problem, i just wont to know that why the Windows Experience Index for wind7 and the CPUZ program can't read the ATI 7670 GPU , and i made some personal researches ..

to be sure that the ATI GPU is already running just go to the device manger from My computer or from the Control Panel,

the disable or Uninstall the ATI card from the display adapters lists ,, if the screen flash and the screen resolution changed by it self, then your ATI is fully working .. if not, then its not  

I tried Assassin's Creed 3 on high Graphics except the shadows in medium, and its works Excellent.. and the Hitman Absolution also its perfect on a lot of high Graphics settings and this impossible to happen on  the Intel 4000 ..  

i'm waiting for your reply

Found a fix to this problem and you will like it.

Righ Click on My Computer Icon and select manage/properties

go into devices and find the graphical devices

disable the intel graphics

If video does not switch to AMD Graphics straight away, and screen stays black hold a windows key and press R button.

type shutdown -r -t 0

after restart should fix this