Alienware 17r5 doesn't see the integrated graphics

Hi @B0ad1c3a!

The system should only use the Nvidia 1080 when necessary. If your system is making loud noise and heating up during normal tasks, please run a CPU stress test using the Support Assist tool. 

Here are the steps for the test: 

1. Download and install a temperature monitoring tool such as HWiNFO64 or RealTemp. 

2. Open the app once it is installed

3. Open Support Assist 

   • Click on Start
   • Type Support Assist
   • Support Assist Icon should come up, click on it

*If the system doesn't have it, click here to download it*

1. Click on Checkup

2. Click on Scan a Specific Device

3. Scroll Down to System Device

4. Click on CPU

5. Select CPU Stress Test and click Run Test

Let us know what are the highest temperatures.

Hi Tammy,

As you can see from the task manager, it's using the GPU1 as the main display desktop adapter.

GPU0 is nowhere to be seen.

Hi Tammy,

I'm 100% sure this is not the CPU overheating. The fans do calm down but the moment anything graphically intensive starts (even web browsing) the fans fire up. On further inspection I can see the GPU1 is in use for Microsoft Edge etc (instead of GPU0 for the intel HD). I have also checked DXDIAG and ONLY the 1080 is present in there. Somehow, these new r5 laptops are using ONLY the 1080 all the time and ignoring the on-board GPU. I've tried reinstalling the Intel GPU with the Dell drivers, the Intel drivers and also the default windows drivers (the dell drivers but a bit older). I can also completely disable the Intel HD630 display adapter and it has absolutely no affect on the system at all (it should be going nuts or maybe even not even let me do it). Somehow, the software/link that is supposed to control how they interact is not working.

Also note that this is my 4th Alienware 17 and my last one was the r3 so I know how they are supposed to run. I've also been working in the IT industry for over 20 years so I'm not a teenager having a crack at it. I've been doing this a long time.

Hi Tammy,

I don't think you read my post properly. I've already stated that I know how these are "supposed" to work. I've also already said that the nVidia control panel (something I am very familiar with) DOES NOT have the on board GPU listed at all. It's like it doesn't exist and yet it's installed and I see it in the device manager.

Thank you for the information @B0ad1c3a!

Every time that the system is going to use a more graphics intense application, the fans will kick up to cool it down and that's the expected behavior. 

There maybe a conflict with the new Windows 10 version and the Nvidia control panel, which is causing the system to only use the Intel card for all tasks. Please try manually configuring the Intel card to run with the applications that you are using. We will like you to try doing this, in both the Nvidia control panel and also by using the advanced graphic settings in Windows 10.

• Click here to see an article on how to use the Windows advanced settings.
• Follow the steps on this article to configure the GPU using the Nvidia control panel. 

After doing this, please test to confirm if the same issue persists and let us know. 

Hi Tammy,

Ok, after much fiddling around, I disabled the nVidia GPU in the device manager and (after messing up all my icons) it has reverted to the intel GPU for sure. See this image of the GPU0 in use now:

We apologize, we wanted to make sure you did all the recommended procedures. 

Please send me your Service Tag on a private message, so we can look further into this. 

Please try the procedure above. Disabling the Nvidia GPU in device manager is not a recommended procedure nor should you have to enable/disable the Nvidia GPU in device manager every time you want to use it or not.  

Hi Tammy,

I just tried to install the latest feature patch for Windows 10 (the 1803 update released today) and ran into issues where it was asking me to uninstall the "Hybrid laptop with discrete GPU connected to display" because it wasn't supported. After much messing around removing both display adapters from the device manager and fiddling with airplane mode to prevent them auto installing (thanks to some online suggestions) I managed to get the update installed but I have a feeling this driver is causing the issues as I think it's the one that controls the seamless switch between GPUs.

Either way, with that big windows feature patch installed I can now see options in windows to choose which GPU runs for certain apps (from that link you sent) and also since then, I can't see any stats of which GPU is running but I CAN say the laptop is running MUCH quieter now with the fans off pretty much all the time (as I remember from the old ones) but I can't say if it's actually fixed or not. Either way, since the laptop model is only a week old, I think I'll let the drivers/bios team work out the kinks and hopefully a future patch will solve it completely. Thanks for your suggestions.

Thank you for this information @B0ad1c3a!

Please send me a Private Message if you have any other problem. 

Hi, Yes, it does have G-Sync. So the Intel GPU is basically never going to be used? Sees a bit of a waste to have the nVidia card in use all the time. That was the whole point in having them both, less power, less heat, longer battery etc. But Yes, my fans are still running constantly. Not high, but definitely on. My last 17 (an R3) never did this, It was silent and hardly ever kicked the fans on. It's a fresh install with nothing on it (new laptop). I even formatted and installed windows again from fresh, still the same. Even selecting the "silent" mode for the fans STILl has them running, just a little slower. I'm 100% convinced it's because the nVidia GPU is active. It's simply producing more heat. I'm really not happy with the design of this,.. Hopefully they will release a bios update to allow people to turn off G-Sync completely and run things the old way.. G-Sync doesn't seem to work anyway. no matter what I do, it never kicks in. Thankfully it runs overwatch on Ultra with 250+ fps so tearing is not that bad. Still, I seem to have the worst of both worlds. 1080GPU forced on with GSYNC forced on... and GSYNC doesn't work. *facepalm*

I just spent 2 hours disassembling a brand new £3k laptop so I can remove and re-paste the GPU and CPU with Arctic Silver and the temperatures have indeed come down a little. More importantly, all 6 cores from the i9-8950 are showing an even temperature and previously it there were 2 cores spiking quite badly and one of them was even hitting the 100 cap and throttling before fans could wind up. The wax paste they use at Dell is terrible and the monkeys they have doing the work are sloppy, it was a proper mess and I even had to bend a part of the heatsink back as it wasn't even making contact with one of the components.

I can't say the issue is solved, but I have definitely noticed a more even fan speed and opening a browser (for example) doesn't automatically spin the fans to max anymore. It's better, but I still think it would be better to be able to use the intel GPU for every day stuff, even if it means disabling G-Sync.

The bottom line: YOU SHOULDNT NEED TO DO THIS ON A BRAND NEW £3K LAPTOP - Shame on you Dell/Alienware, you're letting quality slip. I've had an M17X, a 17r3 and now this 17r5 and I've never had to do this before. I could see everything was so well designed and high quality and you degrade it like this? Not cool...

Still waiting for a BIOS update or something to fix the GPU in use etc... But I don't think it will ever come.