NVIDIA Optimus Feature Automatically Disabled on Your Dell Latitude

This article explains why NVIDIA Optimus Technology is automatically disabled in the BIOS if Windows XP or Vista is installed on a Latitude E6420, E6430, E6520, and E6530.

Overview

The Optimus technology is designed to maximize performance and enhance the user experience on the system, while minimizing the impact on battery life. It combines the graphic processing capability of the built-in Intel graphic processing unit (GPU) with the add-in NVIDIA GPU while running intensive graphic applications such as 3D games. The built-in Intel GPU is the default graphics processor and requires less battery power to operate. The more powerful NVIDIA GPU is turned on only for preset applications requiring additional processing power and thus improves the battery life.

Why is NVIDIA Optimus feature automatically disabled?

NVIDIA Optimus Technology is automatically disabled in the BIOS if Windows XP or Vista is installed on certain Latitude systems as the Optimus feature is only supported on Windows 7 or later operating systems. The Optimus feature is enabled in the BIOS by default on Windows 7 or later.
If Windows XP or Vista is installed, then the Optimus feature is automatically disabled in the BIOS. This is correct and working as designed.