boinc and windows 7 and lenovo switchable graphics

Message boards : Questions and problems : boinc and windows 7 and lenovo switchable graphics
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Jack

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Message 29417 - Posted: 13 Dec 2009, 20:54:14 UTC

When having BOINC installed in windows 7 64 bit on my lenovo T-400, the switchable graphics don't work. It basically says that the program is a 3-d or video program and you need to quit it before you switch the graphics.

If I quit BOINC manager (and tell it to stop running science apps), then I can switch the graphics.

I have a feeling this might be related to the windows 7 power save mode not working that is being reported.

Jack
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Message 29423 - Posted: 13 Dec 2009, 21:48:37 UTC - in response to Message 29417.  

Tried switching off the BOINC screen saver (in Windows, desktop properties, screen saver tab, select None for the screen saver)?

For anyone wondering what switchable graphics are, look here.
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Jack

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Message 29432 - Posted: 13 Dec 2009, 23:45:18 UTC - in response to Message 29423.  

Yeah, just tried that, still says some video or 3d program is running and it can't switch the graphics. Have to quit BOINC completely to switch them.

Jack
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Jack

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Message 29433 - Posted: 14 Dec 2009, 0:04:16 UTC - in response to Message 29432.  

I figured it out. The newer (6.10.x) versions of BOINC are detecting the ATI gpu on my lenovo and therefore not letting it switch the graphics. So I went back to 6.6.38 and now I can switch the graphics!

Hopefully there will be a fix that will allow me to use my gpu for computation and still switch the gpus.

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Message 29441 - Posted: 14 Dec 2009, 5:40:17 UTC - in response to Message 29433.  
Last modified: 14 Dec 2009, 5:42:05 UTC

Hopefully there will be a fix that will allow me to use my gpu for computation and still switch the gpus.

I think, that if you want that, that you have to contact Lenovo to release better drivers for that. All BOINC does at this moment is check on your system what drivers you have installed, if certain ones are installed it'll check what card you have installed.

It's not BOINC that's complaining that you have switchable graphics, but it's Lenovo that's complaining you're running BOINC. So you'll have to tell the makers of it that there's this piece of software out there that happens to detect the GPU and uses it on some projects to crunch data with.

I will forward your thread to the developers, but I think I know their answer already: Not a BOINC problem. Unless you want BOINC to go detect on what systems it is installed, what the proprietary software on those systems is, what it can clash with and therefore decide whether to allow using the GPU or not... sounds like an artificial intelligence. ;-)
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Message 29526 - Posted: 17 Dec 2009, 11:17:08 UTC

You can test with BOINC 6.10.25 if the temporary workaround that the developers put in is helping.
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Jack

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Message 29534 - Posted: 17 Dec 2009, 17:21:09 UTC - in response to Message 29526.  

its working.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : boinc and windows 7 and lenovo switchable graphics

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