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theCoder · ‎05-06-2015

I just purchased an Asus ROG GL551JW laptop. It has an Nvidia control panel which appears to be completely useless. It does not save any settings I give it, it keeps reseting the preferred graphics card to the integrated card. I try to specify the preferred graphics card to the Nvidia card for a specific program, click "Apply" at the bottom, and then when I go back into settings, it shows the Intergrated card as the preferred card instead of Nvidia. If I start a game with ENB, ENB reports that I am using the Intel HD 4600 instead of the Nvidia card. I have called Asus support four times over this issue, and they tell me I cannot make this change, the computer will switch cards when it needs to. Really? I called a fifth time, and asked how can I change the settings for the Nvidia card for when the computer does start to use this card? I was advised to download a program off their support site called GPU Tweak. I did that, installed it, rebooted the computer, and then when I started GPU Tweak, I found no options to change the settings for the Nvidia card. Just a completely blank dialog box under "Tuning". In Settings -> Tune ->Display Priority it is completely blank.

Is this intended design for this system? Why can't I specify when to use the Nvidia card? If this is the intended design, why can't I change the settings for the Nvidia card on a per program basis?

Xumarice · ‎05-07-2015

Sorry, theCoder, sadly that how ASUS designed the GL551 models, the display is wired to the Intel graphics and the NVIDIA card is a slave to it being the render, that's way you see no options in the NVIDIA control panel. I think any questions about the GL551 in the forums will just be ignored. Seems they'll gladly help if it's the G751 model (...that's the way I see it here anyways. Also, it's been answered already.). I currently asking (now yelling) at ASUS support to do something about it. The Laptop is nice and all, but I'll just return it if you can and forget about ASUS laptop products (I don't have a problem with their desktop products). I had nothing but bad experience with ASUS support, very unhelpful. I guessing you got the GL551JW because it was in your price range? There are very few laptops that don't have Optimus, the ASUS ROG G751 models (the G751JM model have Optimus) don't have Optimus.

As for why you're unable to set programs to use the NVIDIA card, don't know how to fix that. Have you tried uninstalling the Intel graphics thrn NVIDIA graphics, and reinstalling them? Install the Intel graphics first, restart pc, then install NVIDIA graphics and see you can set you programs. Also, you may be able to set what program or game to use the NVIDIA card, but there is a chance that the game/program won't use the NVIDIA card at all regardless of setting it, because the game/program may only see the Intel, but not the NVIDIA card. That's why the G751 model is more preferable to have.

theCoder · ‎05-13-2015

Actually, I found the solution to my problem. All I had to do was start the Nvidia Control Panel as administrator, and viola all my settings are permanent. I also found that if I start a game as administrator, ENB will make Nvidia the card it runs with. This is such a basic (and utterly stupid) problem. Why couldn't Asus support tell me this was the solution? Anyways, inspite of my horrible support experience, I now have full use of my laptop, and I am happy as a lark. I recommend their hardware, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend their support. I don't need a 17" screen, and since I also do a lot of work on Linux, I don't need the dedicated card to be running all the time. I am happy with my GL551JW purchase.

Also the tool they recommended to me, GPU Tweak, caused the computer to reboot every time I logged into the system. I had to reboot into safe mode and remove the tool.

Asus GL551JW Optimus Woes