So I recently wanted to learn more about how GPUs work and downloaded TechPowerUp GPU-Z to get all the advanced specifications of my GPU. I have an HP Pavilion dv6 that has switchable graphics. One is the integrated Intel graphics and the other is a Radeon HD 6770M. I figured out long ago that going to Catalyst Control Center and assigning 'high performance' to certain applications ensures that it uses the Radeon card. However, when I did it with Minecraft's 'javaw.exe', nothing happened. The GPU-Z application gives real time readouts of the temperature and GPU load of both GPUs and while Minecraft runs, the Intel GPU readouts go wild but the Radeon GPU stays calm. How can I force Minecraft to use the Radeon card?
You have to do it with catalyst. MInecraft has no control over which GPU the driver uses.
Did you try adding minecraft.exe to the application list? If you have more than one java installation, did you assign all of them to the application list?
Can you right click on a program and select the "Run with graphics processor..." or is that an Nvidia only thing?
If you can then navigate to both Program Files/Java/jre7/bin/javaw.exe and Program Files (x86)/Java/jre7/bin/javaw.exe and select them to run on your ATI gpu. (The paths may be slightly different, e.g. jre8 if you have Java 8)
Alright so after a lot of Googling, I finally managed to fix the problem.
This is a problem that seems to be specific to HP laptops that have switchable graphics. Switchable graphics have two modes: dynamic mode and fixed mode. On dynamic mode the computer supposedly switches intelligently between the graphics card based on whether you're connected to the power outlet or not and on how heavy your graphics usage is. Fixed mode lets you do it manually. Apparently, anything that uses OpenGL does not use the Radeon card with dynamic mode, the default setting, so you have to go into BIOS to change the setting to fixed mode. Your laptop will probably consume more battery life but Minecraft is running so smoothly now that I think it's totally worth it.
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So I recently wanted to learn more about how GPUs work and downloaded TechPowerUp GPU-Z to get all the advanced specifications of my GPU. I have an HP Pavilion dv6 that has switchable graphics. One is the integrated Intel graphics and the other is a Radeon HD 6770M. I figured out long ago that going to Catalyst Control Center and assigning 'high performance' to certain applications ensures that it uses the Radeon card. However, when I did it with Minecraft's 'javaw.exe', nothing happened. The GPU-Z application gives real time readouts of the temperature and GPU load of both GPUs and while Minecraft runs, the Intel GPU readouts go wild but the Radeon GPU stays calm. How can I force Minecraft to use the Radeon card?
Thanks in advance.
Did you try adding minecraft.exe to the application list? If you have more than one java installation, did you assign all of them to the application list?
I have Java 64 bit and 32 bit installed. I'm not sure how to add them to the list.
If you can then navigate to both Program Files/Java/jre7/bin/javaw.exe and Program Files (x86)/Java/jre7/bin/javaw.exe and select them to run on your ATI gpu. (The paths may be slightly different, e.g. jre8 if you have Java 8)
This is a problem that seems to be specific to HP laptops that have switchable graphics. Switchable graphics have two modes: dynamic mode and fixed mode. On dynamic mode the computer supposedly switches intelligently between the graphics card based on whether you're connected to the power outlet or not and on how heavy your graphics usage is. Fixed mode lets you do it manually. Apparently, anything that uses OpenGL does not use the Radeon card with dynamic mode, the default setting, so you have to go into BIOS to change the setting to fixed mode. Your laptop will probably consume more battery life but Minecraft is running so smoothly now that I think it's totally worth it.