Sony Z11 - NVIDIA Optimus

[Nautis]

Yeah lots of going off topic here. Too bad really.

I am going to mod up the inf for 257.21 whql drivers that were just released. I have already done so for M11xR2 users and noticed a new addition "OptimusEnhancements", not sure what it does if anything.

Do you/anyone know if the stock configuration supports 2048x1152 resolution on the DVI port???

Not sure off the top of my head. I believe I saw that information posted somewhere on these boards.

[rmcx]

Yeah lots of going off topic here. Too bad really.

I am going to mod up the inf for 257.21 whql drivers that were just released. I have already done so for M11xR2 users and noticed a new addition "OptimusEnhancements", not sure what it does if anything.


Not sure off the top of my head. I believe I saw that information posted somewhere on these boards.

Watching with anticipation!!!

[ZoinksS2k]

Been gone for a while. This is still a Sony forum, right?

Yeah lots of going off topic here. Too bad really.

I am going to mod up the inf for 257.21 whql drivers that were just released. I have already done so for M11xR2 users and noticed a new addition "OptimusEnhancements", not sure what it does if anything.


Not sure off the top of my head. I believe I saw that information posted somewhere on these boards.

Thanks Nautis

[Nautis]

Good stuff, will have two more INFs to test soon (257.21 & 258.49). I have also been digging apart the settings some more, doing some linux stuff, and working with the M11x guys since they now have both Hybrid Graphics and Optimus options in essentially the same notebook.

It seems to me that Nvidia has changed the way their drivers handle multiple GPUs a bit more recently. I am seeing a lot of standard SLI stuff configured with the coproc settings which were originally used on Optimus. Seems to me that some of these coproc and hybrid settings may be a bit interchangeable.

I have also been paying attention to gfxCardStatus for the MacBook Pros (more info). gfxCardStatus is an application that allows for identifying of the GPU in use and manual switching of GPUs much like we can do with Hybrid Graphics except on Apples Optimus like tech. Seems to me that something like that should be able to be written for Optimus also.

[Bronsky]

Am I reading this thread right that you're making progress but Optimus does not yet work on the Sony? Or does it work and it needs adjusting?

Thanks

Bronsky

[Nautis]

Am I reading this thread right that you're making progress but Optimus does not yet work on the Sony? Or does it work and it needs adjusting?

Thanks

Bronsky

Well it sort of depends on your definition of "works". Currently Optimus functions on the VPCZ11. By functions I mean that it outputs the Intel part for most things and the Nvidia part as needed. Sounds great right? Well there are two issues. One is that the Nvidia part may not ever be powering down properly so while it is utilizing the output of the GPUs properly it may not be utilizing the powersaving (which is really the point of Optimus in the first place.) The second issue is that there is an overlay on top of whatever is being displayed with the Nvidia GPU. This overlay is a big block of text stating something like "Nvidia Confidential - Optimus Demonstration.. blah blah..". So Optimus is functioning on the output level but the power and overlay issues really keep it from being very useful. You can see the links in the first post for more info.

[Bronsky]

Well it sort of depends on your definition of "works".

I don't know many attorneys who could have put it any better.

Bronsky

[rmcx]

Well it sort of depends on your definition of "works". Currently Optimus functions on the VPCZ11. By functions I mean that it outputs the Intel part for most things and the Nvidia part as needed. Sounds great right? Well there are two issues. One is that the Nvidia part may not ever be powering down properly so while it is utilizing the output of the GPUs properly it may not be utilizing the powersaving (which is really the point of Optimus in the first place.) The second issue is that there is an overlay on top of whatever is being displayed with the Nvidia GPU. This overlay is a big block of text stating something like "Nvidia Confidential - Optimus Demonstration.. blah blah..". So Optimus is functioning on the output level but the power and overlay issues really keep it from being very useful. You can see the links in the first post for more info.

Hi. Any progress???

[Nautis]

Got a hold of the Optimus test tools and posted them at LV2G. (link below) They are the same ones given to the reviewers to know when the Nvidia part was being used. One of the tools has a "Show Optimus Overlay" setting you can check or unchecked. Something similar to these test tools, I have been told, is built into the 258.69 drivers.

I have noticed a bunch of settings that may or may not so anything with Optimus on Hybrid Graphics. I am going to put together an INF for 258.69 soon with some of these settings.

There is a new version of PhysX that was just recently released that fixes PhysX not working with Optimus. (link below)

- Optimus Test Tools
- PhysX 9.10.0224 64bit

Screenies of test tools:

Optimus State Viewer


Optimus Test Tool

[shodanjr_gr]

It's interesting that dwm.exe is actually rendered by the Discrete GPU...maybe that's why the nvidia chip never powers down?