First time using a laptop, can't use nVidia over Intel Integrated Graphics

Hi. I just got my first laptop today and I'm very proud ^_^

This is my new baby:
http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11834
Gigabyte Q27F-4701H
CPU: Intel 4th Gen. i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz(Turbo 3.4GHz) OS: Windows 8 64 bit RAM: 16GB DDR3 1600 HDD: 1TB SATA Graphic: Nvidia GT 750M Graphics 2GB Dedicated VGA Screen: 17.3? Full HD LED Screen(1920x1080) Optical Drive : Blu-Ray Combo Expansion: D-Sub*HDMI*USB3.0 *Bluetooth*Card Reader*Sound Blaster Cinema *WiFi *3.30kg


My problem is however that I can't seem to override the Intel integrated graphics with the nVidia graphics.

I've right clicked the icon to change the default graphics settings, then added the entire SquareEnix folder (and all of its sub folders) in the interface that popped up for that and I set all .exe files within to use the nVidia graphics. And yes, I set the icon settings to nVidia too, though I suspect that being a shortcut to a file that was already set to use nVidia was a little redundant.

I also set all of my power settings to high performance.

Then I restarted my precious new lappy but to no avail, none of it changed the graphics the game uses. Even just on the configuration screen before selecting a character to log in with, I'm getting 30fps or less, and it's still saying Intel instead of nVidia

Below is my system information. I've barely installed anything other than updated drivers, updated windows (NOT to 8.1, I'm on mobile broadband, that's a 3+gb download, I can't afford it, had to copy my pre patched game from my PC), updated Windows Defender, Firefox, a media player and FFXIV of course. Everything else installed on it came that way, and most of it will probably be removed over the coming week since I doubt I'll have any use for it. Completely new system which I only got home from the store a few hours ago. As you can see below, Intel Integrated Graphics are still the only graphics being recognised by FFXIV...

Having never had a laptop before, I don't really know what I'm doing, but I would really appreciate any advice anyone could offer. Thank you.





-=-=-=-=-=-=- FFXIV Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

MyDocument C:\Users\Crystal\Documents
FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn C:\Program Files (x86)\SquareEnix
FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn Language 1 Region 3
ProxyEnable 0
ProxyServer unspecified
ProxyOverride unspecified


-=-=-=-=-=-=- System Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

SYSTEM_OS Windows 8 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (9200.win8_gdr.130531-1504)
SYSTEM_CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700MQ CPU @ 2.40GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
SYSTEM_CORE_NUM SYSTEM_CORE_LOGIC 8 SYSTEM_CORE_PHYSICS 4
SYSTEM_BIOS 1.00.06bRGI
SYSTEM_LANGUAGE English (Regional Setting: English)
SYSTEM_MEMORY 16303.609MB
SYSTEM_VIRTUAL_MEMORY 2047.875MB
SYSTEM_PAGE_FILE 21935.609MB
SYSTEM_STORAGE C:\ SYSTEM_HARDDISK_DRIVE SYSTEM_TOTALDISC_SPACE 910.830GB SYSTEM_FREEDISC_SPACE 854.264GB
SYSTEM_DIRECTX_VERSION DirectX 11
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DEVICE \\.\DISPLAY1
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_CHIP Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_MAKER Intel Corporation
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_VRAM 0.000 MB
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_SHARED_VRAM 1792.000 MB
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DAC Internal
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DISPLAY_MODE 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER igdumdim64.dll,igd10iumd64.dll,igd10iumd64.dll,igdumdim32,igd10iumd32,igd10iumd32
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_VERSION 10.18.0010.3379
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_DATE 21/12/2013 6:02:46 PM
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
3.0
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_PIXEL_SHADER 3.0
SYSTEM_GRAPHICS_VERTEX_TEXTURE SYSTEM_SUPPORT
SYSTEM_SOUND Speakers (VIA High Definition Audio)
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_ID {6E1BE2FE-1655-4C1F-9F40-374366F6C6A3}
SYSTEM_SOUND_DEVICE_NAME viahduaa.sys
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_VERSION 6.00.0010.1700
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_LANGUAGE English
SYSTEM_SOUND_DRIVER_DATE 22/02/2013 7:47:06 PM
SYSTEM_INPUT {6F1D2B60-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Mouse
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 3 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 8 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {6F1D2B61-D5A0-11CF-BFC7444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Keyboard
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 128 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {8149A7B0-71A4-11E3-8001444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME Insyde Airplane Mode HID Mini-Driver
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 1 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {814AE030-71A4-11E3-8003444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME USB Receiver
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 652 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {814A1CE0-71A4-11E3-8002444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME USB Receiver
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 3 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {814AE030-71A4-11E3-8004444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME USB Receiver
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0
SYSTEM_INPUT {814B0740-71A4-11E3-8005444553540000}
SYSTEM_INPUT_NAME USB Receiver
SYSTEM_INPUT_REMARKS SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_AXIS 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_BUTTON 0 SYSTEM_GAMEPAD_FOV 0


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Application Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

GMSG
Technical Support - Post New Thread - Mozilla Firefox


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Install Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

Adobe Flash Player 11 Plugin
Combined Community Codec Pack 2013-11-27
GIGABYTE Smart USB Backup 1.0.20131002
GIGABYTE Voice Search 2.6.0
Hotkey 8.0135
VIA Platform Device Manager
Airplane Mode Hid Installer
CyberLink PowerDVD 10
Mozilla Firefox 26.0 (x86 en-GB)
Mozilla Maintenance Service
Smart Switch v1.5.0
Smart Update v1.6.3
Windows Live Essentials
Windows Live Communications Platform
Cisco PEAP Module
AmCap version 9.01
Photo Gallery
Windows Live SOXE Definitions
Hotkey 8.0135
MSXML 4.0 SP3 Parser (KB2758694)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.4148
Platform
Windows Live UX Platform Language Pack
FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn
Movie Maker
Windows Live Installer
Windows Live Essentials
Airplane Mode Hid Installer
Windows Live Writer Resources
Cisco EAP-FAST Module
Intel(R) Management Engine Components
Windows Live SOXE
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable
Windows Live Writer
Sound Blaster Cinema
Realtek Ethernet Controller Driver
Windows Live Mail
Photo Gallery
Microsoft Silverlight
NVIDIA PhysX
MSVCRT
MSVCRT110
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable - x86 9.0.30729.6161
Windows Live Messenger
REALTEK Bluetooth Driver
REALTEK Wireless LAN Driver
Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x64) - 11.0.60610
Windows Live Writer
Adobe Reader XI
Cisco LEAP Module
Windows Live Messenger
Movie Maker
Realtek PCIE Card Reader
Windows Live Photo Common
Realtek PCIE Card Reader
MSVCRT_amd64
Windows Live Mail
Photo Common
CyberLink PowerDVD 10
D3DX10
Windows Live PIMT Platform
Windows Live Writer
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition [ENU]
Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable - 10.0.40219
Intel(R) Processor Graphics
Windows Live UX Platform
Junk Mail filter update
Intel(R) SDK for OpenCL - CPU Only Runtime Package


-=-=-=-=-=-=- Proccess Information -=-=-=-=-=-=-

C:\Program Files (x86)\Creative\Sound Blaster Cinema\Sound Blaster Cinema\SBCinema.exe 000010F0
C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\PowerDVD10\PDVD10Serv.exe 000011B4
C:\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink\Shared files\brs.exe 000011D4
C:\Program Files (x86)\Hotkey\Hotkey.exe 000010E8
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe 00001140
C:\Program Files (x86)\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn\boot\ffxivsysinfo.exe 000015FC
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology\IAStorIcon.exe 00001324

Have you made sure that the appropriate drivers for your Nvidia card are installed?

Is the game lagging a lot?
If I'm not wrong I heard someone who had a similar issue but even if the game reported "Intel" it was using the nvidia processor, and wasn't lagging in the end.

Have you tried changing the card in the game's config screen? Should be a drop box there. Intel is perma-disabled on my laptop, so can't test this myself. But when I click it it does break out a drop box for selecting which display to use.

That kind of notebooks have a switch somewhere to allow the notebook to use the dedicated graphics card, search for it and activate it. I recommend reading the users manual that came along with the notebook.

The manual was really quite useless, mostly just a quick start guide repeated in various languages. All drivers were freshly downloaded yesterday (that really hurt my download limit, I forgot how big nVidia drivers were >_> ) and installed and the laptop was restarted several times in the update process and then again afterwards. The game does have a drop down menu to select the graphics card but it's only showing the Intel graphics in there. I've not actually started the game yet, beyond getting to the start screen and playing with config from there. Even with only that aetherial background of the start screen however, I'm only getting an average of about 30fps (it wavers between 29 and 32) according to the top of the config interface. I'm kind of scared to actually log into the game proper with that, I don't know if it'll kill my CPU integrated graphics (which seem to be the default for everything) if I stress it with anything more intense than the start screen which already seems to be pushing it so hard :(

First lappy, less than a day since I got it. Killing it would be very unpleasant to say the least...

This is a long shot, but are you utilizing SweetFX or any other ENB overlay program to enhance the prettiness of the game? If you are I can explain the workaround that is required...

Nope, just a very vanilla set up still. Putting off installing things until I get used to the basic laptop as a whole. Never had a machine like this or Win 8 before so lots to learn and that really only becomes more complicated the more I do to it.

I don't get it... I finally got up the courage to log into the game proper and now I'm getting 38-39fps on Standard Laptop settings instead of the 30 I was getting before from the start screen. Surely the game would push it harder than the start screen. Ah well, that's about a 1 3rd improvement in performance. Hopefully the thing won't die and it is certainly playable.

Still can't figure out how to get it to use the right video (disabling the Intel video drivers altogether makes it default to some generic Windows drivers too, even though nVidia drivers are clearly present and working) but I'll give up for now. Too tired of fighting with it after almost 24hrs of this. Should just be enjoying what I can get out of it. New lappy, that's a happy thing~

Thanks a lot to all for the attempts at assistance.

mbncd - are you SURE you're just not reading the display adapter? I have the same type of laptop and for the longest time I thought XIV was using the intel card instead of the NVidia one, until I realized what XIV was showing was the DISPLAY, not the video card (meaning it was telling me my screen was being run by an intel chip set).

I verified this by installing an NVidia program that told me when my NVidia card was in use. As soon as I turn on XIV, it says the NVidia card is in use, regardless of what XIV itself is saying.

Working as intended.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/optimus_technology.html

It seems that there have not been any further posts about this concern being an ongoing issue. Because of this, we are considering it to be resolved. If this does continue to be a concern, please create another thread to further discuss resolutions or contact the Support Center at support.na.square-enix.com for assistance.

- Furlamseere