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I have a laptop with dual graphics cards:

1.Intel graphics 4000

2.Nvidia geforce 630m

I wanted to completely switch over from windows to UBUNTU 13.04 :) But, i am very new to this environment.. In windows, it switched automatically from one card to another based on the load.

I wanted to install drivers. I read up on bumblebee. I also went through "additional drivers" from ubuntu software center.

So, i'm really not sure whether installing either will solve the problem.

I want as it was in windows: That is, I wanted to switch over to nvidia 630m if i play games. I want to make use of intel 4000 if i don't play..

Please, give me a step-by-step guide as i'm NOT FAMILIAR with ubuntu. Thank you :)

Dinesh Prasanth
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  • http://askubuntu.com/questions/285434/is-there-a-power-saving-application-similar-to-jupiter/285681#285681 – Qasim Jun 16 '13 at 15:26

1 Answers1

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Take an example for 12.04 amd64 arch. I recommend 12.04 LTS instead of 13.04. 12.04 are more stable than 13.04 and will get supports until 2017. Some PPA like ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates and ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/intel-graphics-updates do not offer to 13.04 now.

Do NOT take care of "additional drivers" for graphics card from ubuntu software center.

You first need to set graphics cards to 'switchable' in bios, if there has the setting item . If there no, do not care.

For your notebook , you should use bumblebee:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:bumblebee/stable
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bumblebee bumblebee-nvidia primus-libs-ia32
Ref: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bumblebee#Installation

Then If you want to run application with Nvidia Graphics Card, you only need to run 'optirun xxx' in gnome-terminal.

You can also make use of HD4000 for mplayer:

sudo apt-get install i965-va-driver
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:sander-vangrieken/vaapi
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mplayer-vaapi
Last, change video output driver to `vaapi` in `Gnome Mplayer` or `VLC` config.
Ref: http://www.webupd8.org/2012/11/install-mplayer-with-va-api-hardware.html

In order for ubuntu to know your intel graphic card in 'System Settings'-> 'Details', you need to run:

sudo apt-get install mesa-utils

You can also try intel SNA (the new 2D acceleration technology for the Intel graphics driver):

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/intel-graphics-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo mkdir /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/
echo -e 'Section "Device"\n Identifier "Card0"\n Driver "Intel"\n Option "AccelMethod" "sna"\nEndSection' | sudo tee /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-intel.conf
Then restart machine.
Ref: http://askubuntu.com/questions/298145/xserver-xorg-video-intel-in-ppaubuntu-x-swat-x-updates
Ref: http://askubuntu.com/questions/225356/how-can-i-enable-the-sna-acceleration-method-for-intel-cards-under-ubuntu-12-04
Ref: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTExNjA
Ref: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_ivy_glamor&num=1
waterloo2005
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  • thanks for your quick reply...

    My BIOS doesn't have a switch setting. And what about playing games like "FIFA 13" Or "TOMB RAIDER 2013"... How should i run those? Will it use my 630m graphics card?

    again, Thanks for your quick reply :)

     – Dinesh Prasanth May 24 '13 at 08:14
  • If your bios not having setting about 'switch', you do not do any setting there. Running FIFA13 need wine, but I donot try this and donot know if that will succeed running under wine. You need to go wine official site to check there applications list. – waterloo2005 May 24 '13 at 08:23
  • Will wine use the nvidia software if i run using "OPTIRUN WINE [fifa.exe]" – Dinesh Prasanth May 24 '13 at 08:29
  • yes, 'optirun wine xxx.exe' will use nvidia. – waterloo2005 May 24 '13 at 08:37
  • @waterloo2005 In Ubuntu 13.04 SNA is the default method for GPUs that support it. – grimpitch May 24 '13 at 12:47