[Aspire A715-51G] Nvidia discrete GPU not being used for most new Games

DudleyG
DudleyG Member Posts: 3 New User

i5-1240p (Iris GPU)
RTX 3050
16GB RAM

Problem: Recent games (mostly DX12) like Elden Ring or Fifa 23 don't run on discrete graphics (RTX 3050 4GB) and its 3D usage is stuck to 0%, causing such games to run poorly on the laptop 144hz screen. Older games like Sekiro, NBA 2k20 and RDR2 (Vulkan) and even FurMark benchmark work fine and use 100% of the RTX GPU. NO setting changes this behavior!

What I tried:

  • Clean install Windows 11 from USB drive
  • Installed drivers & GPUs (Intel & Nvidia) drivers provided by Acer Support Page
  • DDU + installed GPUs (Intel & Nvidia) drivers from Intel & Nvidia directly
  • Set laptop power mode from Balanced to High Performance
  • Nvidia Control Panel → 3D Settings → Preferred Graphical Processor: RTX 3050; Power management mode: High performance. Then 3D settings → Program Settings, Elden Ring.exe, Prefer RTX 3050.
  • Nvidia Control Panel → PhysX settings → RTX 3050
  • Windows 11 Settings → System → Display → Graphics: Added Elden Ring.exe (or fifa, etc.), select High Performance (RTX 3050) for this game.
  • Disabling Iris GPU in device manager causes the games to stutter like crazy, it's not a solution.
  • Updated BIOS to latest 1.08 and Windows 11 is fully updated.

I'm verse on PCs and my understanding is that these mid range laptops don't have a MUX switch to selected which GPU is being used by the laptop screen, higher ends laptops do have this MUX chip, as this support page suggests. So Laptops like mine have the screen connected to Iris GPU and rely on Windows 11, Firmware and Nvidia Control panel to """smartly""" detect which GPU to use, but that clearly doesn't work. It's not likely to be an hardware problem because the RTX GPU works perfectly fine on some older titles, but at this point it could as well be….

I'm kind of mad to Acer, don't you test these PCs before selling them!? what's the point in having a 144hz screen if the notebook is not being able to use its nvidia graphic card?

Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    Clean install Windows 11 from USB drive

    Did you purchase and clean install from the ACER OEM factory Win11 USB media? System files that the Acer drivers rely on are often different than those in the generic Microsoft version.

    Jack E/NJ

  • DudleyG
    DudleyG Member Posts: 3 New User
    edited March 2023

    I created a USB media with rufus and official windows 11 22h2 from microsoft.com, but then I installed all the necessary drivers from Acer Support Page for my laptop. The problem persisted so I also tried to install generic drivers from nvidia and intel for the GPUs. I've seen the same problem I have being reported on this forum multiple times, with no solution sadly

    What would you suggest? I'm willing to try everything possible, really…

    The laptop comes with a windows 11 home license. Where can I get "ACER OEM factory Win11" you are talking about?

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    Where can I get "ACER OEM factory Win11" you are talking about?

    It might still be on a hidden OEM factory reset partition on the boot drive if the Microsoft generic version didn't wipe it out or screw up access to it. If the hidden factory partition is still viable, it can be accessed by the ALT+F10 cold boot method as shown in this video. After a factory reset, you should IMMEDIATELY turn System Protection on in Control Panel's restore point app just in case an errant Windows update tries to mess with system files that affect the OEM drivers for the proprietary Acer mainboard. You will have the option of a clean erase-everything factory OEM reset or a reset trying to save your personal files. An erase everything clean factory reset is preferred.

    https://community.acer.com/en/kb/articles/64-how-to-restore-windows-on-my-acer-computer-using-alt-f10-on-startup

    Jack E/NJ

  • DudleyG
    DudleyG Member Posts: 3 New User

    When I installed Windows 11 from the USB thumbdrive I manually erased all partitions from the SSD: now there is a 600MB recovery partition but it was created during the generic Windows 11 installtion, I don't see how there could be anything acer-related there. Do you really think restoring via ALT+F10 could still bring back those "custom sytem files that acer drivers rely on" regardless? It's very time consuming for something that "might" be there. Isn't there a way to get a Acer-made Windows 11 Image instead?
    Thanks for your support, though.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,328 Trailblazer

    I manually erased all partitions from the SSD:»»Do you really think restoring via ALT+F10 could still bring back those
    "custom sytem files that acer drivers rely on" regardless?»>

    Sorry, no, it's gone if you wiped all the partitions. If you live in the US or Canada, the original OEM factory recovery USB might still be available that's specific to your machine's serial number ID. Price is around $50. Call 1-800-910-2237 as the media is no longer avaiable from the Acer online store. If outside US or Canada, contact Acer Support in your region.

    Jack E/NJ