Acer Nitro 16 GPU Switching Issue (Radeon + RTX 4060)

Hello everyone,

I know this has been asked before, but I just want to check if there’s another solution out there.

On my new Acer Nitro 16, I have both an integrated Radeon GPU and an RTX 4060. The issue I’m facing is that some games requiring GPU switching cause the screen to freeze and then go black.

I’ve already found two possible fixes:

Using the driver provided on Acer’s website — but those are quite outdated (for example, the NVIDIA driver is from 2023), and I don’t want to miss out on performance improvements and features from newer drivers.
Forcing the system to only use the NVIDIA GPU — this works fine when plugged in, but since I use the laptop for studying during the day and gaming at night, it’s not ideal for battery life.

If anyone has a better workaround or solution, I’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks in advance!

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GAMING6698

Use DDU as explained in Step 1 of the guide below to uninstall drivers, then install the NVIDIA driver version 577, which is recommended for newer features and performance.

Windows 10/11 optimization guide for gaming — Acer Community

For gaming, open the NVIDIA app or control panel, select the game's .exe file, and set the preferred graphics processor to the high-performance NVIDIA GPU. This way, the NVIDIA GPU will be used for gaming, and when you exit the game and do regular work, the integrated GPU (iGPU) will be used automatically.

Tip: A gaming laptop should be used plugged in most of the time to save battery cycles. I personally do a battery calibration by using the laptop on battery power from 100% down to 5%, then recharging it back to 100%. After that, I use it normally for the next three months before repeating the process.

During emergencies or travel, it is perfectly fine to use the laptop on battery as needed. This balanced approach helps prolong battery health while ensuring reliable battery status reporting.

Axxo

To address Acer Nitro 16 GPU switching issues, update your NVIDIA and AMD drivers, and ensure your system is not overheating. You may also resolve the problem by adjusting settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel, using Acer Nitro Sense, reinstalling drivers with Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), or even uninstalling Nitro Sense if it is causing conflicts.

1. Update and Reinstall Drivers
Update: Visit Acer's support website for your Nitro 16 model (AN16-41 or AN16-42) and download the latest drivers for both NVIDIA and AMD.
Reinstall with DDU: If updating doesn't work, use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to perform a clean uninstall of your graphics drivers before installing the new versions.
Chipset and BIOS: Also, ensure your laptop's chipset drivers and BIOS are up to date.
2. Check for Overheating
Monitor Temperatures:
Use a monitoring tool to check your CPU and GPU temperatures while gaming or switching between graphics.
Improve Ventilation:
Make sure the laptop is on a hard surface and that the vents are not blocked. Consider using a laptop cooling pad if overheating is an issue.
3. Adjust Graphics Settings
NVIDIA Control Panel:
Set the default graphics processor for applications to your high-performance NVIDIA card.
Acer Nitro Sense:
In the Nitro Sense application, make sure the graphics card mode is set to "NVIDIA" or "Dedicated".
Disable Integrated Graphics (Use with caution):
Some users have found success by disabling the integrated graphics card via Device Manager, but this is more of a workaround than a solution.
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