Can't run steam games with my dedicated graphics card, it always switches to my integrated

[Basement Baloney]

All drivers (intel etc) are up to date on my laptop. I've tried the 'windows graphic settings' in which you select which gpu to use for the program. Also tried the "NVIDIA control panel" route. None of them work. Steam always makes the game start on my integrated graphics card instead. Is there a way to force steam to start on the dedicated graphics card?

update: it was a problem with the dedicated graphics card not working with my hdd so had to store the game on ssd instead. reinstalled game on ssd and now it starts on the right graphics card.

[MadBone12]

Are you trying to run the Steam client or the games through your dedicated GPU? Steam doesn't need to use your NVIDIA card. Your games do and usually automatically default to the high performance graphics. When using the Nvidia control panel, are you checking the game exe. or are you just trying to add Steam (which is both unnecessary and ineffective at making your games run on the graphics card)?

[Basement Baloney]

Im trying to run the games through my dedicated GPU. I use the game.exe in nvidea control panel, but to no avail..

[MadBone12]

How do you know your Nvidia card is not being used? When you try to add a game exe the second time, has it defaulted to the integrated graphics or is there some other reason you think the card is not being used? Are you running on battery or plugged in? Some laptop power settings default to the integrated graphics when you are on battery. Is your card updated with the latest drivers?

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Basement Booner:

Im trying to run the games through my dedicated GPU. I use the game.exe in nvidea control panel, but to no avail..

Have you thoroughly checked your Windows settings to see that it's not defaulting to your integrated card and overriding all of this?

Because it should be that you just click them in steam and no other thing is necessary.

Windows settings (especially under 10 and later) can be a right pain.

[Basement Baloney]

In task manager, i can see what gpu card the game is running on, and it definitely isnt the dedicated one.

I'm plugged in every time I play games and the performance setting is on 'best performance' over 'best battery life'

Yeap I've checked my card drivers and everything is updated. I checked before making this thread.

[MadBone12]

Then I would check the Windows settings as crunchyfrog suggests. The NVIDIA panel should override Windows settings but the display and system settings in Windows might be taking precedence. This link shows where to look in Windows settings: https://www.windowsdigitals.com/force-chrome-firefox-game-to-use-nvidia-gpu-integrated-graphics/

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Basement Booner:

Have you thoroughly checked your Windows settings to see that it's not defaulting to your integrated card and overriding all of this?

Because it should be that you just click them in steam and no other thing is necessary.

Windows settings (especially under 10 and later) can be a right pain. [/quote]

What other windows settings would you recommend i check? [/quote]
Any and all frankly. Anything that could apply.

Frankly Windows 10 and onwards seems to be a bit weird from my experience. I've had a few things, like audio settings for me, that get weirdly overwritten.

So I'd suggest going through with a fine tooth comb anything that could affect graphics card settings in any way.

[Basement Baloney]

Originally posted by MadBone12:

Then I would check the Windows settings as crunchyfrog suggests. The NVIDIA panel should override Windows settings but the display and system settings in Windows might be taking precedence. This link shows where to look in Windows settings: https://www.windowsdigitals.com/force-chrome-firefox-game-to-use-nvidia-gpu-integrated-graphics/

Those windows settings are what I've tried before. If i start the game up from the exe that's been added, it will start on the dedicated GPU but have no connection to steam. And if I start the game up from steam after, it reverts back to the integrated.

[kwag_myers]

I'm having a similar issue where Steam says my AMD Radeon RX470 drivers are too old and must be +17.7.2. I'm running 24.3.1. When I first boot the game, I get a dialog about it not shutting down correctly and if I want to run in Safe Mode. It doesn't seem to matter which way I go, I still get the error. It ran fine before I upgraded my PC (specifically to run WW II Multiplayer). Now that my system meets the minimum requirements, I can't run it.

MB - ASUS Prime B550-PLUS AMD AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX
Video - SOYO AMD Radeon RX470
Operating System - Windows 10 Home 22H2 64-bit
CPU - AMD Ryzen 3 1200
RAM - 128 GB
DirectX 12

At one point, I got a crash report. But there's several files and I'm not sure which on to post that would offer any help. Please advise.

[Steven]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.