Idea for better Switchable Graphics

[comptiger5000]

On the W500, being a workstation class notebook, there should be a third graphics mode. This would activate both cards simultaneously, allowing 2 external monitors and the laptop monitor to be used. For example, the dedicated graphics could drive the laptop LCD and the DisplayPort output, while the integrated drives the VGA output.

Is this a practical thing for Lenovo to implement, or no?

[awolfe63]

I don't believe that the current version of Vista allows 2 different graphics drivers to be present at the same time.

[comptiger5000]

True. But they could presumably write a single driver that works with both cards simultaneously.

[awolfe63]

Not really. Drivers are so complex that companies like Lenovo can't really work on them. Intel, Nvidia, and ATI do the drivers using huge teams of specialists.

[comptiger5000]

True. But being partnered for an ATI/Intel graphics solution, ATI could likely write drivers to do it. Either way, it might be possible under XP/2003. I'll set my BIOS to switchable (should show both cards to windows) and see what happens.

[comptiger5000]

Well, to report back with the results:

It doesn't work. The integrated graphics works and drives the screen, but the dedicated card gives a Code 10 "The Device Cannot Start" in device manager. So it seems this is out of the question for this generation of machines, as they can't run both cards simultaneously (unsure whether it's a bios or chipset limitation).

[dr_st]

Not really. Drivers are so complex that companies like Lenovo can't really work on them. Intel, Nvidia, and ATI do the drivers using huge teams of specialists.

And there's also Angel Trinidad who single handedly tweaks them later, producing the Omega drivers.

[Marin85]

And there's also Angel Trinidad who single handedly tweaks them later, producing the Omega drivers.

Good point! I´m really curious as to how far this guy (or group?) [can] really modify the ATI drivers...

[awolfe63]

Not really. Drivers are so complex that companies like Lenovo can't really work on them. Intel, Nvidia, and ATI do the drivers using huge teams of specialists.

And there's also Angel Trinidad who single handedly tweaks them later, producing the Omega drivers.

There's a huge difference between what Mr. Trinidad does (which is most impressive - but primarily involves changing parameters and registry settings) and writing a driver. The actual initialization and rendering code is extraordinarily complex and involves a huge number of unpublished trade secrets. It's kind of like saying "let's clone Windows for a new CPU." Sure, it's hypothetically possible, but not really practical, even for a Dell or Lenovo.

[comptiger5000]

However, if they have access to the driver source for both the ATI and Intel cards, they could probably build a driver to support both.