T480s external monitor HDMI output NVIDIA issue

[mrwu]

Hi all,

linux noob here.

I'm running Pop OS 20/04 on myT480s and it's been great.. until I needed to use an external monitor.
when plugged in through the HDMI output, xrandr detects that it is connected but monitor itself doesn't display anything.

I've been doing some digging around on other forums and I've discovered that the T480s has integrated graphics that are not switchable (at least in Pop OS)
and that the HDMI and thunderbolt output are wired the the nvidia gpu.

Is anyone able to provide some steps to enable the nvidia gpu as the default graphics driver? I'm not sure how to go about it.
At this point, I'm prepared to move to other linux distro in order to use my second monitor if that's what it will take.

Thanks in advance!

[atagunov]

No experience with T480s but is there anything to switch in BIOS?.. Anything with the word "Optimus" for example?

[mrwu]

Hi atagunov,

unfortunately in BIOS the only options I have under display are:

- Boot Display Device (LCD thinkpad, HDMI, TB)
- Share Display Priority
- Total Graphics Memory
- Boot Time Extension

No Optimus or anything similar...

[dr_st]

I've been doing some digging around on other forums and I've discovered that the T480s has integrated graphics that are not switchable (at least in Pop OS)
and that the HDMI and thunderbolt output are wired the the nvidia gpu.

I have doubts about the truthiness of that statement; as far as I know this has not been the case in recent generations of Thinkpads.