Home / ubuntu / Questions / 412452
In Process
user158656
Asked: 2014-01-29 22:47:31 +0800 CST

Getting hybrid graphics to work nvidia-prime GT650M

  • 772

I recently made the switch to Ubuntu. Everything on my laptop works fine except my hybrid graphics card. It is Intel graphics combined with Nvidia GeForce GT650M. I tried Bumblebee, but primusrun doesn't work (segmentation fault, core dumped) and optirun works with glxspheres64, but steam games look worse with optirun than with Intel graphics (e.g. Surgeon Simulator 2013 runs fine with Intel and hangs a lot with optirun)

I tried Nvidia Prime, but it gives me a black screen on startup after install, so I can't do anything and have to power off my PC with the power button. I also tried nvidia-prime 0.5 on Ubuntu 14.04, and then I get 'low-graphics mode' and I can't get to Unity.

nvidia-prime

1 Answers

  1. I have had problems with bumblebee since 13.10. What works for me now is nvidia-prime. This allows you to choose which graphics driver you want to use in the nvidia control panel. This only works with lightdm (unity). I'm using this myself on Ubuntu 14.04

    How to install

    1. Use nvidia driver

    Open the dash (super/windows key) and type in "drivers". Open "Aditional drivers" Select the nvidia binary (331.xx) driver.

    nvidia driver

    Click "apply changes". Wait for the driver to be downloaded and installed, and click close.

    2. Remove bumblebee and install prime

    Open the shell by pressing ctrl-alt-t.

    First let's make sure we have the latest software catalog.

    sudo apt-get update

    Now remove everything bumblebee related.

    sudo apt-get purge bumblebee*

    Then install prime.

    sudo apt-get install nvidia-prime

    Now restart your computer.

    How to use prime

    After your computer has restarted, open the dash and type "nvidia". Open "Nvidia x-server settings".

    choose between Intel and nvidia

    Here you can choose between the intel and nvidia graphics driver. Choose the intel one for maximum power saving, choose the nvidia one for maximum performance.

    After changing graphics card, you'll have to logout and log back in to apply the changes.

    Difference between nvidia-prime and bumblebee

    The current version of nvidia-prime uses one graphics card for the complete desktop. You either login with nvidia or intel. With bumblebee, you can start individual programs with a specific graphics card, like it is the case on windows.

    Sadly, I can't get bumblebee to work on ubuntu 13.10 or higher...

    source:

    10 things to do after installing ubuntu 14.04

    • 19