Enabling nvidia dGPU in a laptop with Intel CPU and GPU

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Solved by

Mar 19, 2021 19:34

After many trials, it looks like finaly Windows 10 enabled PD to use, on my older laptop, the nvida GTX950M instead of the Intel GPU (HD530). This might be useful to others.

Firstly, the graphic settings for GPU affinity are now managed by Windows, not by nvidia. By default, for PD, it chooses the power saving Intel GPU. So I have tried to add the PD executable to the list. Didn't work, I have added the GPU Utility Checker. No luck. Then, while running the "Optimization" feature in PD, I snooped to see what exe is used. I noticed the "Rafiki Agent" being called, so I have added that to the list too.
That was the winning ticket! Add all three of them like in my picture and you'll be good to go.
Now the redering on the test laptop is done with nvidia hardware encoder, not intel one.

More, contrary of everything I saw on my desktop, it looks like Cyberlink switched back to using the CUDA cores for h264 encoding for gaming laptop situation!!! That's a great step ahead, but their instructions how to use it are lacking.
As a note, I don't have hardware h265 encoding available in PD on this laptop with nvidia switched on.
Since my GTX950M is a GM107 based card, it has NVENC capable of h265.
So I think this is a limitation of Cyberlink's CUDA encoding software.
As a comparation, the Intel HD530 was capable of hardware encoding in h265, by using the 3D cores inside that GPU.

Windows settings

This was the usage during PD "Optimize":
Results

Now I have nvidia GPU encoding (h264, 4K), using the CUDA cores.

Usage

Former setting, with Intel doing the hardware encoding (h265, 4K here), using it's 3D cores. Half slower than nvidia, but at least can do h265):

Intel encoding


Filename	nvidia.JPG	Download
Description
Filesize	195 Kbytes
Downloaded:	5 time(s)


Filename	windows settings.JPG	Download
Description
Filesize	72 Kbytes
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This message was edited 9 times. Last update was at Mar 20. 2021 15:20

iplocker

Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2021 16:20 Messages: 11 Offline

Mar 20, 2021 14:07

Hello.

Thank you for this useful post !

I m trying to produce a 4k Video from a GoPro with profile Best Matched which select the HEVC (H.265) format .

So I m trying based on your guide , activate the GPU from NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6

1. I am selecting in the graphic center the Rafiki Agent you found : https://prnt.sc/10r118w
2. I m optimize and I see INDEED GPU is running : https://prnt.sc/10r12xu
3. Settings of the pre-production : https://prnt.sc/10r14a7
4. Unfortunately the GPU is not running: https://prnt.sc/10r14y6

So I cant make PD work with my GPU , any advise is appreciated.

Thanks


Filename	3.png	Download
Description	Settings of Procude
Filesize	1594 Kbytes
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Filename	1.png	Download
Description	Enable GPU for Graphic Center
Filesize	148 Kbytes
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Filename	2.png	Download
Description	Optimize indeed activate GPU
Filesize	1786 Kbytes
Downloaded:	5 time(s)

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 20. 2021 15:57

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 20, 2021 15:16

You need all 3 of those programs in my first picture to be selected on "High Performance". You are missing the "GPU Utility Checker".

On my desktop, this is not an issue, because I have only a dGPU.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at Mar 20. 2021 15:22

iplocker

Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2021 16:20 Messages: 11 Offline

Mar 20, 2021 15:56

Hello.

Thanks for that ! Indeed choosing and this I see now in the settings Hardware Video Encoder: https://prnt.sc/10r3mov

So I choose once again Best Matched Format at the profile !

So it produce 2 min 4k Video of GoPro of 837 Mb in 2 min !!!! : https://prnt.sc/10r3pld

But there is one issue, the export file is 482 Mb instead of 851 Mb doing it with Intel Quick Sync Video , compare the 2 export files : https://prnt.sc/10r3yiu

That means its making a compress or what?

Thanks

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Mar 20. 2021 16:21

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 20, 2021 18:55

Quote
That means its making a compress or what?

Yep, look into the file you provided at the video data rate.

You can adjust it from the "Autodetected". A good way to check the original file, right click on it inside PD and select "View Properties".

iplocker

Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2021 16:20 Messages: 11 Offline

Mar 21, 2021 04:19

Hello.

I m sorry I dont find the Autodetected you re saying.

I have produce another video 116MB and the produced video its 118 Mb , comparing the files: https://prnt.sc/10rgnam

Why the data rate is different , I have choose Best Matched profile , is that compromise the quality of the video ?

Thanks

iplocker

Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2021 16:20 Messages: 11 Offline

Mar 21, 2021 05:16

Hello.

I m sorry I dont find the Autodetected you re saying.

I have produce another video 116MB and the produced video its 118 Mb , comparing the files: https://prnt.sc/10rgnam

Why the data rate is different , I have choose Best Matched profile , is that compromise the quality of the video ?

Thanks

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 21, 2021 07:42

Quote Hello.

I m sorry I dont find the Autodetected you re saying.

I have produce another video 116MB and the produced video its 118 Mb , comparing the files: https://prnt.sc/10rgnam

Why the data rate is different , I have choose Best Matched profile , is that compromise the quality of the video ?

Thanks

Sorry I called "Best Matched"... "Autodetected". Best Matched doesn't mean "identical".

Try to edit that profile manually (custom profile), with the same video and audio settings, if you think that quality suffered.
I doubt you can see a difference though, not at that video data rate. Do a capture of two pause screens, zoom at 100%, and see if they look different.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Mar 21. 2021 07:47

iplocker

Newbie Joined: Mar 17, 2021 16:20 Messages: 11 Offline

Mar 21, 2021 13:27

Hello.

Thanks for that .

I think the Best Matched feature is a little bit buggy as its not match completely the source video (at the bitrate spec) , the Intelligent SVRT is more accurate !

So someone who wants exactly the same output video it has to check the details of the profile to be exactly the same with the source one as I understand .

Thanks

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Mar 24, 2021 20:03

Quote Hello.

Thank you for this useful post !

I m trying to produce a 4k Video from a GoPro with profile Best Matched which select the HEVC (H.265) format .

So I m trying based on your guide , activate the GPU from NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6

1. I am selecting in the graphic center the Rafiki Agent you found : https://prnt.sc/10r118w
2. I m optimize and I see INDEED GPU is running : https://prnt.sc/10r12xu
3. Settings of the pre-production : https://prnt.sc/10r14a7
4. Unfortunately the GPU is not running: https://prnt.sc/10r14y6

So I cant make PD work with my GPU , any advise is appreciated.

Thanks

From your 3.png file you attached, looks to me like you are not running the latest patch (perpetual) or CAM update (subscription) as CL added a dropdown encode option which you don't have as shown in the attached pic. You don't need to mess with any files as was done. It has some issues but may suite your needs for a laptop. It was marketed as "GPU Switching" in Jan release.

Jeff


Filename	PD19_Encoder_Options.png	Download
Description
Filesize	60 Kbytes
Downloaded:	7 time(s)

SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 25, 2021 15:28

It was just a quick test on a laptop with nvidia dGPU that I have around. Not my main editing machine... and on workstation I don't have that option.

That's for traveling - I can play video games on my home PC and stream them on that laptop via Moonlight or Steam.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Mar 25. 2021 15:32

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Mar 25, 2021 19:36

Quote It was just a quick test on a laptop with nvidia dGPU that I have around. Not my main editing machine... and on workstation I don't have that option.

That's for traveling - I can play video games on my home PC and stream them on that laptop via Moonlight or Steam.

I simply brought home a compatible laptop for testing too for a quick test, my point was, the 3.png pic that iplocker showed lack the drop down box, hence my conclusion more than likely not the most recent PD19 release running on the laptop.

You should have the same drop down option on your workstation, at least I do with the most recent release of PD19, it's just the drop down will only have Nvidia NVENC vs the additional Intel Quick Sync Video option.

Jeff

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Mar 25, 2021 22:42

When I set out asking for more clarification from PDM on CL "GPU Switching" implementation, results provided were rather slim, https://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/84577.page#post_box_349656 . Even though CL/PDM response was mainly a laptop feature, I did highlight in that post the current feature implementation has an effect on non hybrid systems too.

It has an effect in say a workstation configuration with a Nvidia RTX2070 and GTX1070 as well as say an AMD RX 5700 and Nvidia RTX2070 platform as shown in the attached screen. For this type of setup one can successfully encode with VCE (AMD) or NVENC (Nvidia) and see proper GPU loading for relevant settings. It does not function 100% as I'd envision it should, but then, no guidance on how it should function either.

So it is very much a workstation item too under some hardware configurations. I have no HDMI switches, no multiple cables, or any other switching type features for which some of us used previously to circumvent PD limited GPU select functionality.

Jeff


Filename	PD19_VCE_NVENC.png	Download
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Filesize	92 Kbytes
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SoNic67

Senior Contributor Joined: Sep 27, 2014 14:14 Messages: 1308 Offline

Mar 26, 2021 07:40

Jeff, thanks! I didn't had updated my PD in a while.
As a side note, I never click on the "Download" links, because that, on my browser, requires saving somwhere on the disc. Hate that.

I recommend that, after attaching a picture in the post, and saving the post, you can right click on that post pic, and copy it's link.
After that you can edit the post and insert the picture in the post using the tool in the top row, paste the link in the "Source". Like this:

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at Mar 26. 2021 07:42