Hitching when switching from iGPU to 7700

Framework Laptop 16
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I just got my 16 in today and was playing around to see what it can do.

I get a freeze/hitch when going from stuff running on the iGPU(APU) to GPU and again when the program is closed. I setup the AMD software that was included in the driver bundle and get a popup about switching from APU<->GPU when it happens.

The screen brightness also changes when it swaps from APU to GPU.

I have the driver bundle installed, made sure that Windows was as updated.

Has anyone else seen this issue?

If so have you been able to fix it?

Is there anyone running Linux that has the 7700, does it happen with Linux as well?

I did email support about this to see what they come back with.

At the moment it seems like its a software issue/AMD thing?

My quick and dirty “solution” for now is to leave a copy of FurMark open and minimized as it seems force windows into leaving the 7700 active.

Yes this would kill battery but I do not care about battery life when I am I running a GPU task/have wall power.

1 Like
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This can’t happen on Linux, because switching MUX is possible only on Windows.

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Thank you for the insight on that, some good info.

Update on possible cause and has anyone else seem this behavior?

I switched the following setting in the AMD software and it seems to have minimized the issue.

Launch AMD Software: Adrenaline → Gaming > Graphics > AMD SmartAcess > Switch from AMD SmartAccess to Hybrid Mode.

You lose a bit of battery saves but it seems to allow the system to run much smoother when switching from the APU to GPU.

I have an active support request in about this issue as I want to make sure that this is software and not a sign/symptom of hardware issues.

AMD
AMD1745Ă—1032 130 KB

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I don’t think it’s a hardware issue. As I mentioned in the linked topic, the MUX cannot be controlled manually, for example, in the BIOS. The only way to take advantage of the MUX is to use AMD Smart Access Graphics, which is a technology that automatically switches the MUX to the dGPU when you are gaming. And this switching between graphics cards probably takes some time, causing the freeze. By using the hybrid mode, you lose all the benefits of the MUX because the laptop acts as MUXless. MUXless “switching,” aka hybrid mode, works by the dGPU not being directly connected to the monitor but sending the resulting data to the monitor through the iGPU. This can impact performance. So unless you are experiencing other more serious problems, I would recommend keeping using the Smart Access Graphics.

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This was in the sixth shipping update email:

Display frozen after smart MUX switching - We’ve seen instances where after closing a graphics-heavy application, the display will freeze as the display switches from the discrete GPU to integrated graphics on the APU. AMD has root caused this issue, and is preparing a driver update that resolves it. We believe there are reviewers who have also seen this issue, potentially including The Verge. Once AMD provides us the driver, we’ll package it up as part of a Driver Bundle.

2 Likes
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I must have missed that update email, thanks!

I think ill stick with the leaving the system in dynamic mode as do not see a big enough loss in performance vs utilizing AMD Smart Access.

I chance tasks enough that the roughly 2 to 3 sec freeze going to and from a task will effect my daily use.

Hopefully support gets back to me about this and/or can provide a window for possible driver update to see if it minimizes or fixes this issue.