Gfxcardstatus 2.3 complains it can't switch to internal graphics because there is an external display connected (not true), 2.2.1 just doesn't work. I am on Yosemite 10.10.1 I also have FileVault enabled, so I am seeing the broken discrete graphics right from the start when I am prompted for my password, long before any driver from hard dis can.
gfxCardStatus, a tool initially designed to display which graphics subsystem is active in MacBook Pro (Mid-2010) models via ”i” and “n” icons that signify Intel HD Graphics, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics, respectively, has now been updated to allow on-the-fly switching between the cards. It also is a menubar app for OS X helping MacBook Pro users to see which apps are impacting their battery life by using the more power-hungry graphics.
With SwitchResX it is totally easy to match your screen resolution to the best for any app or use. While taking the benefits from full Retina for graphics or movie cutting, automatically change to HD-TV resolution when starting DVD Player or the usual beamer resolution when opening Powerpoint. Uncheck the box that says “Automatic graphic switching” Restart your computer and see if MacBook screen flashing stopped. Run maintenance scripts. MacOS Maintenance Scripts is a tool that fixes various system glitches and inconsistencies. After you run this service, your Mac should run a bit smoother.
Contents
- 1 For Graphics Switching
- 2 Requirements
App Features
- Growl or Notification Center notifications when the GPU changes
- The Dependencies list: open the gfxCardStatus menu when your discrete GPU is active to see what is turning it on
- Manually switch to Integrated Only or Discrete Only mode to force one GPU on or the other
For Graphics Switching
MacBook Pro (Mid-2010), Core i5 or Corei7, 15″ and 17″ models automatically switch between integrated Intel (lower power) and NVIDIA (higher power) graphics. Unfortunately, although there is a built-in option to keep the higher-power NVIDIA card on at all times, there is no option to keep it off at all times. This has resulted in significant reduction of battery life for some users, whose MacBook Pros engage the higher-power-usage NVIDIA graphics during seemingly non-GPU-intensive applications.
graphics switching modes: three modes of operation
- Dynamic Switching: An alias for the built-in automatic graphics switching feature in OS X
- Integrated Only: Forces the more battery-friendly graphics on and disallows automatic switching
- Discrete Only: Forces the more power-hungry graphics on and disallows automatic switching
gfxCardStatus solves this problem by allowing the user to switch between graphics subsystems at will. However, the developer notes that the switching functionality may “cause a few minor temporary issues.”
Requirements
- OS X Lion (10.7) or newer
- 2008-2012, 15-17″ dual-GPU MacBook Pro
Adobe cs5 serial mac download. App Menu bar icon descriptions Driver navigator license key generator free download.
Mac App Switching Graphics Apps
- i — you’re using the integrated GPU
- d — you’re using the higher-powered discreteGPU
You cannot use external displays (including projectors) while using gfxCardStatus in Integrated Only mode. To use a display, stay on Dynamic Switching.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
Related Posts:
gSwitch lets you set which graphics card your macbook pro can use, mainly to prevent it from using the discrete graphics card when it is simply unnecessary. Why would you want to do that you ask? Well the discrete graphics card uses significantly more power than the integrated one, which can ruin your battery life. There are also problems on some macbooks with glitchy and buggy graphics card drivers that apple still hasn’t fixed!
gSwitch is and always will be free. However, if you want to thank me I will gladly take a donation :)
Install
With Zip
Download the most recent release (click download .zip).
Then after unzipping move the gSwitch.app file to your applications folder.
With Brew
From Source
And then in the project folder bootstrap the frameworks:
And then build in xcode
Usage
The app is simple to control with integrated only, discrete only, and dynamic switching in the menu.
You can also enable notifications for when your gpu changes (off by default)
You can also launch it from the terminal and set the desired setting using
--integrated
, --discrete
, and --dynamic
.FAQ
Why won’t the app start?
You probably need to allow the application to run in Settings -> Security & Privacy
How do I know which gpu is active? Torch browser for mac sierra.
The gear will have a dot in the middle when the discrete gpu is active. Otherwise, it will just look like a gear. The current gpu is also reported in the menu.
Why does the app go back to dynamic switching when a display is plugged in?
Unfortunately your mac is designed such that in order to use an external display, it has to use the discrete graphics card. And since you plugged in the cable I’m assuming you want to use the display.
What is a dependent process vs a hungry process?
A dependent process is one that is currently using your discrete gpu. A hungry process is one that wants to use the discrete gpu but is not allowed because you have set integrated only. If you change to dynamic switching or discrete only any process that was hungry will become dependent. You can force integrated only when you have dependent processes but it might crash those processes. You cannot force integrated only if you have an external display plugged in.
Mac App Switching Graphics App
How do I disable my discrete GPU?
You can’t, your macbook was designed to use both, but gSwitch can trick it into using the integrated one most of the time. However gSwitch cannot prevent your discrete gpu from being accessed by the operating system, and it will be accessed for a short period of time when a process requests the use of it. gSwitch just switches back to the integrated one as fast as it can.
Ok I lied you technically can but I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT. This could potentially brick your computer https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/166876/macbook-pro-how-to-disable-discrete-gpu-permanently-from-efi/285896#285896
Legacy
At this time it seems like gSwitch will not work on macbooks older than 2011. It appears that apple has removed the necessary API’s from these macbooks on the modern macOS. However there could be other API’s that could work, I just can’t find any. GPU control with apple is mostly guess work since there isn’t any documentation, so, If anyone finds anything let me know here!
Mac Graphics Software
![Design Design](https://kb.parallels.com/Attachments/kcs-36605/Screen Shot 2020-06-02 at 17.59.57_2.png)
Notes
Requires macOS >= 10.12