In which XMG laptops can NVIDIA Optimus be disabled?

Disabling NVIDIA Optimus

Disabling NVIDIA Optimus will require the laptop to consume more energy in idle because the dedicated graphics card can no longer turn itself off. The advantage on the other hand is slightly increased FPS values in gaming, especially at low resolutions (1080p) and reduced quality settings. This review from early 2020 (Jarrod's Tech on Youtube) gives some good examples of this.

Whether NVIDIA Optimus can be deactivated can be found in the data sheet of the respective laptop. There is then, for example, the following note in the graphics card area:

  • iGPU with NVIDIA Optimus or dGPU (via MUX switch)

or, alternatively:

  • iGPU with NVIDIA Optimus or dGPU (via Advanced Optimus/MUX switch)

In both cases, NVIDIA Optimus can be disabled – in the first case, a restart is required, while in the second case, the switch can be done without rebooting.

Bypassing NVIDIA Optimus by using an external monitor

NVIDIA Optimus can also be bypassed by using an external monitor, provided the external connection is directly wired to the dedicated graphics card. This can apply to HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, and Thunderbolt, but the specific implementation varies by model. The laptop's data sheet will indicate which port is connected to the dGPU.

If an external display connection (e.g. Thunderbolt) is hardwired to the iGPU, NVIDIA Optimus also applies to the external display. This means that the NVIDIA graphics card can be used to render 3D content, even if its images are then output via the iGPU on the external monitor.

Advanced Optimus: MUX switch without reboot

Some models feature NVIDIA Advanced Optimus (with an emphasis on "Advanced"). Like traditional MUX switches, this allows you to disable Optimus, but with the added benefit of switching between iGPU and dGPU display connections without requiring a reboot.

  • With an increasing number of supported games, the NVIDIA driver will automatically switch the MUX when launching a game. The laptop display will then be directly connected to the NVIDIA GPU, bypassing the iGPU entirely.
  • When the game is closed, the NVIDIA driver automatically switches back to traditional NVIDIA Optimus, where the iGPU handles image output again. At this point, the NVIDIA GPU can power down if it is no longer needed by other applications.

During the switching process, the screen briefly freezes for 1–2 seconds. The NVIDIA driver will then display a status message confirming the switch.

Alternatively, this switch can be performed manually via the NVIDIA Control Panel (see screenshot), and no restart is required.

Note: This description only applies to models where "NVIDIA Advanced Optimus" is explicitly mentioned in the data sheet. Additionally, Advanced Optimus only applies to the laptop's built-in display, not external monitors. While MUX switches for external display connections are technically possible, they are very uncommon due to additional engineering complexity and space requirements.