[VIVE] Vive Not working : Suspect wrong Graphics card

[Finn]

I installed the HTC Vive. the process has been painful at best, and makes me wonder how the average consumer is supposed to get VR tech to work and have a dependable game market when tech people have trouble getting it working... but that's besides the point.

I realized that my display and my Vive are both using my integrated Intel 530 graphics, which is **** and i suspect the reason the Vive is not found (although I cannot be sure).

I have switched some software like Steam, Maya and Unreal to use my Nvidia GTX 970M card, which should give me enough performance for what I need to do. However, I cannot figure out how to

1 ) Get my Displays to JUST use my Nvidia as a default.

2 ) I can't just choose SteamVR like I can other software and set the preferred GPU to my Nvidia instead of the integrated graphics.

I'm so surprised this is actually an issue, you pay extra money for these cards and then they are NOT automatically used as the graphics card? How does that work?

Does anyone have an idea on this? This is just my hunch about what I can do to get around this issue. I'm not even sure this will solve the problem that i'm having.

-thanks

[jwatte]

The VIVE doesn't work with "optimus" graphics solutions, which is typically what you find in laptops with "M" graphics chips.
The reason is that the vsync comes out of the Intel Integrated framebuffer, whereas the 3D rendering itself comes out of the NVIDIA chip, and then gets transferred to the framebuffer with DMA.
Also, this additional transfer adds latency to the equation, so if you got it to work, it wouldn't be responsive enough for immersive VR.
I have a Razer Blade 2014 laptop, which has the same graphics setup, and when I used the Rift DK, it kind-of worked, but with slowness; later solutions don't work at all.
I use a desktop computer for VR development and play.

If you don't have a desktop available, perhaps the next best thing for you would be one of these (for Alienware) or this (requires hacking and mainly for macbooks) or this (whenever and if-ever it ships)? (Assuming you have modern enough ports on your laptop.)

And regarding installing VR for consumers: Hell, yeah, this is early, bleeding-edge time for the field!
When step 2 of the install instructions are "get out a power drill and punch holes in your living room wall," you know it's not a mainstream thing yet!
That's why I think that most developers actually have plenty of time to ease themselves into VR -- it has many years of learning and adoption ahead of it.

[Finn]

This is not good news, but i'm going to keep trying to find a solution. I have an older desktop Mac system. I don't think my vive will work there either, but can always try. This sort of ****** me off that I paid good money for a good graphics card that just doesn't get tapped the way it should, and that Vive and Occulus do not detect the various configurations out there and figure this out on their own.

Now i've spent lots of money on a Vive that is just sitting here... and btw, I used a **** laptop for Occulus Dev Kit 1, and it doesn't work on my new system which is a pretty high end game laptop.

argh... makes me insane. thanks for responding and commiserating. if i find a solution i'll post it.

[kurylo3d]

That being said my laptop works just fine with my 980 m... scratch that ... i needed an adapter on my to make it use mini digital display port... That being said My laptop does not use optimus.. i had an alienware with optimus.. got a refund quick and instead ordered a laptop off newegg... cheaper and way better.. and no optimus. VR works

But yea typically mobile is not supported for VR yet. Desktop cards are the requirements that are supported.