AutoCAD uses the wrong graphics card

Autodesk Support

Dec 6, 2023

Products and versions covered

Issue:

On a system with dual graphics cards where one is an integrated on-board unit (commonly Intel HD Graphics) and the other is a discrete NVIDIA or AMD graphics card, AutoCAD utilizes the low-end video instead of the high-end display adapter. This is usually seen on laptop systems. In some instances when using an external monitor, the wrong graphics card is used when the monitor is plugged in or it reverts AutoCAD to the on-board video when unplugged.

Causes:

The technology for the dual video configuration is called "Optimus" by NVIDIA and "Enduro" or "Dynamic Switchable Graphics" by AMD. This design allows the system to automatically switch between high and low performance display in order to use less battery power. The problem occurs when the switching software chooses the graphics card for AutoCAD, having it always used the low-end display.
With an external monitor, the video port it is connected to may only route through the low-end display adapter. It may also route through a docking station or other such connection which can diverge from using the high-end graphics in the system, forcing AutoCAD to not be able to utilize it (since it is effectively unavailable by the system at that point).

Solution:

Do one or more of the following:

Install the latest update for AutoCAD (see Install Updates, Add-ons, and Enhancements).
Install the latest graphics driver (see How to update to the latest certified video driver).
Manually set the high-end video for AutoCAD to use (see How to configure Autodesk software to use high performance graphics).
Check monitor cabling to make sure it is connected to the discrete graphics card and not the onboard card. Tip: In Windows 10, right-click the desktop, choose Display Settings, and then Advanced Display Settings. This will show what adapter the monitor(s) is connected to.

Note: The following solutions do not pertain Autodesk software and may cause system instability if improperly implemented. As such, they should only be performed by a system administrator or IT representative.

In Control Panel > Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click on Intel HD Graphics and choose Disable.
On non-mobile systems, the video driver control panel might not have the option to choose the proper display adapter. In this case, uninstall the drivers for the unwanted graphic card and use a group policy to prevent Windows from re-installing the driver (Group Policy for Beginners).
Disable the integrated (or switchable) adapter in the computer BIOS to force the system to use only the high-end graphics. The BIOS setting may be labeled along the lines of default video, integrated video, Intel video, switchable graphics, Optimus, or Enduro.

Note: Some computer systems may use a primary/secondary video configuration. For example, Intel HD Graphics would be the primary GPU and the NVIDIA or AMD GPU would be secondary to it. All display signals go through the Intel chipset no matter what card is being used. The BIOS will not have a setting to disable dual graphics in this setup.