Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

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Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

Post by GoLinux »

Hello fellow Linux Minters,

long time user but not been on the forum much lately. About a week ago I dusted off an old Acer Aspire 17" laptop and installed Mint 20.2 Cinnamon, dual booting with the original Win7 install.

Besides a few minor issues with brightness control (easily fixed with a bit of googling around and command line work), all is in working order.

Where I got stumped is with trying to get the laptop to use the AMD HD7670M card instead of the integrated Intel one. The BIOS has only two options, "Integrated" and "Switchable", so from there I cannot force Mint to "see" only the AMD card.

My plan for the laptop is to use it for coding in Python. It is an old machine, but the big screen, full size keyboard and num pad makes it almost a desktop replacement. Performance is excellent with the integrated Intel card (not tried any gaming though), but it seems a shame to have a dedicated card with 1GB of video memory laying there unused :) I did my best to do my homework before posting, searching the forum, but:

- Found only two threads mentioning the HD7670 and the information there are not relevant to my case.
- I read all of the posts here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=248059&start=160, but most of them are about Mint 17 through 19 and with only sparse mention of switchable graphics. I am not familiar enough with the differences between Mint 20.2 and previous versions to be able to extrapolate anything useful.

See below for some system info related to the graphic cards.

lspci -k | grep -EA3 'VGA|Display'

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00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 09)
	Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
	Kernel driver in use: i915
	Kernel modules: i915
--
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series]
	Subsystem: Acer Incorporated [ALI] Radeon HD 7670M
	Kernel driver in use: radeon
	Kernel modules: radeon
inxi -G

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Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: intel resolution: 1600x900~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) v: 3.3 Mesa 21.0.3
spci -v | grep driver

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Kernel driver in use: pcieport
	Kernel driver in use: i915
	Kernel driver in use: mei_me
	Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
	Kernel driver in use: snd_hda_intel
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport
	Kernel driver in use: pcieport
	Kernel driver in use: ehci-pci
	Kernel driver in use: lpc_ich
	Kernel driver in use: ahci
	Kernel driver in use: i801_smbus
	Kernel driver in use: radeon
	Kernel driver in use: atl1c
	Kernel driver in use: ath9k
	Kernel driver in use: xhci_hcd
I also spent a considerable amount of time searching the internet. Found a couple of websites with suggestions that looked promising. I followed the instructions posted here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HybridGraphics

but vga_switcheroo seems to have no effect, when I run:

sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch

I get:

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0:DIS: :DynOff:0000:01:00.0
1:IGD:+:Pwr:0000:00:02.0
The darn AMD card does not want to turn on. I guess the laptop is a "muxless" one, lucky me...

Next, tried what indicated here:

https://wiki.debian.org/AtiHowTo#Hybrid_Graphics

no joy either, I suppose for the same reason the first attempt failed, the muxless hardware configuration. To add some potentially useful information, these are the outputs I get:

xrandr --listproviders

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Providers: number : 1
Provider 0: id: 0x47 cap: 0x9, Source Output, Sink Offload crtcs: 3 outputs: 5 associated providers: 0 name:Intel
xrandr --setprovideroffloadsink radeon Intel

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Could not find provider with name radeon
DRI_PRIME=1 glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

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string: Mesa DRI Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2)
Still stuck with the blessed Intel integrated "card".

Last but not least, this thread gave me some hope, as the poster was in a situation similar to mine and with the help of others was able to finally get the discrete AMD card to work:

https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 8&start=20

but even modifying grub as explained, I still can't get xrandr --listproviders to show both cards, so everything else becomes moot.

Any kind soul out there able to help? I apologise for the long post, I tried to anticipate as many questions as possible and to give a clear picture of my system and what Mint 20.2 sees.

I guess the chance that a forum member is using the very same laptop with Mint 20.2 is less than that of being hit by lightning, but I am sure that many of you are WAY better than me with Linux.

Thanks in advance for any guidance more experienced users will be able to provide.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
Mint 20.2 Cinnamon 64bit
Acer Aspire 7750G-6645, Intel i5-2450M, AMD Radeon HD7670M - 1GB

Mint 19.1Cinnamon 64bit
HP EliteBook 2540p, Intel i7-L640

Mint 18 Mate 64bit
Samsung NP300U1A-A01US, Intel i3-2357M
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Re: Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

Post by SMG »

GoLinux wrote: Tue Oct 26, 2021 11:32 pmAbout a week ago I dusted off an old Acer Aspire 17" laptop and installed Mint 20.2 Cinnamon, dual booting with the original Win7 install.

Besides a few minor issues with brightness control (easily fixed with a bit of googling around and command line work), all is in working order.
How did your computer end up with the intel display driver? I have a laptop with Intel 2nd gen graphics and the correct display driver is modesetting.

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel
Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series] driver: radeon v: kernel
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: intel resolution: 1600x900~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) v: 3.3 Mesa 21.0.3

Perhaps if you undo what you did to install that driver then DRI_PRIME=1 will work as described in this post.

Because I do not know if you might have "leftovers" from some of the trials you did in your attempts to get this to work, my suggestion would be to boot to a live session of Mint using your install usb/dvd and check the inxi -Gx to make sure modesetting is showing. Then try starting a program with DRI_PRIME=1 to see if it uses the Radeon card.
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Re: Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

Post by GoLinux »

SMG wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:21 pm How did your computer end up with the intel display driver? I have a laptop with Intel 2nd gen graphics and the correct display driver is modesetting.
Hey SMG, thanks for taking the time to read and reply to my post.

I just installed LM 20.2 from a UBS flash drive and from the beginning it defaulted to using the Intel integrated card with that driver. I did not install manually any driver, Intel or AMD.

My understanding from all the posts and write-ups that I have read is that for the switch to the AMD card to work, it has first to be turned on, but it looks like only the Intel card is on.

At any rate, I am at work now, I will try what you suggested once I am home.

Thanks again!
Mint 20.2 Cinnamon 64bit
Acer Aspire 7750G-6645, Intel i5-2450M, AMD Radeon HD7670M - 1GB

Mint 19.1Cinnamon 64bit
HP EliteBook 2540p, Intel i7-L640

Mint 18 Mate 64bit
Samsung NP300U1A-A01US, Intel i3-2357M
GoLinux
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Re: Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

Post by GoLinux »

Soo, as I expected, no changes, still stuck with Intel integrated card.

However, booting from the USB Flash Drive with Mint 20.2 iso in it, the outputs I get are quite different:

inxi -G

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Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: ati,modesetting,radeon unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           resolution: 1600x900~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) v: 3.3 Mesa 20.2.6 
and even more interesting:

xrandr --listproviders

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Providers: number : 2
Provider 0: id: 0x45 cap: 0x9, Source Output, Sink Offload crtcs: 2 outputs: 4 associated providers: 1 name:modesetting
Provider 1: id: 0xcd cap: 0x6, Sink Output, Source Offload crtcs: 6 outputs: 0 associated providers: 1 name:TURKS @ pci:0000:01:00.0
Now it looks like what the other guy here was seeing:
https://forum.mxlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 8&start=20

and in fact, if I continue with what was suggested to him, typing this command:

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xrandr --setprovideroffloadsink 0xcd 0x45
typing this:

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env DRI_PRIME=1 glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"
I get:

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OpenGL renderer string: AMD TURKS (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.4.0-74-generic, LLVM 11.0.0)
then I follow with:

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xrandr --setprovideroffloadsink 1 0
which results in inxi -G showing this:

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Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: ati,modesetting,radeon unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1600x900~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) v: 3.3 Mesa 20.2.6
and DRI_PRIME=1 inxi -G giving:

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Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics driver: i915 v: kernel 
           Device-2: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Thames [Radeon HD 7500M/7600M Series] driver: radeon v: kernel 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.9 driver: ati,modesetting,radeon unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1600x900~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: AMD TURKS (DRM 2.50.0 / 5.4.0-74-generic LLVM 11.0.0) v: 3.3 Mesa 20.2.6
which I guess it finally means the system is setup to use the AMD card??? Not sure how I can confirm that, but sure it is different from what I get in the permanent installation of 20.2.

Got to spend more time on this and understand what is going on.
Mint 20.2 Cinnamon 64bit
Acer Aspire 7750G-6645, Intel i5-2450M, AMD Radeon HD7670M - 1GB

Mint 19.1Cinnamon 64bit
HP EliteBook 2540p, Intel i7-L640

Mint 18 Mate 64bit
Samsung NP300U1A-A01US, Intel i3-2357M
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Re: Can't turn on and use AMD Radeon HD7670M on laptop with switchable graphich cards

Post by SMG »

GoLinux wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:15 pmHowever, booting from the USB Flash Drive with Mint 20.2 iso in it, the outputs I get are quite different:
The outputs are what I was expecting would happen. That's what you should get on an install (and not just with the live session).

My guess is somehow in trying to get things working you made some changes that resulted in installing the intel display driver and blocking the ability to get the AMD renderer working. I would not expect the installation of the intel display driver to prevent AMD from working, but maybe it did, or maybe you created an xorg.conf file? I do not really have a good guess at this point which means I can not help you undo whatever was done.

If you made a Timeshift snapshot before you started, then I suggest reverting to it. If you did not, I would suggest backing up and doing a re-install.
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