Overwatch not accessing dGPU when Displaylink Hub plugged in

[AlbanRampon]

Good evening,

I am pleased to announce Microsoft approved the multi-GPU machines fix for deployment to Windows 10 v1903 (19H1).
It is currently tracking to be an optional update starting rolling out on Tuesday 27th August (overall OS patch, not just that) and then pushed to all machines as part of the Tuesday 10th September cumulative patch and newer.

Optional updates are manually installed by going to Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update, and clicking on "Check for updates".
There is no change to the DisplayLink driver you are currently using.

Kind regards,
Alban

[drieschel]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Good evening,

I am pleased to announce Microsoft approved the multi-GPU machines fix for deployment to Windows 10 v1903 (19H1).
It is currently tracking to be an optional update starting rolling out on Tuesday 27th August (overall OS patch, not just that) and then pushed to all machines as part of the Tuesday 10th September cumulative patch and newer.

Optional updates are manually installed by going to Settings > Updates & Security > Windows Update, and clicking on "Check for updates".
There is no change to the DisplayLink driver you are currently using.

Kind regards,
Alban

Hello! I was very happy when I read the last posts in this thread. So I waited excited for the 27th August. But no optional update was rolled out by MS. Are there some news about it?

[AlbanRampon]

Hello,
Yes, they delayed the Tuesday update to Friday. I announced that on another thread.
Regards,
Alban

[dmey503]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Hello,
Yes, they delayed the Tuesday update to Friday. I announced that on another thread.
Regards,
Alban

Oh my god...there is hope! Do you think this fix might resolve my issues? You're the first person I've found online that seems to know what they're talking about so I'd appreciate your input.

I had zero issues with my setup until two weeks when Windows finally forced me to update. I don't do gaming but I create a lot of digital media for my job and use the standard applications (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) I've reinstalled every app that seems to be affected, reinstalled windows, updated drivers, rolled back drivers, pulled error logs, etc.

I can barely do my work because it's so erratic and the problems with my GPU(s) and OpenGL(according to the error messages) seem to continue even when I'm not connected to my Targus docking station (dual 4k--don't have the model number available atm). I absolutely need dual monitors to do my work. Editing video on a 1920x1080 screen is a nightmare haha

At least a few times a day, usually when something goes haywire in Photoshop or After Effects, my docking station craps out and I have to unplug it from my computer, power it off, power it on, and plug it back in. Both my laptop and docking station are less than a year old.

I have the integrated Intel 630 graphics and a GeForce 1060 in my ASUS ROG laptop.

I can barely use Photoshop or After Effects, which I depend on the most. I've updated everything I could think of, even Adobe Camera Raw.

I found workarounds for the most part but even these seem to stop working after a day or two.
After Effects barely runs and like Photoshop, it seems to start crapping out as soon as I do any semi-complex action.

I can only get certain apps to run by right clicking and telling it to use my integrated GPU.

[AlbanRampon]

Thank you.
Can you try to keep the laptop lid open, make sure the laptop display is main display (shows the notification and icons of the system tray)?
Please do that before starting any application using the better GPU. The issue is when the application starts, it can't list displays properly.
If you get it working like that, then I'm confident it's the same thing.

Lid open is also advisable to prevent computer getting hot and then losing performance because everything gets throttled.

Kind regards,
Alban

[dmey503]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Thank you.
Can you try to keep the laptop lid open, make sure the laptop display is main display (shows the notification and icons of the system tray)?
Please do that before starting any application using the better GPU. The issue is when the application starts, it can't list displays properly.
If you get it working like that, then I'm confident it's the same thing.

Lid open is also advisable to prevent computer getting hot and then losing performance because everything gets throttled.

Kind regards,
Alban

Close my laptop lid while connected to my docking station? What kind of monster do you think I am?!?! I do always keep my lid open when plugged in and keep it on a pad with cooling fans. That screen is the perfect place for my Outlook window haha

I'll have to check when I'm back home to see if my laptop screen is identified as the main display. I'm able to work but barely. Last night, I was trying to touch up a raw photo in Photoshop and used the spot removal tool. My computer didn't like that and crashed both image editors I had open at the time. Sigh... Normally I'd be able to do this with zero problems.

ALL of my problems started after the windows update. I know this because I remember thinking "oh weird, the locked screen now blurs out" before logging in and when I went to open Photoshop and After Effects...the problems began.

Thank you again for this info. This is the first known issue I've found that seems remotely related to what i'm experiencing.

[AlbanRampon]

Hello,
Good habit on the lid
I haven't heard about impact once the application was started, so I can't say for sure.
I believe that before the update, the performance would not have been great because despite what the parameter screens were telling you, I would have expected Photoshop to rely on the iGPU, not the high end one.
Kind regards,
Alban

[drieschel]

Originally Posted by AlbanRampon

Hello,
Yes, they delayed the Tuesday update to Friday. I announced that on another thread.
Regards,
Alban

It's working now! But there seem to be still a small issue: The main display becomes number 1 by starting an application or game. It doesn't matter which display number it has by identifying it in the windows display settings. We will see if MS fixes this issue.

[drieschel]

@AlbanRampon

I have another problem: I can't open the "nvidia display settings" when the internal display is deactivated. Message is "NVIDIA display settings are not available". But I still can use the dgpu on the external displays. Is this a dgpu drivers related issue, also a bug in Windows or in the display link drivers?

[AlbanRampon]

Hello,

Probably none of the options you listed.
If the only thing not working now is their app, then the issue is more likely to be the app...
The OS and drivers care about functionality and you report the system behaving correctly.
These apps should be non-essential for functionality (per Microsoft requirement) as the driver should be able to work without it.

What's most likely is that the app was conceived to report about directly connected displays and, wasn't conceived to have zero directly connected displays. Native support for DisplayLink USB indirect displays was introduced as standard in Windows 10 v1607.

Kind regards,
Alban