Discrete graphics card not appearing in "About this Mac"

[Balaamsdonkey]

I recently had to swap out the ribbon cable between the logic board and Bluetooth/Wifi area in my Mid-2010 MacBook Pro. Since then I noticed that "About this Mac" only lists the discrete Intel GPU rather than the Nvidia GeForce 330m. Does this mean it is only using the former, or would the latter appear if it was being used? Does this mean the OS isn't recognizing the discrete card?

Thanks!

 

[cjmillsnun]

Easy way to tell if the dGPU is working.

Go to System Preferences, Then select Energy Saver and look for the Automatic graphics switching option.

If it's there, all is well. Turn it off and go to About this Mac again.

You'll find your dGPU is showing.

 

[redheeler]

I recently had to swap out the ribbon cable between the logic board and Bluetooth/Wifi area in my Mid-2010 MacBook Pro. Since then I noticed that "About this Mac" only lists the discrete Intel GPU rather than the Nvidia GeForce 330m. Does this mean it is only using the former, or would the latter appear if it was being used? Does this mean the OS isn't recognizing the discrete card?

Thanks!

It won't show in About This Mac > Displays if the integrated GPU is currently being used. You can see it by clicking "System Report..." and "Graphics/Displays", or disable automatic graphics switching as explained above to force the dGPU to be used.

 

[Balaamsdonkey]

It won't show in About This Mac > Displays if the integrated GPU is currently being used.

It always showed there in the past. i've had this machine for going on five years. I doubt I'd make the mistake of misremembering where I was getting my GPU information from. With that said, I do see the dGPU in system profiler. Is there something more subtle I should look for?

----------

Easy way to tell if the dGPU is working.

Go to System Preferences, Then select Energy Saver and look for the Automatic graphics switching option.

If it's there, all is well. Turn it off and go to About this Mac again.

You'll find your dGPU is showing.

It's showing the onboard Intel GPU with automatic switching turned off. . . .How do you know when that is turned off it doesn't normally go to the onboard version?

 

[JTToft]

How do you know when that is turned off it doesn't normally go to the onboard version?

- Because of this little line in your System Preferences (below).
Could you please close the About This Mac window, make sure automatic graphics switching is off, and then open About This Mac again? It very much should show your discrete GPU being used.

As for your dGPU always showing in About This Mac in the past, that merely means you've always been using the discrete GPU for some reason, not that About This Mac isn't an indicator for which GPU is in use.

 

[Balaamsdonkey]

- Because of this little line in your System Preferences (below).
Could you please close the About This Mac window, make sure automatic graphics switching is off, and then open About This Mac again? It very much should show your discrete GPU being used.

As for your dGPU always showing in About This Mac in the past, that merely means you've always been using the discrete GPU for some reason, not that About This Mac isn't an indicator for which GPU is in use.

It all worked as you said. Thank you for putting up with my foolishness. I was slightly afraid whatever may have caused the WiFi/Bluetooth ribbon to malfunction caused the dGPU to go on the fritz.

 

[JTToft]

It all worked as you said. Thank you for putting up with my foolishness.

- Not at all.
I'm glad you figured it out.

 

[Jbmac_2019]

Easy way to tell if the dGPU is working.

Go to System Preferences, Then select Energy Saver and look for the Automatic graphics switching option.

If it's there, all is well. Turn it off and go to About this Mac again.

You'll find your dGPU is showing.

Hi CJ, I had to create an account just to say thank you! lol I felt so dumb. I'm new to Mac's and I thought my $2200 MacBook Pro had integrated graphics haha. It was definitely a panic when I knew the box said I had a 4 GB dedicated graphics card. Cheers!