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"Playback" in Intel RealSense + NVidia Optimus

SNoh4
Beginner
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Hello RealSense community,

Recently I encountered an weird problem in RealSense SDK with "playback" functionality.

Video: https://youtu.be/L1SAKtwbiaw Technical Issue in "playback" with NVidia Optimus - YouTube

As you can see in the screen capture sequence, color stream shows an weird noise pattern.

At first time, I thought that the recorded file was broken, but I can play it in another PC...

After struggling, I finally figured out that it was the issue with NVidia GPU.

If I turned off the NVidia GPU in my control panel, the playback functionality works normally.

Anyway, I can use playback method if I turn off the GPU, basically.

However, I still need the NVidia GPU because I need to use a library with C++ AMP.

Is there anybody have some idea?

Thank you in advance.

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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The unanimous opinion is that you cannot disable Optimus without also disabling the Nvidia GPU. However, a Control Panel tweak was suggested to negate the effects of Optimus, which apparently is used to turn the NVidia GPU on for intensive graphics task and turn the GPU off when the integrated graphics alone can handle a task. I'll paste in below the best explanation of the tweak that I found.

*******

Go to the Nvidia control panel. On your left side you will see a 3 or 4 options. Search for : Manage 3D Settings

On the 3D settings manager, search for Global. You will see a combo box with the options Auto select, Intel graphics or discrete graphics, and High performance or Nvidia graphics. Select the Nvidia Graphics.

Then apply the new settings.

Afterwards go to the Geforce Experience program, and do the following steps:

Go to Preferences, Batteryboost, You will see a checkbox. You must un-tick the check box and apply, and you will get the Nvidia card as default for any app, i do this for cuda processing with matlab.

*********

Another method suggested to overcome Optimus was to go into the power settings section of the PC's BIOS and set everything to 'high performance'. This would result in faster battery drain though if you are using a laptop.

SNoh4
Beginner
709 Views

Hello MartyG,

Thank you for suggestion.

Unfortunately, I cannot test your method because my GeForce is 740M (<800M) which cannot support battery boost ...

I moved to this old-laptop since my main laptop had a well-known power issue and I could not solve it.

Maybe I need a desktop PC for further development in RSSDK...

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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Laptops are very usable with RealSense, though they do seem to tend statistically to be affected by USB power issues more than desktops. It is often instantly fixable though by using the camera with a mains-powered USB hub (which can be bought from stores such as Amazon for around $15) instead of plugging the camera directly into the laptop's USB port. You can find such hubs by searching for 'powered usb 3.0 hub'.

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SNoh4
Beginner
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MartyG,

Actually, I already found and tested that powered-hub solution in this forum ...

As a result, it turned out a waste of small time and money, in my case.

That article suggested that it is worth to try multiple combinations,

but I do not want to spend more time and effort on that stuff.

Thank you in anyway.

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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Could you tell me please the make and model of your two laptops so I can determine how compatible they are with RealSense?

Also which model of RealSense camera you are using (F200, R200, SR300 or ZR300)

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SNoh4
Beginner
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RealSense Camera: SR 300

My main laptop: Lenovo Yoga 460

CPU: Core i7-6500U

GPU: GeForce 940M

This one basically has a power issue, and I tested and figured out it also has this optimus issue, too .

Additionally, I guess this power issue may came from the ultrabook CPU.

In the previous thread on the power issue, most of CPUs are the number with U meaning ultrabook CPU.

Anyway, that is why I moved to my old laptop.

Old laptop: Lenovo E540

CPU: Core i5-4200M

GPU: GeForce 740M

This one works without power issue, so I moved this laptop for developing RSSDK.

However, alas, I had a optimus issue! hahaha

Regards,

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SNoh4
Beginner
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You may say my old laptop is not compatible with recommended spec.

I know it is 4th-gen CPU, but it actually works

In addition, my colleague actually worked on SR300 with laptop with 3rd-gen CPU...

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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This is the first time in three years of RealSense that I have heard of Nvidia Optimus. There's a first time for everything though. The fact that the camera works when Optimus is turned off and doesn't work when Optimus is on is persuasive evidence that it may be involved.

You did not say which camera you have, but the Yoga would be fine for all RealSense cameras as it has a 6th generation processor. The older E540 has a 4th generation processor, so that would only be usable with the F200 and R200 camera models.

U-type processors are usually fine with RealSense.

Did the USB hub not work with either of the laptops?

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SNoh4
Beginner
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> You did not say which camera you have ...

After posting, I noticed that I did not write my camera and edited it so.

I guess you read my first post. It is SR 300, as written above.

> Did the USB hub not work with either of the laptops?

There is no power issue in my E540, so I didn't test it.

Moreover, my colleague's laptop (with 3rd-gen CPU) do not have power issue, either.

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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The SR300 should not be able to work with the E540's 4th generation processor, as its official minimum requirement is a 6th generation Skylake processor like your Yoga has. On a 4th gen machine, I would expect the SR300 to act like an ordinary RGB webcam without access to advanced RealSense features such as depth and IR functions.

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SNoh4
Beginner
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> On a 4th gen machine, I would expect the SR300 to act like an ordinary RGB webcam without access to advanced RealSense features such as depth and IR functions.

I got it. May I consider this is the official opinion from RealSense development team?

So, 4th-gen is not officially supported feature, so there is nothing to get the help/support from this forum...

I already spent a lot of time than my expectation to solve these trivial, annoying and time-consuming issues.

I will focus on my undone coding until the new ordered desktop is delivered...

Cheers,

p.s. Anyway, even if you believe or not, it works ... vv

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MartyG
Honored Contributor III
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There have been a couple of cases where an SR300 with a 4th gen processor, but these were usually exotic processors such as Xeon enterprise processors, which tend to defy the normal minimum requirements. As a rule, if you have a non-enterprise processor in your machine then 6th Gen is usually the minimum for SR300.

It's not that I disbelieved you, as obviously you had been using the camera with the processor. You are just one of the few very lucky people whose machine defies the specification.

From the SR300's data sheet document:

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SNoh4
Beginner
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May be I spent all of my luck on this old laptop, and I got a bad luck on my main laptop.

Anyway, thank you for reply.

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