Can't use dedicated graphics card on Acer Aspire Laptop.

[nichlock]

Background:
I own an Acer Aspire E5-553G-F55F laptop. It contains an AMD FX-9800P CPU and an AMD Radeon R8 M445DX. The CPU has integrated graphics, with 512MB of RAM reported (GPU-Z,) while the M445DX has 2GB of dedicated RAM (GPU-Z and manufacturer website.) The laptop runs Windows 10 (version 1709.)

My Issue:
Both the CPU's integrated graphics and the M445DX show up in the Device Manager as display adapters, but both on stress tests and while playing video games, only the integrated graphics are used. The task manager shows both GPUs, and only ever shows any usage whatsoever on the integrated GPU (also confirmed by GPU-Z.) The video game I play the most tells me the video RAM available, reporting 512 MB.

I seem to have some extra problems. Most notably, the graphics card is listed everywhere (even AMD's own Radeon Crimson Settings) as an M340; not an M445. It seems this is an issue others have had, and I can't say if it's related. Also, the task manager claims that the dedicated M445DX has 512 MB of RAM, contradicting all other sources.

One more unusual artifact: I already set the the game that I play to use the High Preformance setting in the AMD Crimson Settings, but when I hover over the title, instead of "Linked/Discrete/Switchable" (description of M445DX,) it displays "Primary/Master/Integrated/Switchable" (description of my integrated graphics.)

Attempts at Fixing:
I've tried contacting Acer and Microsoft support. Acer came up blank, and Microsoft directed me to their hardware repair locations.
All of my drivers are up to date, as well as my BIOS and Windows. I've set the Windows Power Plan to maximize performance (use the M445DX card) everywhere, and I've set AMD Radeon Settings to change my games and stress test software to High Performance (also set to use the M445DX.)
Insyde H20 laptop BIOS has almost no settings, so I can't disable the integrated GPU either.

So, to summarize: I want to use the dedicated graphics card, even if it means completely disabling my CPU's integrated graphics, but something is refusing to let this happen.

 

[nvincent_08]

try to do clean uninstall of the graphics card driver using the amd's clean uninstall from their website, not sure what other solution would be as amd gpu driver is pretty terrible

 

[benqmaycry]

Hi
i have almost the same laptop, mine is Acer Aspire E5-553G-T4KV, but it has A10-9600P cpu and the same AMD Radeon R8 M445DX and i can say i have the same problem, games and everythig else detect only R5 card and 512MB...i have read that they, work as one, they cant be disabled, an individual...so thats a drag and a big minus for Amd.....

 

[Lord_Mashie]

Same issue here - I have an Acer Aspire E5-553G-12C6 (CPU - AMD A12-9700P) and that same R8 M445DX that's listed as an R7 M340
-_- which my laptop only sees 512MB of the supposed 2GB of dedicated VRAM. Not buying anything with an AMD label on it ever again at this state. (That clean uninstall utility mentioned above didn't solve it for me either)

 

[kaipajuang]

Same issue here - I have an Acer Aspire E5-553G-12C6 (CPU - AMD A12-9700P) and that same R8 M445DX that's listed as an R7 M340
-_- which my laptop only sees 512MB of the supposed 2GB of dedicated VRAM. Not buying anything with an AMD label on it ever again at this state. (That clean uninstall utility mentioned above didn't solve it for me either)

i read some forums, they say you have to downgrade to windows 7 so the vram will be read as the true amount of it. its so frustating when my friend can play with over 60 fps avg with the nvidia laptop but the same price as mine, while i got is only 20-30 fps avg.