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I have a problem with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS on my GE66 Raider notebook. This machine runs a i7-10850H and RTX 2070 on a 300Hz 1080p display and supports Optimus.

After a clean install, in gnome settings display, I can see the 300 hz option for refresh rate (300.18) precisely. However this do not seems / feels like 300hz on windows, and this is confirmed by the ufo online test.

I tried every single xrandr command, reinstalling nvidia drivers (currently running 455), setting the refresh rate in Nvidia X Settings but no results.

Current prime-select mode is Intel because, since I will use Ubuntu mainly for code development, I would like to exploit the Optimus technology supported in this machine to preserve battery life. This means that I would like to run the GUI on the Intel UHD 630 integrated graphics, while leaving the GPU for demanding tasks.

    Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 16384 x 16384
    eDP-1 connected primary 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 344mm x 193mm
       1920x1080     60.04 + 300.18*   60.01    59.97    59.96    59.93  
       1680x1050     84.94    74.89    69.88    59.95    59.88  
       1600x1024     60.17  
       1400x1050     85.00    74.76    70.00    59.98  
       1600x900      59.99    59.94    59.95    59.82  
       1280x1024     85.02    75.02    60.02  
       1440x900      59.89  
       1400x900      59.96    59.88  
       1280x960      85.00    60.00  
       1440x810      60.00    59.97  
       1368x768      59.88    59.85  
       1360x768      59.80    59.96  
       1280x800      59.99    59.97    59.81    59.91  
       1152x864     100.00    85.06    85.00    75.00    75.00    70.00    60.00  
       1280x720      60.00    59.99    59.86    59.74  
       1024x768      85.00    75.05    60.04    85.00    75.03    70.07    60.00  
       1024x768i     86.96  
       960x720       85.00    75.00    60.00  
       928x696       75.00    60.05  
       896x672       75.05    60.01  
       1024x576      59.95    59.96    59.90    59.82  
       960x600       59.93    60.00  
       832x624       74.55  
       960x540       59.96    59.99    59.63    59.82  
       800x600       85.00    75.00    70.00    65.00    60.00    85.14    72.19    75.00    60.32    56.25  
       840x525       85.02    74.96    69.88    60.01    59.88  
       864x486       59.92    59.57  
       800x512       60.17  
       700x525       85.08    74.76    70.06    59.98  
       800x450       59.95    59.82  
       640x512       85.02    75.02    60.02  
       720x450       59.89  
       700x450       59.96    59.88  
       640x480       85.09    60.00    85.01    72.81    75.00    59.94  
       720x405       59.51    58.99  
       720x400       85.04  
       684x384       59.88    59.85  
       680x384       59.80    59.96  
       640x400       59.88    59.98    85.08  
       576x432      100.11    85.15    85.09    75.00    75.00    70.00    60.06  
       640x360       59.86    59.83    59.84    59.32  
       640x350       85.08  
       512x384       85.00    75.03    70.07    60.00  
       512x384i      87.06  
       512x288       60.00    59.92  
       416x312       74.66  
       480x270       59.63    59.82  
       400x300       85.27    72.19    75.12    60.32    56.34  
       432x243       59.92    59.57  
       320x240       85.18    72.81    75.00    60.05  
       360x202       59.51    59.13  
       360x200       85.04  
       320x200       85.27  
       320x180       59.84    59.32  
       320x175       85.27  
    eDP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
    DP-1-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
    DP-1-2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
    HDMI-1-1 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)

Here is my Xorg.conf file:

 nvidia-xconfig:  version 455.38


Section "ServerLayout"
    Identifier     "Layout0"
    Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
    InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
    InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
EndSection

Section "Files"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Mouse0"
    Driver         "mouse"
    Option         "Protocol" "auto"
    Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
    Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
    Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

    # generated from default
    Identifier     "Keyboard0"
    Driver         "kbd"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier     "Monitor0"
    VendorName     "Unknown"
    ModelName      "Unknown"
    Option         "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Device"
    Identifier     "Device0"
    Driver         "nvidia"
    VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
EndSection

I tried to reinstall ubuntu, update the nvidia driver and set prime select nvidia to drive the display with the gpu. In nvidia-settings it is not possibl to change the display resolution nor refresh rate. Is this expected?

UPDATE 1: This happens also with Ubuntu 20.04.

UPDATE 2: Ubuntu 20.04 has prime-select on-demand available but this do not solve the problem.

2
  • Is this related to this mutter issue? phoronix.com/… Dec 10, 2020 at 11:15
  • Personally I'd drop the xorg.conf completely. It's a config nightmare. In fact I have. I just Camm xrandr.
    – RichieHH
    Jan 1, 2021 at 23:47

2 Answers 2

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I use xorg.conf for my 18.04 system it's at /etc/x11 you can generate one with "nvidia-xconfig" here is mine for reference as to what it should look like

Section "ServerLayout"

Identifier     "Layout0"
Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
Option         "Xinerama" "0"

EndSection

Section "Files" EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier     "Mouse0"
Driver         "mouse"
Option         "Protocol" "auto"
Option         "Device" "/dev/psaux"
Option         "Emulate3Buttons" "no"
Option         "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"

EndSection

Section "InputDevice"

# generated from default
Identifier     "Keyboard0"
Driver         "kbd"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

Identifier     "Monitor0"
VendorName     "Unknown"
ModelName      "Microstep MSI G241"
HorizSync       180.0 - 180.0
VertRefresh     48.0 - 144.0
Option         "DPMS"

EndSection

Section "Device"

Identifier     "Device0"
Driver         "nvidia"
VendorName     "NVIDIA Corporation"
BoardName      "GeForce GTX 1070"
Option         "Coolbits" "13"

EndSection

Section "Screen"

Identifier     "Screen0"
Device         "Device0"
Monitor        "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth    24
Option         "TripleBuffer" "On"
Option         "Stereo" "0"
Option         "nvidiaXineramaInfoOrder" "DFP-6"
Option         "metamodes" "DP-4: 1920x1080_144 +0+0 {AllowGSYNCCompatible=On}
Option         "SLI" "Off"
Option         "MultiGPU" "Off"
Option         "BaseMosaic" "off"
SubSection     "Display"
    Depth       24
EndSubSection

EndSection

3
  • I do not want to use the dGPU for running the display, but the iGPU. Dec 9, 2020 at 16:04
  • Modifying th xorg.conf file led to unbootable ubuntu. Dec 10, 2020 at 10:45
  • That's got zero to do with the issue and simply ignores the igpu. It also doesn't serve any purpose since if you select the dgpu in bios it just works anyway. But the issue is about using both.
    – RichieHH
    Jan 1, 2021 at 23:52
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For everyone struggling with this problem, after 1 week of pain and sweat, I can fairly declare that the issue is a bug. Nvidia Optimus is a pain in the ass for high-refresh rate monitors in every Linux distro.

If you really want the smooth feelings of 144+ hz, save yourself many hours of suffering and DISABLE OPTIMUS FROM YOU BIOS. In MSI latest notebooks you can do this by entering

Ctrl_right+Shift_right+Alt_left + F2

In the advanced tab switch VGA mode from MSI Hybrid Graphics to Discrete graphics.

In your ubuntu distro set sudo prime-select nvidia and just run the display with the dGPU. And say goodbye to your awesome battery life experience.

Beware this solves the high-refresh rate issue on the primary monitor, but GNOME will reset itself on 60Hz when connecting an external display with rate lower than the primary monitor. This bug is known and will be (in theory solved with newever versions of GNOME 3.38 or Ubuntu 20.10).

I hope this will help other people with the same problem.

1
  • On debian testing I use hybrid and use the prefix method on steam for dgpu needs. Proton backed games "just work" with no prime select. But yes, Linux is a mess when it comes to this stuff. No one should need to be hacking prefixes and xorgs now. It seems almost nothing has changed since 15 years in this regard and hw gfx.
    – RichieHH
    Jan 1, 2021 at 23:50

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