FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
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- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
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FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Hi everyone,
Please try the new 1.0.1.6 update first.
If you are having issues with performance and have both an integrated and dedicated GPU in your system and in your Game Settings DW2 appears to be using the correct dedicated GPU, please try the following:
"Regardless of what I was setting in the game settings, it was not respecting my choice and kept trying to run off software rendering. Windows 11 allows you to override this in settings, so I went to System>Display>Graphics, and manually added an entry for DW2, and set it to "High Performance", which forces it to use my dedicated GPU. Runs perfectly fine now."
Here's a guide on how to do that for an application: https://www.top-password.com/blog/enabl ... -or-games/
Using Steam, you can find where Distant Worlds 2 is installed by right clicking on it in your library list of games, then choosing "Properties" then "Local Files" then clicking the "Browse" button. That will take you right to the installation folder.
Also, are you using both your integrated and dedicated graphics at the same time for some other reason? If not, please also try disabling your integrated graphics in your BIOS, if you are comfortable with that. You can also try disabling your integrated GPU in your Windows Device Manager, though disabling it in the BIOS is much better.
Also, please try deleting the gamesettings and gamestartsettings files in the /data sub-folder of your installation, then re-launching the game to see if that makes any difference.
If you get to a black screen on launch, try Alt+Enter to switch to Windowed mode.
If none of that works, you may have a driver issue. In that case, we would suggest clean installing your dedicated *and* integrated display drivers.
A few more suggestions:
- If you have the Radeon Manager installed, please delete any non-default settings there. Especially check to see if it has Anti-Lag set to on and if so, turn it off.
- The Windows graphics settings page seems to have ultimate control over the rendering device, at least on Windows 10/11. Whatever is set in Nvidia or AMD control panels seems to be ignored.
-Windows prefers to render on the device your monitor is plugged into. For instance, if you are on a desktop and your monitor is plugged into the motherboard's display port (instead of the discrete graphics card's port), it usually defaults to integrated graphics. This is a particularly complicated issue in laptops, as the built in display is usually wired to the integrated graphics, but some laptops feature a physical display switch. And external HDMI/DP/USB-C ports can be wired to either the integrated or discrete GPU.
We will be working on a hotfix for this issue ASAP.
Please try the new 1.0.1.6 update first.
If you are having issues with performance and have both an integrated and dedicated GPU in your system and in your Game Settings DW2 appears to be using the correct dedicated GPU, please try the following:
"Regardless of what I was setting in the game settings, it was not respecting my choice and kept trying to run off software rendering. Windows 11 allows you to override this in settings, so I went to System>Display>Graphics, and manually added an entry for DW2, and set it to "High Performance", which forces it to use my dedicated GPU. Runs perfectly fine now."
Here's a guide on how to do that for an application: https://www.top-password.com/blog/enabl ... -or-games/
Using Steam, you can find where Distant Worlds 2 is installed by right clicking on it in your library list of games, then choosing "Properties" then "Local Files" then clicking the "Browse" button. That will take you right to the installation folder.
Also, are you using both your integrated and dedicated graphics at the same time for some other reason? If not, please also try disabling your integrated graphics in your BIOS, if you are comfortable with that. You can also try disabling your integrated GPU in your Windows Device Manager, though disabling it in the BIOS is much better.
Also, please try deleting the gamesettings and gamestartsettings files in the /data sub-folder of your installation, then re-launching the game to see if that makes any difference.
If you get to a black screen on launch, try Alt+Enter to switch to Windowed mode.
If none of that works, you may have a driver issue. In that case, we would suggest clean installing your dedicated *and* integrated display drivers.
A few more suggestions:
- If you have the Radeon Manager installed, please delete any non-default settings there. Especially check to see if it has Anti-Lag set to on and if so, turn it off.
- The Windows graphics settings page seems to have ultimate control over the rendering device, at least on Windows 10/11. Whatever is set in Nvidia or AMD control panels seems to be ignored.
-Windows prefers to render on the device your monitor is plugged into. For instance, if you are on a desktop and your monitor is plugged into the motherboard's display port (instead of the discrete graphics card's port), it usually defaults to integrated graphics. This is a particularly complicated issue in laptops, as the built in display is usually wired to the integrated graphics, but some laptops feature a physical display switch. And external HDMI/DP/USB-C ports can be wired to either the integrated or discrete GPU.
We will be working on a hotfix for this issue ASAP.
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Thanks Eric.. will try that !
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Looking forward for a hotfix
Unfortunatelly, all the workarounds dont work for me.
Any way of forcing the Game to run on Dedicated CPU (via either Nvidia panel or High performance in Windows Graphic settings) causes the same black screen with music.
Worth mentioning, that while i disable intergrated GPU through device manager, Game prefers running on so called "Windows redndering driver" instead of dedicated GPU.
Unfortunatelly, all the workarounds dont work for me.
Any way of forcing the Game to run on Dedicated CPU (via either Nvidia panel or High performance in Windows Graphic settings) causes the same black screen with music.
Worth mentioning, that while i disable intergrated GPU through device manager, Game prefers running on so called "Windows redndering driver" instead of dedicated GPU.
- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Contact:
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Hi Xarvioto,
If you are getting a black screen, does using Alt-Enter to switch to Windowed Mode help you at all?
Are you seeing your dedicated GPU showing up fine in device manager?
Could you please post a DxDiag file for us in a new thread?
If you are getting a black screen, does using Alt-Enter to switch to Windowed Mode help you at all?
Are you seeing your dedicated GPU showing up fine in device manager?
Could you please post a DxDiag file for us in a new thread?
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
-
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:14 pm
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
That means you likely have a driver issue. I would suggest clean installing your dedicated *and* integrated display drivers.xarvioto wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 5:40 pm Looking forward for a hotfix
Unfortunatelly, all the workarounds dont work for me.
Any way of forcing the Game to run on Dedicated CPU (via either Nvidia panel or High performance in Windows Graphic settings) causes the same black screen with music.
Worth mentioning, that while i disable intergrated GPU through device manager, Game prefers running on so called "Windows redndering driver" instead of dedicated GPU.
Or perhaps its because you disabled the integrated GPU in the device manager? Its much safer to do that through your motherboard's BIOS.
Also, 2 tip to others having issues:
-The Windows graphics settings page seems to have ultimate control over the rendering device, at least on Windows 10. Whatever I set in Nvidia or AMD control panels is always ignored now.
-Windows prefers to render on the device your monitor is plugged into. For instance, if you are on a desktop and your monitor is plugged into the motherboard's display port (instead of the discrete graphics card's port), it usually defaults to integrated graphics. This is a particularly complicated issue in laptops, as the built in display is usually wired to the integrated graphics, but some laptops feature a physical display switch. And external HDMI/DP/USB-C ports can be wired to either the integrated or discrete GPU... my laptop, for instance, has integrated HDMI and discrete USB-C.
- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Contact:
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Thank you for those additional tips.
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
So Yeah I have HP OMEN 15 with RTX 3070 and AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
I started playing the game for around 40 min and I saw I had 40 FPS and was wondering why.
Checked Task Manager and it was using Radeon Graphics instead of Dedicated RTX
I forced via Nvidia Control Panel to use RTX chip and the game is a black screen with 100% functioning game under it. Sound works Menu Works the problem is that I see a black screen.
I checked Task Manager and RTX was showing it was being used around 20-40% like I play for real.
For now I will play with integrated graphics but I hope it's a bug in video rendering
I started playing the game for around 40 min and I saw I had 40 FPS and was wondering why.
Checked Task Manager and it was using Radeon Graphics instead of Dedicated RTX
I forced via Nvidia Control Panel to use RTX chip and the game is a black screen with 100% functioning game under it. Sound works Menu Works the problem is that I see a black screen.
I checked Task Manager and RTX was showing it was being used around 20-40% like I play for real.
For now I will play with integrated graphics but I hope it's a bug in video rendering

- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Contact:
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Thank you for letting us know. Did you try all the steps in the first post? Windows seems to override the Nvidia control panel now in terms of picking a GPU.
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
hey mamonth6, when seeing the black screen, pressing alt-enter to switch to windowed worked for me.
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Exactly the same situation here.xarvioto wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 5:40 pm Any way of forcing the Game to run on Dedicated CPU (via either Nvidia panel or High performance in Windows Graphic settings) causes the same black screen with music.
Worth mentioning, that while i disable intergrated GPU through device manager, Game prefers running on so called "Windows redndering driver" instead of dedicated GPU.

A patch would be great
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- Posts: 46
- Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2022 6:14 pm
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Does it work when you plug in a external display?mamonth6 wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 6:56 pm So Yeah I have HP OMEN 15 with RTX 3070 and AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
I started playing the game for around 40 min and I saw I had 40 FPS and was wondering why.
Checked Task Manager and it was using Radeon Graphics instead of Dedicated RTX
I forced via Nvidia Control Panel to use RTX chip and the game is a black screen with 100% functioning game under it. Sound works Menu Works the problem is that I see a black screen.
I checked Task Manager and RTX was showing it was being used around 20-40% like I play for real.
For now I will play with integrated graphics but I hope it's a bug in video rendering![]()
Thats a particularly tricky config, as the newer Omen 15 may have a display mux switch. Also the AMD drivers are kinda funny about this on my G14, especially if you install the official AMD ones instead of the ones from HP.
Basically, there are a LOT of things that could be blackscreening DW2, and you should try different configs to try and narrow it down.
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Thanks for the answerErik Rutins wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 5:45 pm Hi Xarvioto,
If you are getting a black screen, does using Alt-Enter to switch to Windowed Mode help you at all?
Are you seeing your dedicated GPU showing up fine in device manager?
Could you please post a DxDiag file for us in a new thread?
Here is DxDiag in attachments
Black screen is permanent as soon as Game runs on Dedicated high performance Nvidia card. Alt+Tab makes no difference.
Yes, a can see Dedicated card in device manager as per usuial. It worked and works fine everywhere else.
BTW, some observations in my system:
- it seems like neither Windows graphics panael nor Nvidia panel has a priority (as an addition to the new notion above). If I forceswitch Dedicated card for the game in either of places - Dedicated card switches on for the Game - hence i see black screen.
- Radeon Software sees Game in the list of 'its' Games, Nvidia experience does not see the Game in its list, Nvidia panel suggest to use inegrated card by default
- routine such as updating drivers - does not work for me
Hyped to play the Game

- Attachments
-
- DxDiag - xarvioto.txt
- (122.91 KiB) Downloaded 19 times
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Can confirm this fix worked for me using Windows 10 (same process as 11). Prior to that, I could choose my dedicated GPU in the Graphics Adapter field but the Display Mode field was empty and grayed out, and the game was very choppy. The game now runs buttery smooth and I am able to access the Display Mode field.
- michaelm75au
- Posts: 12457
- Joined: Sat May 05, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
The Hotfix seems to resolved my performance issues without trying any of the above.
Michael
Re: FAQ: Systems with Both Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
I will try that in the evening when I go home. I don't want to mess with other settings much if it's only a DW2 problem.Jeroen50 wrote: Thu Mar 10, 2022 9:46 pm hey mamonth6, when seeing the black screen, pressing alt-enter to switch to windowed worked for me.
Also AMD integrated graphics give me 40 FPS and is enough for this game for now.
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
For me, unfortunatelly, hotfixes did not work.michaelm75au wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:43 am The Hotfix seems to resolved my performance issues without trying any of the above.
It seems like hotfixes (1015 and 1016) forceswitch usage of Dedicated card in Windows graphic settings every singe lime the Game loads -> I see usual black screen and music (while dedicated GPU is used and loaded)
If perviously it was possilbe to load the game 'on intergrated card' and play somehow, with 1016 horfix it is impossible unless the Game is reinstalled
Reinstalation from scratch and hotfixin (extraction of 1015 and 1016 in a row OR extraction of 1016 right away) - didn't help either.
Looking forward for the unlimate solution

- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Contact:
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Could you please post a DxDiag for us per the instructions in this forum?xarvioto wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:41 amFor me, unfortunatelly, hotfixes did not work.michaelm75au wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:43 am The Hotfix seems to resolved my performance issues without trying any of the above.
It seems like hotfixes (1015 and 1016) forceswitch usage of Dedicated card in Windows graphic settings every singe lime the Game loads -> I see usual black screen and music (while dedicated GPU is used and loaded)
If perviously it was possilbe to load the game 'on intergrated card' and play somehow, with 1016 horfix it is impossible unless the Game is reinstalled
Reinstalation from scratch and hotfixin (extraction of 1015 and 1016 in a row OR extraction of 1016 right away) - didn't help either.
Looking forward for the unlimate solution![]()
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
here it isErik Rutins wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 12:50 pmCould you please post a DxDiag for us per the instructions in this forum?xarvioto wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 10:41 amFor me, unfortunatelly, hotfixes did not work.michaelm75au wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 6:43 am The Hotfix seems to resolved my performance issues without trying any of the above.
It seems like hotfixes (1015 and 1016) forceswitch usage of Dedicated card in Windows graphic settings every singe lime the Game loads -> I see usual black screen and music (while dedicated GPU is used and loaded)
If perviously it was possilbe to load the game 'on intergrated card' and play somehow, with 1016 horfix it is impossible unless the Game is reinstalled
Reinstalation from scratch and hotfixin (extraction of 1015 and 1016 in a row OR extraction of 1016 right away) - didn't help either.
Looking forward for the unlimate solution![]()
- Attachments
-
- DxDiag - xarvioto.txt
- (122.91 KiB) Downloaded 24 times
- Erik Rutins
- Posts: 39650
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 4:00 pm
- Location: Vermont, USA
- Contact:
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Thank you. It certainly looks like this is due to the integrated/dedicated GPU issue. The update we are releasing soon today should help with that. Please check back and let us know how things work after that update releases.
Erik Rutins
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
CEO, Matrix Games LLC

For official support, please use our Help Desk: http://www.matrixgames.com/helpdesk/
Freedom is not Free.
Re: FAQ: Slow Performance / Integrated and Dedicated GPUs
Update: 1016 patch came out via Steam. Result is the same as during manual patching to 1016. Black screen remained. But now i cannot make the game run on Integrated card (as on 1014), because the Game is still changing Windows graphics setting to "use high performance Nvidia card", every time the Game starts. After steam pathch release, i cannot go back to 1014 (and i dont want to)Erik Rutins wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 3:14 pm Thank you. It certainly looks like this is due to the integrated/dedicated GPU issue. The update we are releasing soon today should help with that. Please check back and let us know how things work after that update releases.
there must me something else to be done in order to allow the Game running