Can't get Left 4 Dead 1 to run with the 335M

I have both "Left 4 Dead" and "Valve Steam" on my whitelist and set to use the "High-performance NVIDIA processor" in the NVIDIA control panel, but it's like the system refuses to utilize the 335M just for this one game. When I start it up, the "recommended" settings are the minimum, and even then, the game stutters like you'd expect it to using integrated graphics. Every other game I own does just fine, though, including L4D2. What gives?

 

I've no idea why that happens, but it's happened to me for Crysis and Bad Company 2. But I found a way to get around that. Turns out Optimus kind of fails.

Anyway, open up your Nvidia Control Panel, click on View, and tick "Add Desktop Menu" and "Run with graphics processor option to context menu."

To launch Left 4 Dead, right click on the desktop icon, hover over "Run with graphics processor," and select "High-performance Nvidia processor."

Even if the Nvidia processor is the default, do it anyway and see what happens. It should work. Tell me if it works out.

 

Any time you talk about issues with Optimus you need to tell us what driver version you're running. My suggestion would be to try the 258.96 driver if you aren't already running that.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m11x/499208-nvidia-verde-notebook-driver-258-96-beta-discussion-relating-11xr2.html#post6458687

 

Dude, speaking about the Verde drivers, do the stock Nvidia ones work, or are the modded ones stable and supposedly better?

 

Driver's obtained directly from Nvidia will not work for the R2 until Dell decides to pony up for the Verde program so that support for the R2 is added. That means that the modded drivers are required. You need to thank Nautis and Kopicha for those.

At least you're not stuck with the R1's driver situation.

 

I use the stock r2 drivers and no issues. for games that stutter i either go in manually and find the EXE file and white list that, or i turn the GPU on manually untill im done playing. and usually the GPU will turn itself off afterwards anyways.

 

seems like a stupid question, but how do you know when the 335 is running?
isnt it technically always "running" just not being used?

thanks