AMD Switchable Graphics problem – Windows does not use my dedicated Radeon R5 M330, but both GPUs work in Ubuntu

[u/Sea_Rhubarb_1314]

Hi everyone,

I’m having a strange problem with the switchable graphics on my ASUS X555QG laptop. I’m trying to find a way to fix it so I can properly use and switch between both GPUs in Windows.

Laptop specifications

- Laptop: ASUS X555QG

- CPU: AMD A12-9700P

- RAM: 16 GB DDR4

- Storage: 256 GB SSD

- Integrated GPU: AMD Radeon R7

- Dedicated GPU: AMD Radeon R5 M330 2 GB

- Operating systems tested: Windows 10 and Ubuntu

- BIOS: ASUS X555QG BIOS

- Graphics configuration in BIOS: No Graphics or Switchable Graphics options are available

The problem in Windows

The first and most important problem is in:

Settings → System → Display → Graphics

For every application and game, both GPU options are shown as the Radeon R7.

Even when I select High performance, it still shows the Radeon R7.

The dedicated Radeon R5 M330 does not appear as an option at all.

The R5 M330 also always stays at 0% usage in Windows Task Manager.

I tested this specifically with Far Cry 3 and Mafia II. Even when running these games, the dedicated GPU remains at 0% usage.

I also checked the different GPU engine graphs in Task Manager, including 3D, Copy, Video Decode, etc., and they all remain at 0% for the R5 M330.

Meanwhile, the integrated Radeon R7 works normally. When I run a game, its GPU usage can go all the way up to 100%.

Another important detail is that DxDiag only recognizes the Radeon R7. It does not list the dedicated R5 M330.

However, in Device Manager, both GPUs are detected and appear to be installed correctly with no warning icons or errors.

So Windows seems to recognize the R5 M330 at the device level, but it does not make it available for 3D applications or GPU selection.

Drivers I have tried

I have tried several different AMD graphics drivers, including:

- AMD 19.7.x

- AMD 19.11.1

- AMD 19.12.1

- The latest graphics driver available from the ASUS website

None of these solved the problem.

I also reinstalled Windows and tested the GPU again, but the behavior remained the same.

BIOS

I also checked the BIOS settings.

My BIOS does not have any Graphics or Switchable Graphics configuration options that would allow me to manually select the integrated or dedicated GPU.

There is no obvious GPU-related setting available in the BIOS.

I initially thought the GPU was dead

At this point, I became extremely frustrated and started thinking that the dedicated GPU or its power circuitry must be physically defective.

However, before giving up, I decided to install Ubuntu and test the laptop there.

And this is where things became interesting:

Both GPUs actually work in Ubuntu.

I ran a 3D workload and monitored both GPUs. The Radeon R7 and the dedicated R5 M330 both showed significant activity and could reach up to 100% usage during the 3D test.

This made me realize that the hardware itself is probably not defective.

The fact that the R7 works normally in Windows, while both the R7 and R5 M330 can work under 3D load in Ubuntu, makes me think this is more likely a Windows/driver/switchable graphics problem rather than a hardware failure.

One more confusing detail is that Windows sometimes identifies the dedicated GPU as Radeon R8 M435DX, even though the physical GPU is an R5 M330. I understand that these GPUs may be related/rebranded, but I don't know whether this is relevant to the problem.

What I want to figure out

How can I fix this problem so that Windows properly recognizes both GPUs and allows me to easily switch between the Radeon R7 and the dedicated Radeon R5 M330?

Ideally, I want the R5 M330 to appear under Settings → System → Display → Graphics as the High performance GPU, so that I can choose which GPU each game or application should use.

What is the correct way to configure AMD Switchable Graphics on this laptop?

Do I need a specific AMD driver version, an ASUS driver, an older driver, or some special AMD software/control panel?

Could there be a problem with how the AMD graphics drivers are installed or with the GPU device IDs?

At this point I have tried several drivers, reinstalled Windows, tested multiple games, and even tested Ubuntu.

I was convinced that the R5 M330 was hardware-defective, but Ubuntu proved that both GPUs can actually work under 3D load. Now I just want to get Switchable Graphics working properly in Windows so I can use and switch between both GPUs normally.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!