Games not using NVIDIA GPU after SSD swap (Acer Aspire 7, Ryzen 5 5500U + GTX 1650)

Understanding GPU Utilization Issues Post-SSD Upgrade on Acer Aspire 7: A Technical Overview

Introduction

Upgrading storage devices can significantly enhance a laptop’s performance and storage capacity. However, such hardware modifications sometimes introduce unforeseen software conflicts or driver issues, especially in systems with hybrid graphics solutions. This article explores a common scenario experienced by users after swapping SSDs on an Acer Aspire 7 laptop equipped with a Ryzen 5 5500U processor, integrated Radeon graphics, and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU.

System Specifications

• Model: Acer Aspire 7
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (with integrated Radeon Graphics)
• Dedicated GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
• Memory: 16GB RAM
• Storage: Upgraded from 512GB NVMe to 1TB Crucial NVMe (cloned from existing drive)
• Operating System: Windows 11

Observed Issue

Post-SSD replacement, users report a significant drop in GPU utilization during gaming sessions. Notably:

• Major titles such as Rainbow Six Siege and Red Dead Redemption 2 run predominantly on the CPU, leading to CPU utilization spikes up to 100%, with GPU activity remaining minimal.
• Initial game launches sometimes trigger the NVIDIA GPU, producing improved performance, but stability issues persist, including game crashes.
• NVIDIA GeForce Experience frequently fails to detect the GPU’s status, complicating graphics configuration adjustments.
• Attempts to disable the integrated Radeon graphics result in distorted or low-resolution displays rather than switching to the discrete GPU.
• Specific games like Rainbow Six Siege may run smoothly after configuration resets but unexpectedly crash during gameplay.

Troubleshooting Steps Undertaken

Several well-known solutions have been applied to resolve these issues, including:

1. Driver Management:
2. Utilized Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Safe Mode to completely remove AMD and NVIDIA driver remnants.

3. Reinstalled the latest AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce drivers in proper sequence.

4. Graphics Settings Configuration:

5. Set high-performance mode for affected games via Windows Graphics Settings and NVIDIA Control Panel.
6. Adjusted Windows power plan to “High Performance” with NVIDIA’s preferences set to “Maximum Performance.”

7. Reinstalled affected games and Steam, and cleared game-specific configuration files and registry entries to reset settings.

8. Display and Resolution Checks:

9. Corrected screen resolution issues, restoring from 1600×900 to the native 192