Intel NUC Laptop Driver Setup, Battery Issue, Switchable Graphics Options

• 

  HueSplat on 06/06/2024 - 23:23

  Did you update the BIOS to the latest version? if not do that first.

  Battery should work without any drivers at all, what does the BIOS show? (there is a page for the battery in the BIOS).
  I returned one of these laptops, worked for a couple months and then would no longer function at all on battery (still showed a charge though).

  There is no switchable graphics at all, you should have two display adapters listed in device manager.
  Sometimes before installing any display driver you will only see a single adapter in device manager.

  Device manager showing any missing drivers or problem devices?
  Did you install "Intel NUC Software Studio", does it show anything for battery or battery info?
  Does it operate at all when unplugged or instantly turn off?

  Could try a load defaults in BIOS - doubt it would do anything though.

  Lastly, dumb question, did you disconnect the battery and forget to plug it back in?

  I would have gone Win 11 over Win 10.
  ANYWAY, you could also boot up a live USB of Ubuntu or something to rule out software (see if the battery shows, see if the GPU shows in lspci or something etc)

• 

  ozbjunkie on 07/06/2024 - 06:13

  Yes updated bios to latest version first, then chipset, then other drivers in order listed on the guide for the 71h laptop drivers

  Initially battery held a short charge (I thought it was just low) but I have now been charging all night and if i unplug the power cord I get instant loss of power

  I did not unplug the battery, only opened the back to install SSD and 2 ram sodimms. Now I'm worried the battery cable is near the SSD and I knocked it but that isn't true, the ram and SSD are on the front edge, power on the back i.e. screen edge

  Definitely only 1 device in the display adaptors. No other device, not even a "didn't detect unknown device". No other unknown hardware coming up in device manager.

  Battery in bios says 4400mAh, normal healthy, charging. That's weird.

  Intel nuc studio installed but gave a error message, not compatible with my model, when I tried running.

  I think I will have to try another operating system. Any other way to check if the discrete GPU hardware is even on the motherboard?

  • 

    HueSplat on 07/06/2024 - 10:06

    It’s probably defective.
    My defective one would show the same in BIOS and just instantly power off when unplugged as if it had no battery at all.

    You could open it up and check the battery connection but it’s probably fine.

    Check if the discrete GPU present? not exactly, it will be covered by the heatsink, you can’t really see it as it’s covered on all sides, I don’t recommend removing the heatsink just to be safe from being blamed for causing the issue.
    It also won’t help you knowing if it is there or not, if it is faulty or does not exist it’s a warranty issue.

    This laptop kit is also only compatible with the NUC software studio from the Intel support page, it is not compatible with the version on the Microsoft store.
    Might not be your issue BUT just in case others find this.

    • 

      ozbjunkie on 08/06/2024 - 12:42

      Can I ask about the quality of customer support with your defective one? Was that with this deal?

      • 

        HueSplat on 08/06/2024 - 18:16

        I purchased from mwave.
        Had to send it back to them without SSD/RAM.
        mwave verified the issue and I requested a refund.

        took around 3 weeks.

• 

  Sinnerator on 07/06/2024 - 08:38

  may not help, but with dell laptops you need to set "date of first ownership" in bios to stop battery problems (crazy i know)

• 

  BlueSkyAPI on 07/06/2024 - 09:38

  I didn't experience the issues you are having. Installed RAM and SSD; installed Win11, updated BIOS, installed almost every item in the driver pack. Two graphics adapters showed up - one UHD Graphics and one A730M. The iGPU is strange to show up as UHD graphics. Intel ARK shows the iGPU on this chip is "Intel Iris Xe Graphics eligible". Battery charged to 100%; doesn't power off if the powerbrick is disconnected.

  NUC Studio installed okay.

  The minor issues I have are:
  - the power button is often slow blinking. No idea what that means, maybe battery charging?
  - idle power draw seems high at 60-70W after booting into Windows and not doing anything else. But after a long time I've seen it dipping into 35W but never <30W, and it would go back to 60-70W very quickly if I did anything. This is a lot higher than I was hoping for. This is my first time having a laptop with discrete GPU though so not sure if that's normal.

  Other than user error it does sound like you have a case for a DOA RMA.

  • 

    HueSplat on 07/06/2024 - 09:53

    +1

    Blinking means charging, it’s annoying.

    The UHD or XE naming for IGP should be dependent on RAM installed I believe (dual channel vs single channel).
    There have been some driver versions in the past that just list the wrong name.

    Idle power draw will be garbage, the A730M doesn’t like to go to sleep, it’s an ARC problem not exactly a gaming laptop problem.
    The latest ARC drivers (not from the driver pack) should help a smidgen, made little or no difference for me in power BUT helps a lot for game performance.

    You could try setting the refresh rate to 60hz and see if that helps, occasionally mine would drop but frequently jump back up again.

    • 

      BlueSkyAPI on 07/06/2024 - 10:52

      Thank you. The power blinking is annoying but I can put up with it.

      I've only got one single SODIMM installed so your suggestions around the single-channel / dual-channel difference is definitely plausible.

      The poor power draw is really painful for me. I initially envisaged after a few years of laptop use this could be retired to 24x7 homelab server duty. This article reported idle power range between 7.5W to 13.9W (measured at the wall) - which is acceptable for 24x7 and that's what I was expecting. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-NUC-X15-LAPAC71H-review-…

      But now it seems this would even have be questionable as a laptop as the battery duration would be real bad running 60-70W idle. My measurement of 60-70W was when the powerbrick was plugged in. Not sure if the laptop would idle much lower if it was on battery.

      If I knew this was only good for always-plugged in use case, then one of those mini PCs would have been sufficient (minus the A730M but possibly with the benefit of Radieon 780M).

      • 

        HueSplat on 07/06/2024 - 11:52

        Plugged in i never saw the power dip below around 35W in HWINFO, any kind of load would increase the power more than i expected (don't have a number).
        It does take a while to actually drop on bootup like you found, would sit at a higher power draw for a while then drop.
        Messing around doing random things i could get it to go lower with absolutely nothing running at all, still would occasionally get stuck at the higher power or just constantly spike up and down (A730M entering and exiting sleep), similar experience on battery.
        It should not be 60-70W on battery at idle though.

        For testing power in Windows, try setting a power profile in NUC software, disable the software from running at startup and disable the service from auto starting, once that has been done restart and set the balanced power plan in Windows and reset it to defaults. (simple "restore default settings for this power plan" in control panel), try 60hz refresh rate.

        The NUC software and service have a habit of constantly messing with power plans and preventing proper idle behaviour in my experience, also had the same with the NUC 12 Enthusiast 12700H+A770M and previous gen X15 laptop kit.

        See if that has any impact at all on power draw. the NUC software sucks, it messes with colour profiles and also causes some system stutter/lag intermittently when accessing certain things (like network/brightness or other system tray items).
        Downside is I found that it will randomly go back to its default power limits and fan profiles, for gaming you really need that A730M to have all the power it can get.

        I didn't run mine on battery at all, other than checking/testing power draw.
        One thing I noticed was when watching AV1 content on YouTube it would power up the ARC GPU, The 12700H includes AV1 decoding so there should be no need to decode on the A730M especially on battery with all power saving modes on. Even non AV1 content would randomly power up the A730M and occasionally just start decoding on it.

        The Intel UHD and XE naming has been a thing since it was introduced I believe.
        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

        **I recommend testing the ethernet thoroughly, I can't remember if it was this laptop or the NUC 12 Enthusiast (or both) that suffered from the i225 issue of randomly disappearing and not showing in device manager on startup (shutdown/reboot as well as sleep with fast startup and modern standby disabled) - not sure if it needs to be a 2.5gb link but that is what I have. MAY HAVE JUST BEEN MY UNIT

        This is separate from the "i225 issues on Intel NUCs in Windows 11/10 Modern Standby" I believe.

        ALSO
        Handy links - expect them to be deleted from Intel and no longer work.
        User manual and technical info.
        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

        Discontinue notice.
        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

        The "Intel NUCs with Windows* and Intel® Ethernet Controller i225 Won't Wake from Modern Standby" specific page and download has been removed, you can probably find it on some Asus NUC support page for a NUC 11, its the same patch.
        https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000…

    • 

      ozbjunkie on 07/06/2024 - 12:59

      To add I have dual channel, experience blinking, single GPU appearing

      Just for completeness

  • 

    ozbjunkie on 07/06/2024 - 12:58

    I will try windows 11

    I also have a perpetually blinking power light

    I believe it means charging (or battery error lol)

    • 

      HueSplat on 07/06/2024 - 13:02

      as per manual (technical spec) on the light.
      Power On: White, Power Off: Off
      Suspend: Breathing Amber/White
      Charging (Power On): Blinking White
      Charging (Power Off): Blinking White
      Battery Low (<20%): Amber
      Charging Finish (w/AC): White, w/o AC: Off

      I don't think Windows 11 is going to help you if it immediately powers off after unplugging, you could also test this sitting in the BIOS screen and unplugging.

      • 

        ozbjunkie on 07/06/2024 - 13:33

        Nah hoping that will solve the GPU detection issue (perhaps equally hopeless)

        If it was a dud battery they could send another one but this gpu issue means it's an RMA

• 

  ozbjunkie on 07/06/2024 - 13:35

  +1

  Just reporting back that I spoke to the helpful service staff who assemble these laptops and if reinstalling the graphics drivers for the a730m on the intel website don't make anything new show up in device manager, I have approval to begin the RMA process.

  I'll save an image and try win 11 to check it out and alleviate any superstition that's the issue.

  Thanks to folks here and to customer service.

  • 

    HueSplat on 07/06/2024 - 13:57

    I like Computer Alliance, I feel bad for them though because I reckon they are going to have a bunch of returns, issues and customer support requests with these (definitely more than a normal laptop).
    Hopefully you can get up and running in no time.

    • 

      ozbjunkie on 08/06/2024 - 12:45

      Update: seems customer service is a bit hit and miss.

      I am getting a return and have been told "no we will not hold another model for you or simply authorise a return on this one".

      I'm going to ask again Monday when someone in charge might be available.

      I think it's absurd to offer a bare bones laptop and then tell me there may be several weeks wait while they verify the issue, while I'm stuck with parts and they continue to sell their only available replacements.

      Hoping that doesn't occur. Would be really poor form if it did.

      • 

        HueSplat on 08/06/2024 - 18:31

        As much as it sucks, that is the normal procedure for anywhere I have dealt with.

        Always have to send the item back to them, wait for them to receive it and check it out then go from there with a refund, repair or replacement, they could also be extremely busy with warranty and returns.

        I have had multiple situations over the years where I asked Scorptec, PCCG, PLE and MWAVE to hold a replacement for me and none of them would.
        This has caused me to miss out on a replacement item and be refunded instead.