I'd like to disable the Nvidia GPU when I don't need it (which is most of the time) to ensure I'm maximizing my battery life. There's an Automatic Graphics Switching option in System Preferences, which is enabled. Is that all there is too it, or is there something else I should do? Thanks.
Jason
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10)
Hi CincyTriGuy,
If you would like more information on the Automatic Graphics Switching option on your MacBook Pro, you may find the following article helpful:
Regards,
- Brenden
You can try using the software gfxCardStatus. It will let you force the graphics to always use integrated only, discrete only, or automatic. It works pretty well, but use it at your own risk since it's unsupported and goes against how OS X is designed.
For example, one day I set gfxCardStatus to Integrated Only and then later I plugged in my external monitor. The monitor didn't work. It took a minute or two before I realized that plugging in an external monitor requires discrete graphics and I had disabled it by forcing graphics to Integrated Only. Also, some software may require the discrete graphics. Just be aware of what you are doing in case it is time to use discrete graphics for a while.
Disable NVidia graphics on mid 2014 MBP / Yosemite
