NVIDIA and laptop GPUs

Use devario-gpu-run to run a game or application on a selected GPU. On a hybrid laptop, you can keep the desktop on integrated graphics (iGPU) and run demanding games on dedicated graphics (dGPU).

The choice applies to the application, not the whole desktop. It does not switch a laptop’s hardware MUX or change which GPU is wired to a monitor. Using the dGPU can increase power consumption and heat.

Check your GPUs

Open a terminal and run:

devario-gpu-run --help
devario-gpu-run --list

The list shows PCI addresses, hardware IDs and bound kernel drivers. For example, an Intel/NVIDIA laptop might show:

0000:00:02.0  id=8086:9a49  driver=i915
0000:01:00.0  id=10de:25a0  driver=nvidia

i915 or xe identifies an Intel driver, amdgpu identifies AMD, and nvidia identifies NVIDIA. Use addresses from your own output; these are examples. Only GPUs with a bound driver appear in this list.

The helper accepts nvidia, auto, or a Mesa GPU’s full PCI address, not amd. Older installations may differ; check your installed --help output.

Run an application on NVIDIA

With an NVIDIA GPU listed as driver=nvidia, use:

devario-gpu-run nvidia -- APPLICATION

Replace APPLICATION with the executable and any arguments. The -- separates the GPU choice from the application command. Run this as your normal user, not with sudo.

The helper sets up NVIDIA PRIME render offload and clears conflicting GPU selection settings. You do not need to add prime-run. If you have multiple NVIDIA GPUs, nvidia does not pick a specific card by PCI address.

Steam launch options

For native Steam, stop the game, open Properties → General → Launch Options and enter:

devario-gpu-run nvidia -- %command%

Keep %command% exactly as written. Steam replaces it with the game’s command; do not add APPLICATION. Set this on the game, not just the Steam client.

Flatpak Steam runs in a sandbox where the host helper may not be available. These launch options are for native Steam, not a Flatpak setup procedure.

Keep existing launch options

Put environment variables after -- using env, before %command%. For example, if you already use DXVK’s FPS display:

devario-gpu-run nvidia -- env DXVK_HUD=fps %command%

DXVK_HUD=fps is optional and applies to games using DXVK. Keep ordinary game arguments after %command%, as required by the game. Quote values containing spaces, for example env NAME="value with spaces".

Keep env before the assignments: without it, the helper tries to run DXVK_HUD=fps as a program. Start with the simple launch option, then add your existing settings back one at a time.

Select an AMD or Intel GPU

For a Mesa-driven GPU, copy its full PCI address from --list. For example, if your AMD dedicated GPU is listed at 0000:03:00.0 with driver=amdgpu:

devario-gpu-run 0000:03:00.0 -- APPLICATION

The corresponding Steam launch option is:

devario-gpu-run 0000:03:00.0 -- %command%

Replace the address with your own. This also works for an Intel integrated GPU; choose the device you want from the list rather than assuming a particular PCI address means “dedicated”.

If the helper warns about vulkan-mesa-layers, Vulkan applications may ignore the selection. The older radeon kernel driver has no Vulkan support in this helper, so selecting it will not fix a Proton game.

Verify the result

Check the game’s graphics settings or renderer log for the selected GPU. Compare the same scene, resolution and graphics settings before and after changing the launch option.

For NVIDIA, if nvidia-smi is installed, run it while the game is open:

nvidia-smi

Look for the game or its Wine/Proton process. Steam or the compositor appearing alone does not tell you which GPU the game uses; process reporting varies.

If glxinfo is installed, this checks a separate OpenGL/GLX test process:

devario-gpu-run nvidia -- glxinfo -B

Check its OpenGL renderer string. This tests glxinfo, not a Vulkan/Proton game. Use the game’s own renderer information to check the game itself.

If it still does not work

• The helper is missing or its options differ: check your image and package versions and ask for support. Do not copy a replacement into /usr/bin.
• The GPU is missing or the NVIDIA driver is unavailable: check --list, lspci -nnk if installed, and any nvidia-smi error. The helper selects a GPU; it does not install drivers. Keep the driver branch supported by your GPU and image. The installer policy describes the current open and older 580 branches; older images may differ.
• The game still uses another GPU: keep %command%, remove other GPU wrappers and retry the simple launch option on the game.
• The correct GPU is active but resolution is wrong: check the game’s display/fullscreen settings and monitor configuration. Selecting a GPU does not set the game’s resolution.
• It worked before an update: record the kernel, driver, Aqueous, game and Proton versions. A compositor or runtime update can change behavior even without a driver update. Change one thing at a time.

Undo the change

To undo this guide’s change, remove the wrapper from Steam’s launch options, restore your previous options and relaunch the game. For a terminal launch, close the application and start it normally.

auto clears inherited GPU-selection variables but keeps driver filters. To return to your usual setup, remove the wrapper rather than replacing nvidia with auto.

Get help

Include your laptop/GPU models, image and package versions, --help/--list output, Steam packaging, game/Proton version and exact launch options. Describe what changed and what you expected. Collect a local Devario report and review it before sharing.

For implementation details, see the GPU helper source.