Driver Date/Size: 12/18/2013
Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4500U CPU @ 1.80GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
HD4400 Mobile
That's first Graphics in form of IGP.
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Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 820M
Driver Date/Size: 7/2/2014 // 340.52 -- That's current and up to date.
This is the second. 820M nVidia.
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First, confirm the game is using the 820m. You have it pinned to use the 820m in nVIdia Control Panel. In the 3D settings of nVIdia Control Panel I believe there is a icon you can enable that will show when it's being used. I think it only shows up when you have this type of setup, Intel + nVidia... If you cannot find a way to tell, you can use a program like "Afterburner" but do not install the RiviaTuner that come with it, RT can't be used with Origin in Game unless the detection level is tweaked.. any other overlay program and you can't use it at all.
I haven't used a 820m but I've used an HD4000 and it doesn't act like that.
Are you plugged directly into the Wall?
Is the PowerProfile set to be High Performance. Lenovo has a software suite, dunno if you have it installed. I tried to google it... SP520 maybe? IdeaPad.
HD4000Mobile under optimal conditions this game PvZ runs between 20 and 30fps, with a 30fps cap and all settings low. It's not ideal but it could work, I couldn't use it as a daily thing, more like a game or two in a hotel once every few months. HD4400 should be smoother.
Check to see if your RAM is a single stick or dual channel. Pretty sure Speccy can do that.
https://www.piriform.com/speccy/builds
If your laptop has an easy access door on the back, check to see there's two stick ontop of each other. If there is only 1 slot for memory the 2nd is under the keyboard. Cuz heck sir why not, pretty sure it can boost IGP performance if there are two sticks in dual channel versus a single large stick.
Try using the HD4400 instead of the 820m... I'd only do that once you firmly believe the 820m just isn't getting the job done. It's an unusual pairing to me as IGPs are hot on the tail... as you can see from my clickhappy benchmarks.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html?&3dmark06=1&3dmark11_gpu=1&3dmark13_ice_gpu=1&architecture=1&archive=1&benchmark_values=&codename=0&condensed=0&corespeed=1&daysold=0&deskornote=0&directx=1&dx=0&gpu_fullname=1&gpubenchmarks=0&itemselect_2055=2055&itemselect_2060=2060&itemselect_2804=2804&itemselect_2822=2822&itemselect_2988=2988&itemselect_3567=3567&itemselect_4158=4158&itemselect_4184=4184&itemselect_4575=4575&itemselect_4576=4576&itemselect_5202=5202&itemselect_5217=5217&itemselect_5746=5746&itemselect_5943=5943&itemselect_5945=5945&itemselect_5949=5949&memorybus=1&memoryspeed=1&month=&multiplegpus=0&or=0&pixelshaders=1&professional=0&search=&shaderspeed=1&showBars=1&showClassDescription=1&showCount=0&showPercent=0&sort=&technology=0&type=&vantage3dmarkgpu=1&vertexshaders=1
You will need to update the HD4400 to the latest drivers and make the nVidia control panel target pvz.exe as the game you don't want it to run on.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx
That might even break your Optimus (the tech that switches graphics)... by updating the Intel. But at this point who cares because we have given up on teh 820m to test with. You can always jump back with system restore or uninstalling and using the drivers from lenovo's site, that should put optimus back in it's working place later.
*edit
Here is this bench, probably easier to see and directly comparable to PvZ in many ways more than other tests atleast.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Computer-Games-on-Laptop-Graphic-Cards.13849.0.html?&architecture=0&archive=1&benchmark_values=&codename=0&condensed=0&corespeed=0&daysold=0&deskornote=0&directx=0&dx=0&gameselect%5B%5D=249&gpu_fullname=1&gpubenchmarks=0&itemselect_2822=2822&itemselect_2961=2961&itemselect_3549=3549&itemselect_3567=3567&itemselect_4059=4059&itemselect_4175=4175&itemselect_4574=4574&itemselect_4575=4575&itemselect_4576=4576&itemselect_5202=5202&itemselect_5210=5210&itemselect_5252=5252&memorybus=0&memoryspeed=0&month=&multiplegpus=0&or=0&pixelshaders=0&professional=0&search=&shaderspeed=0&showBars=0&showClassDescription=0&showCount=0&showPercent=0&sort=&technology=0&type=&vertexshaders=0
Wow that really stacks the odds again the HD4400 lol... I guess don't give up on the 820m
Make sure you've reset Global Profile and/or done clean installs of the drivers.
