Public bug reported:

I have a Dell Insprion 14z (Inspiron 5423) and I'm running 13.04. The
machine has an Intel 4000 HD and Radeon 7550M/7570M/7650M

By default, both graphics cards are powered up, even though only the integrated 
Intel is used:
$ sudo cat /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch
0:DIS: :Pwr:0000:02:00.0
1:IGD:+:Pwr:0000:00:02.0

The same was the case in 12.10. By default, the machine heats up
terribly and the fan blasts full-tilt, with battery life affected.

Each time that I reinstall Ubuntu, I have to manually edit /etc/rc.local to add 
the following above the "exit 0":
echo IGD > /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch
echo OFF > /sys/kernel/debug/vgaswitcheroo/switch

As far as I can tell, this makes no difference to performance, as by
default the ATi/AMD card isn't doing anything anyway.

I appreciate that, long term, the problem will hopefully be solved by
powering up the discrete card as-needed and switching to that, but until
we reach hybrid graphics Nirvana, perhaps the sensible option is to just
turn off the discrete cards by default. I assume that it takes some
jiggery-pokery to make the discrete card do anything, so adding another
step to that seems less important than making sure that machines in the
default setup don't overheat and have poor battery life. With the new
Intel chips/drivers, they are actually a pretty good option anyway - I'm
driving a 1900x1200 external monitor off mine, along with the 720p
laptop monitor.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: xorg 1:7.7+1ubuntu4
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.29-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
.tmp.unity.support.test.0:
 
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
CompizPlugins: No value set for 
`/apps/compiz-1/general/screen0/options/active_plugins'
CompositorRunning: compiz
CompositorUnredirectDriverBlacklist: '(nouveau|Intel).*Mesa 8.0'
CompositorUnredirectFSW: true
Date: Fri Apr 26 22:34:26 2013
DistUpgraded: Fresh install
DistroCodename: raring
DistroVariant: ubuntu
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
ExtraDebuggingInterest: Yes
GraphicsCard:
 Intel Corporation 3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller [8086:0166] (rev 
09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
   Subsystem: Dell Device [1028:057f]
 Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Thames [Radeon 7550M/7570M/7650M] 
[1002:6841] (rev ff) (prog-if ff)
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-26 (0 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Inspiron 5423
MarkForUpload: True
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic 
root=UUID=e429a76e-75c0-44b9-90d4-a75ee21d98a2 ro quiet splash
SourcePackage: xorg
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/03/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A03
dmi.board.name: 0RMVR3
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A03
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: Not Specified
dmi.modalias: 
dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd08/03/2012:svnDellInc.:pnInspiron5423:pvrNotSpecified:rvnDellInc.:rn0RMVR3:rvrA03:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvrNotSpecified:
dmi.product.name: Inspiron 5423
dmi.product.version: Not Specified
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
version.compiz: compiz 1:0.9.9~daily13.04.18.1~13.04-0ubuntu1
version.ia32-libs: ia32-libs N/A
version.libdrm2: libdrm2 2.4.43-0ubuntu1
version.libgl1-mesa-dri: libgl1-mesa-dri 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental: libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental N/A
version.libgl1-mesa-glx: libgl1-mesa-glx 9.1.1-0ubuntu3
version.xserver-xorg-core: xserver-xorg-core 2:1.13.3-0ubuntu6
version.xserver-xorg-input-evdev: xserver-xorg-input-evdev 1:2.7.3-0ubuntu2b2
version.xserver-xorg-video-ati: xserver-xorg-video-ati 1:7.1.0-0ubuntu2
version.xserver-xorg-video-intel: xserver-xorg-video-intel 2:2.21.6-0ubuntu4
version.xserver-xorg-video-nouveau: xserver-xorg-video-nouveau 1:1.0.7-0ubuntu1

** Affects: xorg (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug compiz-0.9 raring ubuntu

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which is subscribed to xorg in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1173393

Title:
  Both my IGD Intel 4000HD and discrete ATi Radeon are powered on by
  default

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