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Why do you have to set the primary video to integrated when connecting to onboard?

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  • Connection
  • Video
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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June 21, 2014 2:29:27 PM

If I wanted to connect a third monitor to my computer, I would just have to enable intel multi display and set the primary video as integrated. But why would I have do do that. Would that mess up anything?

More about : set primary video integrated connecting onboard

June 21, 2014 2:46:19 PM

Depends on your motherboard, graphics card, and perhaps even OS.
Older discrete graphics cards only allowed you to use 2 out of the three or more connectors.
Modern cards let you attach monitors to all of them.

Some motherboards, particularly from oem builds have simple bios which do not allow integrated.discrete adapter flexibility. Modern intel chipsets allow three displays to be attached.

In the bios, you can set the adapter to be used for bios messages and startup. In windows, you can set the primary display.

Some older os versions allowed only one graphics driver. W7 and W8 allow many drivers.

What specifically are your parts?

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June 21, 2014 2:48:45 PM

geofelt said:
Depends on your motherboard, graphics card, and perhaps even OS.
Older discrete graphics cards only allowed you to use 2 out of the three or more connectors.
Modern cards let you attach monitors to all of them.

Some motherboards, particularly from oem builds have simple bios which do not allow integrated.discrete adapter flexibility. Modern intel chipsets allow three displays to be attached.

In the bios, you can set the adapter to be used for bios messages and startup. In windows, you can set the primary display.

Some older os versions allowed only one graphics driver. W7 and W8 allow many drivers.

What specifically are your parts?



I have a dell xps 8500 which has the following:

AMD Radeon HD 7770
Intel 3450
H77 Motherboard
Windows 8.1 64 bit.
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June 21, 2014 2:50:23 PM

And for any that say that it can't be done, I've seen it been done before. I have done it before. But it didn't work after that.
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June 21, 2014 2:58:07 PM

1. I think your 7770 should be able to drive all 3 monitors. You will probably need a displayport adapter cable.

2. Failing that, dell may be one of those with a dumb bios.
Take the 7770 out and you should be able to use the integrated H77 adapter. I think that chipset only supports 2 out of the possible connections at the same time. Install the intel display adapter drivers.
You should be able to get one or two monitors going.
Then install your 7770. In windows control panel you should see all three.
Select the one you want as your primary display.
You probably want to extend your desktop across all three.
Single monitor gaming will be directed to the primary monitor.
3. If all else fails, you can add a second graphics card.
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June 21, 2014 3:01:33 PM

geofelt said:
1. I think your 7770 should be able to drive all 3 monitors. You will probably need a displayport adapter cable.

2. Failing that, dell may be one of those with a dumb bios.
Take the 7770 out and you should be able to use the integrated H77 adapter. I think that chipset only supports 2 out of the possible connections at the same time. Install the intel display adapter drivers.
You should be able to get one or two monitors going.
Then install your 7770. In windows control panel you should see all three.
Select the one you want as your primary display.
You probably want to extend your desktop across all three.
Single monitor gaming will be directed to the primary monitor.
3. If all else fails, you can add a second graphics card.


So, I can't just set the primary video in the bios. And have the intel working with the dedicated.
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June 21, 2014 3:05:02 PM

In the bios, you can set where the bios messages go.
In windows control panel is where you set the windows primary monitor.
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June 21, 2014 3:08:05 PM

geofelt said:
In the bios, you can set where the bios messages go.
In windows control panel is where you set the windows primary monitor.


Not the monitor. The actual video output. Onboard or Graphics Card. If I choose onboard, will I be able to boot to windows with the intel graphics and the dedicated graphics. Simultaneously working. I have enabled Intel Multi Display. And it doesn't work. It I switch the primary graphics output to onboard, will it work?
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June 21, 2014 3:47:21 PM

You should be able to boot into windows without any driver at all. Every graphics adapter has a basic low res mode that does not need any driver. You need to install the appropriate driver for each adapter to get full resolution.


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Best solution

June 21, 2014 4:03:12 PM

Edit : Disregard I read that as the Intel 3450 chip set not the CPU and missed the H77 motherboard.

Modern integrated GPUs do what you want. It was never possible with chipset GPUs like yours as far as I know. Intel multi monitor is for connecting multiple monitors to the chipset GPU not for running it at the same time as a dedicated GPU. And Intel says its not possible.

" Can I install an external PCI Express* graphics card and use it in parallel with Intel graphics?

No. Intel graphics cannot be used along with an external PCI Express graphics controller. Installing a PCI Express graphics controller will disable Intel graphics."

www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-031040.htm


" The GMCH graphics engine is incapable of running in parallel with an external PCI Express* graphics device. But, the GMCH graphics engine can work in conjunction with a PCI graphics adapter."


www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915g/sb/CS-013595.h...

Just run all three off the 7770
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June 21, 2014 4:23:24 PM

Interesting links.
There seems to be a strange difference. An external pcie adapter can not run in parallel with an integrated adapter, but it can work in conjunction. What does that mean?
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June 21, 2014 5:15:00 PM

unksol said:
Edit : Disregard I read that as the Intel 3450 chip set not the CPU and missed the H77 motherboard.

Modern integrated GPUs do what you want. It was never possible with chipset GPUs like yours as far as I know. Intel multi monitor is for connecting multiple monitors to the chipset GPU not for running it at the same time as a dedicated GPU. And Intel says its not possible.

" Can I install an external PCI Express* graphics card and use it in parallel with Intel graphics?

No. Intel graphics cannot be used along with an external PCI Express graphics controller. Installing a PCI Express graphics controller will disable Intel graphics."

www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-031040.htm


" The GMCH graphics engine is incapable of running in parallel with an external PCI Express* graphics device. But, the GMCH graphics engine can work in conjunction with a PCI graphics adapter."


www.intel.com/support/graphics/intel915g/sb/CS-013595.h...

Just run all three off the 7770


Even though this is the solution. Due to my monitor restrictions, I cannot run all three. However, what do you mean by conjunction? I take it you mean that they can switch but you have to choose between them. But this still doesn't answer the question completely. I can't switch the primary graphics adapter to the onboard. And have them both work from there.
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