Can you run both Integrated and Dedicated GPU at the same time

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

hi guys im going to buy a 21" inch montior and im left with my old 17 inch monitor so my qustion is can i have my both monitors on different gpus i mean to plug my new monitor into the dedicated and the old one into the integrated. Can i connect them both with VGA or i have to buy a dvi cable so i can run both monitors at the same time on different gpu and if i cant dual VGA shall i buy a vga-dvi adapter
thanks in advance

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

Ideally, you would connect both monitors to your graphic card output, but if you check your system BIOS, there may be an option to re-enable the on-board graphics while a discrete card exists.

-Wolf sends

smackers_12 · Oct 21, 2014

In most configs you cannot use both. You will be better off with two monitors off of your graphics card. Do either of the monitors have dvi? If so run the old one off vga and the new off dvi (Most new monitors have dvi)

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

smackers_12 :

No,it has only HDMI and VGA but if i buy an adapter will it work (DVI to VGA) so heres what i am planning i buy an adapter dvi to vga i connect the dvi to my gpu and the vga to the new monitor (my gpu has DVI and VGA)so i plug the dvi to vga adapter to new monitor then i connect the old one with a original vga cable is it possible?

Icaraeus · Oct 21, 2014

It's better to run all displays off the dedicated video card. The integrated GPU is useful only in emergencies if you have a video card, so to speak.

smackers_12 · Oct 21, 2014

DVI to HDMI will work better than DVI to VGA as its a simple cable as the signal is the same through a different connector. DVI to VGA is a signal conversion so you need an active adaptor. VGA will also give a lower quality image without an expensive cable

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

This assumes you have a DVI-I port as opposed to a DVI-D port on your graphics card:

DVI-I --> DVI/VGA Adapter --> VGA Cable --> Monitor 1 VGA Input
VGA --> VGA Cable --> Monitor 2 VGA Input

If your graphics card only has DVI-D then:

DVI-D --> DVI/HDMI Cable --> Monitor 1 HDMI input
VGA --> VGA Cable --> Monitor 2 VGA input.

-Wolf sends

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

Wolfshadw :

i think its dvi-i cuz when i look at the back of my case i see the vga/hdmi/and dvi with 4 squares i think its Dual Link DVI-I. so what should i buy? an adapter dvi to vga?and i already have 3 original vga cables should i buy anythink else?
sorry for my english actually im french but in tom's hardware france i get much less help so here i am in the uk forum

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

Check the box your graphics card came in. It should have come with a DVI-I to VGA adapter (most do). If not, then that is what you'll need to purchase and then connect that to the DVI-I output of your graphics card and then use the VGA cable to connect to the monitor.

-Wolf sends

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

Wolfshadw :

Thanks a lot.and if i try the dvi to vga in the new one and then vga orignal with the integrated Gpu will it work and will it have any performance affects, is it the same if i use both monitors on the dedicated or i use each on different gpus
i already found the adapter for 2euros im waiting for the monitor to be delivered
thanks.

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

Again, you need to check the system BIOS to see if you even can run both a discrete graphics card and the on-board graphics at the same time. On many motherboards, you can't.

If you can, you can expect to take a performance hit on the CPU as it tries to handle the on-board graphics output.
If you can't, you can expect to take a performance hit on the GPU as it tries to handle both displays.

-Wolf sends

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

Wolfshadw :

I'll go with the dedicated GPU i checked on my mobo and it's not possible IGP and dedicated GPU to work at the same time anyway what kind of performance decrease should i be waiting for. i want to play League of Legends on just 1 screen not both i want my bigger screen to be on league of legends and my smaller one be on the desktop is it possible?
thanks for all the support

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

What performance hit you'll take is going to depend on what all is running on the secondary screen. Rough guess-timate would say anywhere between 5% and 25% as typical. If you want the most out of your system while gaming, disable the secondary monitor before starting the game.

-Wolf sends

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

Wolfshadw :

how can i disable it? going in the nvidia control panel? or the windows personalize options?

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

Correct. You might even be able to set up a hot key profile (don't know how, myself), to automatically switch between configurations.

-Wolf sends

accesgranted1 · Oct 21, 2014

Wolfshadw :

Ok,and one more thing, what resolution in total i can get if i play with both monitors my 17 inch monitor is 1280x1024 and i think that the new one will be 1280x1024 too thanks for help.

Wolfshadw · Oct 21, 2014

If you span your application/game across both monitors, you'd be looking at a resolution of 2560x1024, but I would not game this way. The center of the screen is going to be right where the two monitor bezels come together.

-Wolf sends

Can you run both Integrated and Dedicated GPU at the same time

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