Does using two displays increase the load on my graphics card? (Even though I use only one while gaming)

po6pwn

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Apr 3, 2015
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So I have a Nvidia GTX 960 4GB hooked up to a 17" monitor as my secondary display and a 24" monitor as my primary. It doesn't seem to make much of a difference in games like CSGO or Dota but when I run intensive games like GTA 5 with the graphics cranked up, I do experience a little stuttering and screen tearing. This used to never happen when I had the 17" monitor as my only output. Any idea?