disconnecting VGA when not used - anticipating Hybrid SLI - Graphics-Cards

Hi!

i was wondering if it is somewhat possibile to disconnect an external VGA to use the IGP when the pc is used just for surfing, office and so on..
I know about this interesting technology, the hybrid SLI, but it'll be available for still-to-come motherboards and up-to-date VGA..

so, is it possibile to put a "switch" between the card and the pc?
I mean, I don't want something that could be powered with the pc in use.
It'd be great enough if you can decide, before turning on the pc, if you want the external VGA or if the IGP is enough!

I know that here on tomshw VGA power consumptions tests are made interposing some circuit between the slot and the card itself.
On this way, I think wouldn't it be impossibile to put a simple switch between the card and the slot!

I hope to get some feedback from you, and maybe some links...
I doubt I am the first idiot to think about this! (couldn't find anything btw...)

thank you!

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------------------------------ the moon is closer to the sun, than I am to anyone

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Get the soldering gun out. Your have to route somehow to the IGP, create a bios change most likely, and buy another hookup to your monitor, dont see why not........Not worth it

------------------------------ I went drifting, thru the capitols of tin, where men cant walk and cant freely talk, and sons turn their fathers in
Reply to jaydeejohn

jv_guano wrote :

Hi!

i was wondering if it is somewhat possibile to disconnect an external VGA to use the IGP when the pc is used just for surfing, office and so on..
I know about this interesting technology, the hybrid SLI, but it'll be available for still-to-come motherboards and up-to-date VGA..

so, is it possibile to put a "switch" between the card and the pc?
I mean, I don't want something that could be powered with the pc in use.
It'd be great enough if you can decide, before turning on the pc, if you want the external VGA or if the IGP is enough!

I know that here on tomshw VGA power consumptions tests are made interposing some circuit between the slot and the card itself.
On this way, I think wouldn't it be impossibile to put a simple switch between the card and the slot!

I hope to get some feedback from you, and maybe some links...
I doubt I am the first idiot to think about this! (couldn't find anything btw...)

thank you!

As far as i know the best option available without hybrid sli would be to set an underclocked profile in your video drivers and set it as default so that when the pc starts its running the gpu underclocked and then have a second profile at stock or OCed for gaming. But to be honest it would be a lot of tweaking and setting/resetting to get it right for very little benefit.
Mactronix

Reply to mactronix

actually mactronix suggestion it's the best so far!

jaydeejohn, I wouldn't go on solder works on my own, without a cool guide about what to solder and where...I wrote her ejust to know if some folks made something like that!

Instead, te idea of two profiles is simple and quite effective..
let's say, when you browse the web you could turn off the whole VGA, but this seems a tricky point to get...
and, as usual, something is better than nothing, so I think I'll follow the two-profiles way!

(although I must say the idea of turning on and off the VGA is really geeky! and will continue to tease me for a long time!!

------------------------------ the moon is closer to the sun, than I am to anyone
Reply to jv_guano

d'you see it now???

It's possibile, it's not unreal!!

This is the way people measure watt of video card!!!

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] -oc_2.html

but actually, I already arrived at the point to isolate the power pin...
but how to

Quote :

I isolate the power contacts of the PCI Express x16 slot and send this power directly to the card, bypassing the slot.

how to give power to the video card directly? where and how can I find the soldering point???

please help me!! :bounce:

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ the moon is closer to the sun, than I am to anyone
Reply to jv_guano

jv_guano wrote :

d'you see it now???

It's possibile, it's not unreal!!

This is the way people measure watt of video card!!!

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/v [...] -oc_2.html

but actually, I already arrived at the point to isolate the power pin...
but how to

Quote :

I isolate the power contacts of the PCI Express x16 slot and send this power directly to the card, bypassing the slot.

how to give power to the video card directly? where and how can I find the soldering point???

please help me!! :bounce:

The problem with what you are proposing is not so much the possability of doing it its more how impractable it is.
Supose you can trace it and do what you are looking to do, what happens when the power is turned off from the card ?
Im not 100% sure but im guessing that it wont just pick up the onboard and run that, most boards i know of that have onboard require it to be dissabled when installing the Graphics card.
Its good in theory but i think the possable software issues like driver conflicts if you could have both a dedicated and onboard running would outway any benefits.
Good luck with it and keep us posted on how you get on
Mactronix

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to mactronix

mactronix wrote :

The problem with what you are proposing is not so much the possability of doing it its more how impractable it is.
Supose you can trace it and do what you are looking to do, what happens when the power is turned off from the card ?
Im not 100% sure but im guessing that it wont just pick up the onboard and run that, most boards i know of that have onboard require it to be dissabled when installing the Graphics card.
Its good in theory but i think the possable software issues like driver conflicts if you could have both a dedicated and onboard running would outway any benefits.
Good luck with it and keep us posted on how you get on
Mactronix

thank you for your reply!

about the "software" problem, I think I'll not have many problems.

Now my family has got a pc with an external ATI x1500 or somewhat.
from BIOS, I can turn whenever I want from Onboard to PCI-E, and I don't see drivers problems in win or anywhere else..
moreover, of course I WON'T shut up the graphic card while the pc is connected!
I'm not going to reach a true Hybrid system!

I just want, berfore turning on the pc, have the possibility to turn down some device (like I do for hard disks and DVD burner) if I know that I'm not going to use it!
and if this device is a VGA, well done, since they're te most power demanding device out there!!!

so, my main problem remains WIRING...

------------------------------ the moon is closer to the sun, than I am to anyone
Reply to jv_guano

disconnecting VGA when not used - anticipating Hybrid SLI

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