Hybridlike desktop setup

[Sir G]

Some notebooks feature nvidia hybrid-sli technology. For those that have no clue what it is: it's basicly a notebook with a (high-end) dedicated graphics card, and an on-board (low-end) graphics card. When performing simple tasks like browsing the internet, the notebook will use the low-end graphics card. When doing tasks that require more performance the notebook will use the high-end card (or actually, both cards).

This got me thinking. Is it possible to make a desktop rig that has two graphics cards (i.e. a geforce gtx480 and a gt240) and make them work in this hybrid-like fashion? In such a way that when no real performance is needed the desktop turns off the gtx480 and uses the gt240 to keep power consumption low, and when performance is needed it turns off the gt240 and uses the gtx480? (or uses the gtx480 for graphics and the gt240 for physics for that matter).

I do suspect this might be hard to make transparant for the end-user. But, if it is possible, even if the user has to hand-select the card he wants to use, I might try and do this.

thanks

 

[Sir G]

alright, maye I overestimate the gtx480's idle power consumption. Is it that close to other lower end cards?

 

[Sir G]

Really? Even if I would disable it in the device manager?

Thanks for the help so far, btw

 

[Sir G]

Yes, I suppose so. But I'm just speculating here. I can't really imagine how much of a power drain the gtx480 is. I got this idea because at first I was thinking about doing a gtx480 - gt240 graphics - physics combo. I use my computer for simulations using physics, as well as the occasional gaming (but I like playing highly realistic games, so that 'occasional' doesn't really matter ) I wondered if when idling just the gt240 could be used, for power saving reasons, and that brought me here.

 

[Sir G]

oh, that's next to nothing. I haven't got anything to worry about then.