Something wrong with the video card

[Acolyte_64]

I built my computer in early December, and everything worked fine and I was able to easily run Skyrim on high for extended amounts of time. However, starting today, there have been serious problems with the video performance. The resolution set for Skyrim was changed to something very low, and the performance was terrible, with lots of lag. I am unable to change the resolution to the proper 1920 x 1080 and this problem occurs with all my games. I think that my computer may be using the Intel integrated video card somehow and ignoring my gtx 570. Does anyone have any ideas as to what is wrong?

 

[AMD X6850]

Check your BIOS configuration, there should be a setting to use the discrete graphics rather than the integrated.
The resolution for Skyrim shouldn't change on its own, unless it detected a change in graphics cards (it tests this at the launcher and sets graphics settings based on the strength of your GPU).
To make sure that your computer is using the Intel integrated (so we know that we are diagnosing the right problem), go to Start -> Run and in the dialog box, type in "dxdiag.exe".
Then switch to the Display tab and all the information on your current GPU should come up. If its the Intel and not the Nvidia 570, then that is the problem.

If that is the case, check for the setting in the BIOS.

 

[Acolyte_64]

Check your BIOS configuration, there should be a setting to use the discrete graphics rather than the integrated.
The resolution for Skyrim shouldn't change on its own, unless it detected a change in graphics cards (it tests this at the launcher and sets graphics settings based on the strength of your GPU).
To make sure that your computer is using the Intel integrated (so we know that we are diagnosing the right problem), go to Start -> Run and in the dialog box, type in "dxdiag.exe".
Then switch to the Display tab and all the information on your current GPU should come up. If its the Intel and not the Nvidia 570, then that is the problem.

If that is the case, check for the setting in the BIOS.

I usedthat command you gave me for start to check which video card is being used, display one uses the gtx 570 and display two uses the Intel. I only have one monitor, so I don't know what the second display is about.

When I shut down my computer to look at the BIOS, the monitor refused to acknowledge any signal from my computer until I saw the windows loading screen. This is the first time this has happened and now it is happening repeatedly I have to fiddle with the monitor just to get it to display anything, so there is probably some bigger problem. Thank you for replying.

 

[Acolyte_64]

Is this how a video card that has somehow broken behave?

 

[stubbies2003]

Unless you really need to use the integrated video for some reason I would just disable it in BIOS. The only thing that can happen is confusion as to which it is trying to use (which is your problem not a bad video card). Disable the integrated one and you'll see all return to normal.

 

[Acolyte_64]

Best answer selected by Acolyte_64.