Dual-monitor setup with both discrete and integrated GPU

[Kelthar]

Hello.

I have recently decided to start using a 2nd monitor, but since I mainly game, I do not want it to have an impact on my gaming performance, since I own a GTX 760 which isn't a very powerful card.

So, I had the idea of connecting the 2nd monitor to the motherboard, so that it'd use the integrated GPU on my processor (3570K).

After tweaking things in my BIOS, I finally got it to work. However, I feel that things are still being rendered on my discrete GPU. And I ran a test to confirm it.

I simply tried two different games (Battlefield 4 and Prison Architect, not that it matters) on windowed mode, while measuring my GPU's core load. Moving it from one monitor to the other had no impact: the FPS remained the same, the core load stayed the same.

So, it got me wondering: is what I'm trying to do completely impossible? Intel graphics SEEMS to have triggered: intel graphics panel now shows up, and it does control my 2nd monitor, and dxdiag shows that the 2nd display is controlled by the Intel HD Graphics 4000. But is it REALLY rendering things, other than my games, or is it just working as an interface? Is all data being rendered on my discrete GPU and then simply sent to my motherboard, instead of being rendered on the integrated GPU?

Thanks,
Kelthar

 

[Eduello]

A GTX 760 can handle 2 screens easily and using another screen for browsing the web etc while gaming will not significantly decrease your performance.

 

[Kelthar]

I'm already running some games below 60FPS, and if I have to choose between keeping a few FPS and the 2nd monitor, I'll keep the FPS, that's why I was trying to figure this out.

 

[TriBeard]

I think that's because it's a game, and it's just starting on your dedicated GPU because you're opening it on the monitor attached to the dedicated GPU, so that's what it stays on. The browsing and whatever else you're doing on the monitor attached to the motherboard shouldn't impact the dedicated GPU at all, though the performance difference in running a second monitor is close to zero anyway.

 

[Eduello]

I'm already running some games below 60FPS, and if I have to choose between keeping a few FPS and the 2nd monitor, I'll keep the FPS, that's why I was trying to figure this out.

Well I'm not sure if you can use the integrated GPU and the GTX 760 at the same time.
The best thing to do is test it: Plug the other display in the mobo and the other one in the GPU and start to run a game like BF4 on the 1st screen (try fullscreen). On the other screen, make youtube run a HD video and set it to fullscreen. Now start to play and see if this affects your performance.

 

[Kelthar]

I think that's because it's a game, and it's just starting on your dedicated GPU because you're opening it on the monitor attached to the dedicated GPU, so that's what it stays on. The browsing and whatever else you're doing on the monitor attached to the motherboard shouldn't impact the dedicated GPU at all, though the performance difference in running a second monitor is close to zero anyway.

If that's in fact it, would there be any way of changing that? If I wanted to run a more passive game (but which might be demanding) on my second monitor, how would I do that?