question about new build with z97

[kevinf2090]

I have not built a computer in a while and have some questions about the built in video on the Asus Z97 pro motherboard. I understand that the video connectors that are integrated with the motherboard will work with the Intel CPU that I put in. I am using an i7 4790k just for reference.

If I put a dedicated GPU on the motherboard, will I still be able to use the onboard graphics when in situations that don't require the power of the graphics card?

Let's say I have a single monitor setup and I connect to the integrated display port on the motherboard. Will the system still be using the integrated graphics when gaming or will it switch to the graphics card, even though my monitor is connected to the motherboard video connector? I guess the gist of my question is, will I be able to take advantage of the dedicated GPU's power even though my monitor is connected to the onboard video connector.

Thanks in advance and let me know if something needs to be clarified.

 

[OlyAR15]

Basically, no. If you want to use the discrete video card, you need to connect the monitor to it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Basically, no. If you want to use the discrete video card, you need to connect the monitor to it.

Today, I'm just a casual interloper, but it caught my attention.

It's true, "ceteris paribus" without further elaboration that he'd "need to connect a monitor" to the dGPU.

However, on the Z68 boards and later, there is a feature likely included (for Ivy and Haswell). It seems to continue through the Z77 boards, so I'm betting it is standard as well on Z87 and Z97 chipsets. And -- just as an aside -- you can look through generations of motherboards to see if some feature is out of place or conversely the menu structure is sub-optimal to easy intuitive user navigation. That doesn't means some feature doesn't work well, but only that configuring it always seems a bit obtuse. So the corrections for good or bad will appear in subsequent chipset BIOS's.

The feature in the "Advanced' sub-menu may include an item called "System Agent Configuration." Or it may be in some "graphics" sub-menu on boards of different manufacture.

System Agent allows configuration of "Multi-monitor" or of shared system RAM size when Mm is "off"/disabled. "Multi-monitor" makes it possible to install an often or likely-bundled software called "Lucid Virtu" by Lucid Logix.

This allows the onboard iGPU to be a "master" or "slave" to a dGPU. That is, the iGPU provides rendering assistance to the system, and can otherwise use the VRAM on the dGPU and take a burden off the latter's operational load. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption of the dGPU, if the BIOS configuration is done according to "iGPU mode," where the iGPU monitor is the default monitor at boot-time. In dGPU-mode, there are no energy savings.

Whether this is much used, I wouldn't know. But I had it working with a GTX 570 card in d-GPU-mode for maybe two years. Various reviews, including perhaps your own opinion, indicate that there's no significant performance gain.

I don't know if you have to choose "multi-monitor" to use the iGPU as a second, independent graphics adapter. In that case, you would install or see installed graphics drivers and sys-tray links for both cards. I had my system briefly running that way, and IIRC, it allowed me to "extend the desktop" within NVidia Control Panel. Well -- not so sure about that -- but in such a configuration on a Windows system, the Intel-connected monitor appeared as a desktop extension on its own monitor.

I would think it unfavorably complicated, though, if you have to do that. Instead, I find the iGPU useful so that I can take my time to build a system, and perhaps even reduce some costs. I can tune the system excluding graphics at my leisure, while on an extensive web-shopping excursion on the dGPU options.

If there's ever a problem that could be more symptomatic of a failing or malfunctioning graphics card, you don't need to go to the parts-locker and find the el-cheapo spare you keep just for such purposes.

 

[rcarlos243]

I don't know if its still possible but a few years back you can do Nvidia Optimus on the desktop.

There is also a software called lucid virtu that does the same thing.