Connecting 1 monitor to iGPU and 1 to dGPU, how is the process shared?

[tonyrulez]

I have a GTX1060 with only HDMI, DP and DVI-D output. An FHD monitor is connected via HDMi. I'm thinking of buying a second monitor, the cheapest the better, but they only have 1 VGA (D-SUB) connector. Which is fine, I just need to enable the iGPU in the BIOS and can hook it up to the motherboard. Here comes the question: how is the computing process shared on the 2 GPUs?

For instance:

Dragging a program from one screen to another, does it swap GPUs?

More dramatic scenario: opening a game in windowed mode and dragging it to the middle, so half of the game is either on the iGPU's or the dGPU's output monitor. What happens then?

[Lurick]

Not sure if this is still correct but I'm pretty sure you cannot use the iGPU and add-on GPU at the same time unless your motherboard's BIOS has a specific setting which allows it. Such a feature is still not common even on new boards. Either the BIOS automatically disables the iGPU when an add-on GPU is detected, or you have to manually set the desired GPU location in the BIOS. The "one or the other" limitation is required to avoid a hardware and/or driver resources conflict.

[Ezzy-525]

I have the same setup, a FHD monitor plugged into my 1060 6GB via DVI and a second small Dell monitor connected to the iGPU via VGA. 

 

I can drag a game window (say...Rainbow 6 Siege as an example) and it will still run on the smaller monitor (looks shit obviously). If I recall, I think I had to turn off something in BIOS to stop it auto booting with the iGPU as the main. After that, the iGPU just works if yo plug something in, assuming you're using the same as me and Windows 10.

 

I'll have a proper check when I get home and post back with pics.

[tonyrulez]

2 minutes ago, Lurick said:

I'm pretty sure you cannot use the iGPU and add-on GPU at the same time unless your motherboard's BIOS has a specific setting which allows it

I watched this video where he explains I can do that: How to - Dual monitor using graphics card and onboard!

Will look into my BIOS if there is even an option.

[tonyrulez]

5 minutes ago, Ezzy-525 said:

I'll have a proper check when I get home and post back with pics.

Thank you!

If the game still runs fine on the monitor connected to the iGPU, I wouldn't think it uses the iGPU but "bridges" to the more powerful dGPU.

[Ezzy-525]

1 minute ago, tonyrulez said:

Thank you!

No problem. What motherboard do you have (or is it an OEM bios from HP/Dell etc)?

[tonyrulez]

Just now, Ezzy-525 said:

No problem. What motherboard do you have (or is it an OEM bios from HP/Dell etc)?

It's an Asrock Fatal1ty B150 Gaming K4/Hyper

[Ezzy-525]

It will vary on your system, but should follow the same sort of path as this:

 

 

Basically, it will default to your 1060 (PCIE) but leave the IGPU as a backup, so it will still function when a VGA cable is connected (from your second monitor). Your 1060 will be doing all the heavy lifting so to speak, but your iGPU will still pump out the video signal.

 

The setup above will show your windows login on the your FHD monitor and just extend the desktop to the second monitor.

 

From there you can make all the standard changes inside windows as you normally would such as moving wallpapers and deciding which monitor is on which side etc.

[tonyrulez]

2 minutes ago, Ezzy-525 said:

Your 1060 will be doing all the heavy lifting so to speak, but your iGPU will still pump out the video signal.

Thank you! So basically there is no difference between performance when connecting the monitor to iGPU. I was afraid I'd have to buy an adapter for it 

[Ezzy-525]

55 minutes ago, tonyrulez said:

Thank you! So basically there is no difference between performance when connecting the monitor to iGPU. I was afraid I'd have to buy an adapter for it 

The only thing I don't think will work is if you try to run it as a dual monitor setup whilst gaming (as in, having the game spread across two monitors), personally I've never tried that. I tend to have a game running on my main monitor (via DVI directly to my 1060) and then have my extended desktop showing on the second VGA screen (plugged directly into the mobo) just so I can use Chrome and see my Discord chat etc.

 

Of course, if the two screens are different sizes and quality, you'd be mad to try and use them as a dual screen for gaming anyway.

 

 

This is how mine ends up when running the main screen (Samsung) from my 1060 and the second screen (Dell) from the iGPU.