3 Monitors - Plug into GPU or Mainboard?

[David.A]

I currently use 3 Monitors. 1.-- 144hz Gaming Monitor. 2.-- 3440x1440 21:9 60hz which I use for Browsing, editing and streaming software. 3.-- 60hz which is only used to have Discord open

My Computer: GTX 1080, 7700K, 16Gb RAM

Currently all 3 Monitors are connected to my GPU

I often stream, so I have Discord open on the 3rd Monitor, Game on the 1st Monitor, and have the streaming software, browser etc open on the ultrawide monitor. Should I maybe connect 1 of these Monitors to my Mainboard for example the one that has only Discord open?

Or how what would be the best combination to connect the monitors?

[akio123008]

Having monitors attached doesn't decrease the performance of the GPU, as long as you're not rendering on all of them. A screen with discord opened on it does not affect your performance on the main gaming monitor. Also connecting the monitor to the motherboard would probably result in a black screen, because the onboard GPU is normally deactivated when a dedicated card is used.

[Guest]

I have my second monitor attached to my motherboard because it allows me to watch youtube videos or livestreams without dropping framerates in game. You have to go to the BIOS to enable it manually because it's usually deactivated automatically.

[Unixsystem]

27 minutes ago, akio123008 said:

Having monitors attached doesn't decrease the performance of the GPU, as long as you're not rendering on all of them. A screen with discord opened on it does not affect your performance on the main gaming monitor. Also connecting the monitor to the motherboard would probably result in a black screen, because the onboard GPU is normally deactivated when a dedicated card is used.

I generally won't affect gaming performance, but it will increase power draw at idle (depending on the specific power settings, refresh rate, etc). Nvidia cards have some real weird quirks with regards to how P-states work when you start dealing with high refresh rates/multiple monitors. 

 

If you aren't paying for electric or just don't care, then it really doesn't matter where they are hooked up, but if you have free ports on the mobo then taking load off the GPU can make it manage power more effectively. Alternatively you can use Nvidia Inspector to force P8 when not gaming. 

 

Source: Man with 7 monitors. 

[akio123008]

28 minutes ago, Waffles13 said:

Source: Man with 7 monitors. 

Hahaha

[Unixsystem]

1 hour ago, akio123008 said:

Hahaha

I have a 1080ti for a gaming GPU, and a 1080 just for the extra display outputs. 

 

Multi-monitor is serious business. 

[akio123008]

9 hours ago, Waffles13 said:

I have a 1080ti for a gaming GPU, and a 1080 just for the extra display outputs. 

 

Multi-monitor is serious business. 

I'm driving three of them on my old R7 260x