Allowing an nvidia GPU to do stay active on headless server

[NArkshaRK]

The issue:
A headless security camera software computer has integrated graphics and an nvidia GPU. Some "AI" calculations running on the GPU don't work if the GPU turns off due to no monitor being plugged in.

 

Various forums and posters described making dummy plugs to keep the nvidia GPU active. Without one, I couldn't even remotely connect to the computer, and the integrated graphics on this particular Dell computer don't work if you have a discreet graphics card.

 

From what I gathered, dummy plugs made from a few resistors don't work for digital video connectors like DVI. I found no solutions to this problem anywhere.

 

I came up with two solutions myself that I did not see on the internet, so maybe future web searches will find this.

 

The solution:

1) Make a dummy plugs using a USB to DVI adapter and then a DVI to VGA adapter. It's jank and it works.

2) Tear apart an old broken monitor and keep the display board. It's basically a digital dummy plug.

[jaslion]

Buy a dummy plug from amazon?

 

Like this is way more complex than needed when you can just buy a hdmi, display port, dvi,... dummy plug for 10$ that works with anything modern.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dummy-Headless-Display-Emulator-Headless-2560X1600/dp/B077CKX6ZK

 

Like these just work without a hitch

 

[porina]

Find these or similar cheap all over Amazon, ebay and the like. I have a ton of them because I can't use VNC on systems without a display attached. 

[manikyath]

55 minutes ago, NArkshaRK said:

From what I gathered, dummy plugs made from a few resistors don't work for digital video connectors like DVI. I found no solutions to this problem anywhere.

they make HDMI dummy plugs, VGA dummy plugs indeed just put a load on the color lines, and that's the way displays are detected, but for more modern standards they just poke the EDID chip, and the dummy plugs just have an EDID chip.

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

EDID information is enough to trick the GPU into believing a display is connected.

[NArkshaRK]

For a forum sub category called "hobby electronics", there aren't many hobby electronics enthusiasts here. Yes, one can just buy a lot of things new.

 

I thought these solutions were interesting and used parts I already had lying around and/or would otherwise be recycled, rather than buying more crap.

[FlyingPotato_is_taken]

@NArkshaRKWe all do this stuff on a Saturday night if nothing else is laying around.

Long term one of those EDID dongle is the clean way: smaller, mechanically robust and no energy consumption.

[Phoenixoboros]

It's possible with just EDID https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/flashing-quadro-bios-on-rtx-to-access-quadro-exclusive-feature-possible.315789/post-5143262