Do Integrated Graphics work alongside Discreet GPUs?

[1980-Something Space Guy]

Greetings,

I'm trying to figure out if integrated and dedicated graphics can work together for good/increased efficiency.  Specifically, I'm curious if integrated graphics can just feed the monitor, while the dedicated GPU handles the harder part of computer graphics (rendering, effects processing, etc).

So, for example, let's imagine I'm playing a game.  If I have the monitor hooked to the DisplayPort on the motherboard, it is being fed directly from the integrated graphics.  But does that leave the dedicated GPU to focus on actually processing the game better?  My thinking is that since it doesn't have the added load of display output, it can do a better job, right?

Alternatively, imagine I am editing video in Adobe Premiere Pro.  If I push pixels to the monitor with the integrated graphics, will the dedicated GPU be working more efficiently on CUDA operations?  Same principle, but maybe a different situation.

I'd really appreciate some insight on this.  I'm a bit outside my element.

Cheers,

[SkilledRebuilds]

It WAS a thing... hardly took off.

 

 

 

 

Also

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4199/lucids-virtu-enables-simultaneous-integrateddiscrete-gpu-on-sandy-bridge-platforms

 

 

[AdamBGames]

2 minutes ago, 1980-Something Space Guy said:

Greetings,

I'm trying to figure out if integrated and dedicated graphics can work together for good/increased efficiency.  Specifically, I'm curious if integrated graphics can just feed the monitor, while the dedicated GPU handles the harder part of computer graphics (rendering, effects processing, etc).

So, for example, let's imagine I'm playing a game.  If I have the monitor hooked to the DisplayPort on the motherboard, it is being fed directly from the integrated graphics.  But does that leave the dedicated GPU to focus on actually processing the game better?  My thinking is that since it doesn't have the added load of display output, it can do a better job, right?

Alternatively, imagine I am editing video in Adobe Premiere Pro.  If I push pixels to the monitor with the integrated graphics, will the dedicated GPU be working more efficiently on CUDA operations?  Same principle, but maybe a different situation.

I'd really appreciate some insight on this.  I'm a bit outside my element.

Cheers,

selected APUs can through integrated and dedicated crossfire but this isnt certain to work and so is not applied to 90% of CPUs

[Visordo]

Laptops with nvidia optimus will let you select this, doing the light operations with the integrated, and the games with the discrete for better performance / battery life. Actually, the discrete will render the frames in games and just pass along the image to the integrated for output.

 

On desktops however you either connect your monitor to the integrated or to the discrete, for video output. I guess you could do some async computing with the discrete while its not been used for display output, but this depends purely on software implementation so you have very little decision over this. or you could get a TESLA card from nvidia that only works HPC and has no display outputs.

 

There are other interesting things like AMD corssfire with selected APU/video cards.

[1980-Something Space Guy]

Greetings,

So, for desktops, the system will only utilize either integrated or discreet graphics, but not both?  I just want to clarify.

The specific processor I am eyeing is the Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 and the GPU is the Nvidia Quadro K1200.  The graphics on that CPU are called the HD P530 integrated GPU.  Not sure if that makes any difference.

Cheers,

[Imglidinhere]

Laptops do this for increased battery life. Desktops do not since there's both A) no reason, and B) nearly impossible since you have to connect the monitor to the graphic display output that's connected to said GPU. Laptops output to the same display no matter what, so if you want better power saving abilities, laptops are the way to go there.

[Visordo]

10 hours ago, 1980-Something Space Guy said:

Greetings,

So, for desktops, the system will only utilize either integrated or discreet graphics, but not both?  I just want to clarify.

The specific processor I am eyeing is the Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 and the GPU is the Nvidia Quadro K1200.  The graphics on that CPU are called the HD P530 integrated GPU.  Not sure if that makes any difference.

Cheers,

There are some specific aplications DirectX 12 or Vulkan that would let you use both at the same time, but this again is Software implementation on the API as well as software (developers) implementation of said features on the final product (game, profesional software).

 

Bottom line. what you trying to acomplish is purely done by software, so you need to look for such specific features in the software you are trying to use. Just by looking at the workstation setup you have. I think you need this more for profesional workloads, so look for the feature in the software itself, or ask the software vendor if it is posible or not.

[Imakuni]

10 hours ago, 1980-Something Space Guy said:

So, for desktops, the system will only utilize either integrated or discreet graphics, but not both?  I just want to clarify.

Not necessarily. You can have both be on at the same time if your mobo supports the feature, even if just for the sake of it being possible (the vast majority of the time, it's a useless feature). For instance, I used to run my 6600k's iGPU alongside a 970.

 

Now again, it's hardly worth it. For gaming, it's totally not a thing, forget about it. And while I guess it could work for a rendering app, I HIGHLY doubt the software support to do so is actually there (remember, hardware features are useless if the software is not going to cooperate).

[Visordo]

As it was said before, the integrated and discrete can be both on at the same time, but mostly for multimonitor support. But that is more drivers to manage for the OS and more I/O for your CPU.