Show Hello, I never realized that my laptop has 2 gpu's inside, one intel graphics family and a nvidia gt520m. I looked at the settings on the nvidia control panel, the intel one wasnt enabled while the nvidia was. Is it possible to enable both of them? And why are there two gpu's? Thanks.
Installing two or more graphics cards that work cooperatively provides improved video, 3D, and gaming performance over using a single graphics card. Both AMD and Nvidia offer solutions that run dual graphics cards. Although adding a second card brings real benefits, a second card also carries some liabilities, too. To use dual graphics cards, your computer needs AMD or Nvidia technology that links the cards to produce a single output. The AMD graphics technology is CrossFire and the Nvidia technology is SLI. For each of these solutions, the computer must have a compatible motherboard and the motherboard must have the necessary PCI Express graphics slots.
To find out if the motherboard supports dual graphics cards, go to its official product page and check the specifications. Or, look for the Crossfire or SLI symbol on the box the motherboard came in. Dual graphics cards also require a desktop case that is large enough to fit the extra hardware and a power supply that can run dual cards. The cards must be linked using a bridge connector; which may be included with either the GPU or the motherboard. Finally, the SLI or Crossfire feature must be enabled in the GPU driver control panel. The primary benefit of running two graphics cards is increased video game performance. When two or more cards render the same 3D images, PC games run at higher frame rates and at higher resolutions with additional filters. This extra capacity improves the quality of the graphics in games. Most graphics cards render games up to 1080p resolution. With two graphics cards, games run at higher resolutions, such as on 4K displays that offer four times the resolution. In addition, several graphics cards can drive additional monitors. A benefit of using an SLI or Crossfire-compatible motherboard is that a PC can be upgraded at a later time without replacing the graphics card. Add a second graphics card later to boost performance without removing the existing graphics card. Manufacturers upgrade graphics cards about every 18 months and a compatible card may be difficult to find after two years. The primary disadvantage of running dual graphics cards is the cost. Top-of-the-line cards can cost $500 or more. While both ATI and Nvidia offer lower-priced cards with dual capability, you can spend the same amount of money for a single card with equal or better performance than two low-priced GPUs. Another disadvantage is that not all games benefit from multiple graphics cards and some graphics engines do not handle two cards well. Some games may show a decrease in performance over a single graphics card setup. In some cases, stuttering makes the video game look choppy. Graphics cards are power-hungry. Two graphics cards installed in a computer can double the amount of power required to run them in tandem. For example, a single high-end graphics card might require a 500-watt power supply to function properly; two of these cards may require 850 watts. Most consumer desktops aren't equipped with high-wattage power supplies. Refer to the computer power supply wattage and requirements to determine if your system can run dual graphics cards. The performance benefits of a dual-card environment vary depending on the other components in the computer system. Even with two of the highest level graphics cards, a low-end processor can throttle the amount of data the system provides to the graphics cards. Dual graphics cards are typically recommended only in high-end systems.
People who mine cryptocurrency often run massive banks of video cards because GPUs process blockchain transactions much more efficiently than a CPU. If you don't play video games or use two monitors with your computer, you won't see an improvement in system performance by running dual graphics cards. The cost of the motherboard, the cards, and the other core hardware can be expensive. However, if you run games across several displays or at extreme resolutions, dual graphics cards will improve your game speed and enjoyment.
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Tell us why! Some laptops come equipped with two Graphics Processing Units (GPU). The first GPU is an integrated GPU that is usually provided for normal computer usage, which does not need heavy graphical processing. The second GPU is usually a dedicated GPU that is automatically activated when heavy graphics come into play. This includes games, 3D movies, 3D modeling and some graphic design software like Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. NVidia provides a range of graphic adapters that are used for your computer’s dedicated graphics processing unit. If you want to know whether you have a dedicated NVidia GPU, go to Device Manager > Under Display adapters > you should see your main GPU (e.g. Intel HD Graphics) and NVIDIA. To switch to your NVidia dedicated GPU, Right-click the blank space on the desktop, select NVIDIA Control Panel to switch between two graphics manually under Manage 3D Settings > Preferred Graphics Processor. When your GPU is not running, you will see a white or blue light on the side of your laptop, on top or on your power button. This is the case when you are running small tasks. You save more power with the main GPU than the dedicated GPU. When you engage a game or a 3D movie or software, the light will turn to orange to indicate that your NVidia GPU is now running. Usually, the second GPU is more powerful than the main one. It will therefore consume more power in order to render the ‘power-hungry’ graphics. Some users complain that their PC is always running the dedicated NVidia GPU even when running simple desktop task. This is indicated by the orange light at the top, on the side of or on the power button of the laptop. Here are the reasons and a few ways to stop NVidia GPU from being on all the time.  Reasons why your NVidia dGPU is always onIf you have set your preferred GPU processor to automatically switch, there a few other things that might be keeping your NVidia dGPU on. Outdated or incompatible GPU drivers might engage your dedicated GPU as the preferred GPU. It will therefore be online even for small tasks. This is the case for computers that were meant for earlier versions of Windows, but were upgraded to later version. The audio usually engages your GPU especially if you are running the display via a HDMI connection. Bugs in the audio drivers can keep your dedicated GPU on. Nahimic audio software V2.3.7 on an MSI PC has been found to have such a bug in later Windows operating systems. Nahimic audio software offers high definition sound technology which boosts the audio and voice performance of your gaming computer therefore it is tied to the GPU. Method 1: Update your Integrated GPU (main GPU) and your NVidia GPU driversYou will need to update both of your GPU drivers. To do so:
You can also go online and find your GPU drivers from Intel or NVidia and install them manually. Method 2: Update your audio driversYou will need to update Nahimic or any other audio driver software on your PC.
Method 3: Change the preferred GPUYour PC is intelligent enough to switch to NVidia card when running games. To allow this behavior, do the following:
You can custom-set graphics card and settings for each application/game at the Program Settings in the same panel. |
