When setting up a multi-monitor setup, confusion can arise on which video out ports to use.
For reference, the motherboard and the GPU have plenty of display ports available.
So, which one should you use?
Well, the answer lies in what work you are trying to achieve with the monitors.
Mostly you should use the GPU, but in some cases, the motherboards HDMI port comes useful.
So, lets answer this question and look at some possible scenarios you could set up multiple monitors.
Should I Connect the Monitor to GPU or Motherboard?
Connecting the monitor to the built-in display ports on the motherboard will not get you any display output.
Integrated graphics are disabled by the BIOS when you connect a GPU.
In the absence of a graphics card, you might connect the monitor to themotherboards HDMI port.
That will totally work fine and you should do normal tasks easily.
you might run a monitor using iGPU even when dedicated graphics is present.
But remember, a dedicated GPU will perform much better than integrated graphics in all applications.
For web browsing, media playback, and light uses, integrated graphics is fine.
But for gaming and encoding videos, there is nothing better than a graphics card.
Is it possible to runtwo different monitors from two GPUs?
Now that really is intriguing.
And we explore if you’re free to actually accomplish this in a separate article.
Can you Use Integrated and Dedicated Graphics at the Same Time?
Yes, you could actually.
One monitor can be hooked to the GPU and you could connect the other to the motherboards HDMI/DVI/VGA port.
But first, you should probably fire up the Integrated graphics from the BIOS.
To do that enter the BIOS by pressing eitherDel,F2,F8, or theF10key.
Inside the BIOS, go to Advanced options and find Integrated Graphics.
Now all motherboards dont rock the same BIOS and hence the options will look different for you.
But you should findIntegrated GraphicsorIGPUmentioned, which will help you to enable it.
This is how the option looks on an ASUS motherboard.
Now you should detect the other display from the Display controls inside Windows.
double-check the HDMI cable is properly seated in the slot.
That way you would utilize both types of graphics on your gear.
Are yourmonitors going blackrandomly?
When to Use the Motherboard Graphics and the GPU?
For running simple tasks, integrated graphics are enough.
These do not require you to have a GPU with dedicated memory.
They allow you to run even the most modern titles at720plow details.
These are quite competent as compared to previous generations of integrated graphics.
These have many stream processors and built-in fast VRAM that is connected right to the chip.
Hence their computational power is multiple times faster than iGPUs.
Sometimesmonitors display a no-signal messageeven when connected to your GPU.
And that is annoying when it continues to happen randomly.
We fixed this issue and wrote a detailed troubleshooting guide.
Do check it out if you face the same issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I plug both monitors into GPU?
If your GPU has multiple HDMI ports, connect both your monitors to them.
Connecting your GPU to both monitors will give you the best performance.
How to plug monitor into GPU?
Identify the bang out of cable that the monitor comes with.
It can be HDMI, DVI, or Display Cable.
Then remove the covers from each cable and insert the cable to the correct port on your graphics card.
Connect the other end of the cable to your monitor.
Do you plug the Display port into GPU or motherboard?
You should plug the display port of your monitor into your GPU.
It will get you a better performance.
Also, most motherboards do not come with display ports.
Instead, you will find HDMI ports.
Otherwise, plug into your motherboards HDMI port and use the integrating graphics that come built-in.
You will only lose out on performance if you plug in your monitor with an external graphics card connected.
I hope this article answers your question.
For addition GPU or motherboard-related queries, go through our other articles.
