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Computer Software => General software => Topic started by: Geekofbroadband on November 02, 2015, 02:35:35 AM

Title: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: Geekofbroadband on November 02, 2015, 02:35:35 AM

At the moment I have a laptop and I'm guessing with laptops you have to have Intel Graphics installed even if you have a discrete GPU because its all linked together or something like that?

But for desktops say if you have a Nvidia GPU but you could also get Intel Graphics from your CPU, could you install both and should you install both?

And also to get Intel graphics, does your motherboard and CPU have to support it or just your CPU? thanks

Title: Re: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: loonylion on November 02, 2015, 01:09:57 PM

You either have intel graphics capability or you don't, it depends on CPU and motherboard (CPU provides the functionality, motherboard provides the physical monitor connection). It's generally disabled automatically when a discrete GPU is installed.

There is absolutely no reason to use intel graphics when you have a discrete GPU, it's crap, and more accurate to call it 'hardware assisted' graphics, because it's basically entirely software, the driver just redirects the graphics API back to the CPU, which then has to deal with graphics on top of everything it's already doing.

The reason laptops tend to have and enable both is because when you're not doing graphics intensive stuff the laptop is able to use the intel graphics and completely switch off the discrete graphics chip to save power. This cannot be done on desktops.

Title: Re: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: broadstairs on November 02, 2015, 05:56:41 PM

It also depends on the laptop itself. The Most common form on a laptop in my experience is Nvidia Optimus where you have both graphics adapters and it will depend on the BIOS of the laptop whether you can disable either or neither, my wife's laptop has this and has no BIOS option to disable it which causes a problem wiith Linux but I can disable one via the OS, not sure about Windows as it has Optimus support built in (at least the later OSes do. Linux does have Optimus support but it is flaky right now.

Stuart

Title: Re: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: Geekofbroadband on November 02, 2015, 06:45:38 PM

Thank You :D

Title: Re: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: Chrysalis on November 03, 2015, 01:09:19 AM

if you have 2 gpu's one will be primary and the other secondary (or disabled if you can disable)

You really only need to install the drivers for the primary gpu.

In my case my intel 4670k cpu has integrated intel graphics but after I briefly used it for testing my hardware installation I then disabled it and use a nvidia gpu only.

Title: Re: Do you need Intel graphics if you have a Nvidia GPU?
Post by: broadstairs on November 03, 2015, 07:55:27 AM

I believe the reason for having both and being able to switch is for power consumption purposes on a laptop, the Nvidia GPU uses a lot more power and is only really needed for graphics intensive applications which is why under Windows it is supposed to dynamically switch. To be honest I doubt whether you need more than the Intel graphics for most applications and I doubt you could discern the difference anyway, games and stuff like that are obviously going to be better noticeably with Nvidia.

Stuart