Do I still need to PLUG my APU even if I have a GPU

thorux

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Dec 14, 2017
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I really need help with this, I'm not a computer expert. So I bought a PC years ago and it has an APU of AMD A4-3400 and I just recently bought a NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030. The question is, I use VGA connector for my APU and DVI-D for my GPU. Do I still need to plug my VGA which is the APU together with GPU which is the DVI-D connector, or only the DVI-D for the GPU. Will it make any difference if I plug both to my monitor?
 
Solution
Yes, it will confuse the whole system. You do not ever connect two different types of cable, or two cables at all aside from one data cable and one power cable, to any one monitor. Ever.

Use the DVI-D from your GPU card to your monitor, provided your monitor HAS a DVI input on it, and put the VGA cable away. If you get a second monitor later, you can still connect to it through one of the other outputs on your graphics card. Even with three monitors running off your graphics card you will still be running each of them with a better solution than using your integrated APU graphics for ANY of them most likely.

If you are gaming at all, you will only want to game on ONE screen though if you connect multiple monitors to your graphics...
No, you don't plug both in unless you plan to run each of them to different monitors. Your integrated GPU will simply be disabled if you plug your monitor cable into the graphics card output. Nothing needs to go to the motherboard video output from the APU at all.
 

thorux

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Dec 14, 2017
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I only have one monitor. And VGA connector for APU and DVI-D connector for the GPU.
Meaning I can just unplug the VGA connector and maybe use it in the future and just leave one connector which is the DVI-D to my monitor? What happens if I plug both? will there be problems? or will it affect performance?
 
Yes, it will confuse the whole system. You do not ever connect two different types of cable, or two cables at all aside from one data cable and one power cable, to any one monitor. Ever.

Use the DVI-D from your GPU card to your monitor, provided your monitor HAS a DVI input on it, and put the VGA cable away. If you get a second monitor later, you can still connect to it through one of the other outputs on your graphics card. Even with three monitors running off your graphics card you will still be running each of them with a better solution than using your integrated APU graphics for ANY of them most likely.

If you are gaming at all, you will only want to game on ONE screen though if you connect multiple monitors to your graphics card.

So in summary, for now, so as not to confuse you, yes, one DVI cable only. Running from monitor to graphics card. Nothing connected to the motherboard output from the APU.
 
Solution

thorux

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Dec 14, 2017
20
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510


Thank you so much sir. Thumbs up!