Integrated and Dedicated Graphics

[leoweisman]

So I'm currently waiting on parts to arrive for my new build, and I had one question. My processor - an i5-3570k - obviously has the integrated Intel HD 4000. My Sapphire Dual-X 7970 is currently en-route. I am wondering if there is any way to use the dedicated and integrated graphics together, kind of like SLI or Crossfire. If there is, is it easily doable or is it unrealistic?

Thank you!

System Build:
CPU: i5-3570k
Motherboard: ASrock Z77 Extreme4
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO
GPU: Sapphire Dual-X 7970
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB
Hard Drives: 1x128GB Samsung 840 Series SSD, 1xSeagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB HDD
PSU: Corsair TX 650W v2 Bronze
Case: NZXT Phantom 410

 

[Andreas414]

Some AMD APUs (CPU and graphics on the same chip) can crossfire with low-end Radeon cards. Intel doesn't offer this feature though, and somehow (theoretically) crossfiring Intel graphics with a 7970 would kill your graphics performance anyway since multi-GPU setups throttle to the weaker card's speed. With a 7970 though, I wouldn't be worried performance-wise anyway.

 

[MauveCloud]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_SLI#Hybrid_SLI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_CrossFireX#Hybrid_CrossFireX_.2F_Dual_Graphics

You need to have either an Nvidia video card with an Intel igpu or an AMD video card with an AMD APU - the build you're considering has an Intel cpu and and AMD video card, so you won't have access to either. However, from what I've read, it's not worth it with modern video cards, and can in some cases even give worse performance than the video card alone.

 

[CaptainTom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_SLI#Hybrid_SLI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_CrossFireX#Hybrid_CrossFireX_.2F_Dual_Graphics

You need to have either an Nvidia video card with an Intel igpu or an AMD video card with an AMD APU - the build you're considering has an Intel cpu and and AMD video card, so you won't have access to either. However, from what I've read, it's not worth it with modern video cards, and can in some cases even give worse performance than the video card alone.

No Intel graphics can SLI with nvidia. They just switch between them.

 

[MauveCloud]

I guess I didn't read the Hybrid SLI section closely enough - that's not sli with Intel graphics, it's sli with on-motherboard Nvidia graphics (nForce chipsets). My mistake.

 

[JKatwyopc]

You can use both of the graphics cards together if you enable it in BIOS but it will not be able to operate in SLI or Crossfire mode because that requires two similar cards. Intel integrated graphics is not even remotely similar to either Nvidia or AMD graphics cards. You may be able to operate a second monitor from the intel integrated graphics if your BIOS will allows it but that is rather pointless because the Radeon HD 7970 can operate at least four monitors on its own. Just disable the integrated graphics and plug all of your monitors into the 7970 (you might need an adapter for one of the monitors).

 

[utroz]

Yeah its call Lucidlogix Virtu MVP http://www.lucidlogix.com/
It won't let you combine the power of them but you still get to use quicksync and other features of the intel 4000 while having the features and raw power of the 7970 as well.

 

[leoweisman]

Thanks to everyone! I guess the 7970 will be more than fine for my frame rate aspirations.

 

[bryonhowley]

Thanks to everyone! I guess the 7970 will be more than fine for my frame rate aspirations.

While you can use the MVP feature if your Motherboard supports it I did not really see any improvement with it turn on. So I would just disable the intergrated GPU and use the 7970 it is a great card my FX-8350 has two of them in a Crossfire setup with 3x Asus 27" monitors in a Eyefinity setup it is very good.

You should have no problems with just using the 7970 for your graphic needs. And in my opinion Sapphire is the best manufacture of AMD/ATI cards. Every AMD/ATI card I have has been from Sapphire and every one is still working in a PC including the first AMD/ATI card I ever got, A Sapphire HD 3850(AGP). The best thing with the AGP card was that Sapphire flashed it so that it did not ever need the HotFix drivers that most AGP cards at the time needed to work.

 

[utroz]

http://www.lucidlogix.com/mvp-product-list.
Yeah his motherboard supports it, I wouldn't have mentioned it if it hadn't. I would only use it to be able to use quicksync for super fast video conversion/encoding while having the 7970 for gaming and all other gpgpu stuff.

 

[Hanro50]

Well the fact is that the ability to run integrated grafix with jour main grafix card depends on your mother board...but here is my exsperians doing these on windows 8 with a msi motherboard, a core i5, nvidia geforce gtx960 and other tools like gpu-z

Pross.
Video memory between my main card and cpu's gpu modual stacked(I had only given my cpu 512m of vram and my main gpu still used above 1 gb of vram)

No adapter required for ports that you need, that are onn jour motherboard, but somehow not on your main gpu(like vga)

Less stress on jour main gpu as some stuff is handeled by your cpu

Weierdness
Intel grafix controll panel didn't see enything that was connected to my nvidia gtx 960 and nvidia controll panel didn't see enything plugged into my mother board

Even thought the displays are on different gpus, heaven beanchmark still ran the same on both moniters

Cons:
Only 2 display options are availeble(instead of 3) these are exstend displays and only display monitor x(duplicate displays ain't a opsion)

Some overclocking weierdness...these doesn't count as a con, but just don't load your overclock settings after you inable your cpu's gpu cuz windows kan start studering...

Disclaimer:
The cpu's gpu and you main gpu aren't in some magical sli/crossfire state and tend to work alone, meaning a game cannot use both at once...

English ain't my first language and I may make some spelling mistakes...