[SOLVED] My laptop has both integrated and dedicated graphics. How do I know which it is using? I think it's using integrated and therefore limiting displays.

[Daboa]

I have an XPS 15 9560, which has both integrated Intel graphics and a dedicated GTX 1050. How do I know which is being used? For a desktop PC, I would know based on where my display connectors are connected.

I am trying to hook up multiple monitors. If I connect 2 monitors (one with HDMI out and the other with Thunderbolt-to-DP), I can't use both at the same time as the built-in laptop screen. I have to choose 2 of the 3. I make this choice in the "Intel HD Graphics Control Panel," which made me wonder... shouldn't I be making these selections in an NVIDIA control panel? Is there a way to tell my laptop to use the NVIDIA GPU and possibly therefore achieve 3 displays at the same time?

 

[Ralston18]

Three immediate things you can do:

1) Right click on an open area of your desktop. A pop-up menu should appear that offers a control panel relevant to the GPU.

2) Use "WIN" + "I" > System > Display to gain access to display settings and configuration information.

3) For even more detail you can use Powershell:

Reference:

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/scripting/use-powershell-to-discover-multi-monitor-information/

 

[InvalidError]

If you go into the Device Manager, switch to devices-by-connection view and peck down the PCIe tree until you find the IGP/GPU, that will tell you which monitors are connected to what device.

If the laptop uses muxes to route display outputs to IGP/GPU, then it is quite possible that only the device currently driving outputs is able to see the monitors. In that case, which device drives outputs is usually dependent on load and power profile.