Selectively switch off graphics card?

[firstrig]

I have a moderately powerful gaming rig but there are days when I don't play games and don't need the graphics card. What is the most hassle-free way to switch off the graphics card so that less power is consumed? (without having to unplug the card every time). Is it possible? or is it the case that all plugged in components necessarily draw current from the PCI slot?

Also, does having a 650W Power supply mean that I am drawing 650W all the time? or is it based on component load?

 

[Poprin]

The wattage of your PSU only reflects what it is capable of delivering, not what it will draw all the time. Power supplies will only pull the power required, however there is a difference between the efficiency of power supplies shown by their rating. Also, PSU's are usually more efficient when close to approx. 40% load so often over specking a power supply can effect the wattage draw slightly.

As for 'turning off' the graphics card... it's possible ish. If you have a Z68 / Z77 chipset board that came bundled with LucidLogix you can configure it to run via your internal graphics and only use the power of the card when required. HOWEVER this implementation is less than perfect, I tested it when it first came out and there is a massive performance hit for barely any power saving.

I have a power meter I use at home when testing machines and overclocking to find the sweet spot and I can promise you that you are worrying over nothing. When I tested my i7-2600 with a full ATX Z68 board, Samsung 850 SSD, noctua cooler with 2 fans, 2 case fans, R9 280x and an optical drive it was pulling 47w at the wall idling in Windows 7 from my Seasonic M12II 620w bronze power supply.

You will gain more idle power saving from simply swapping HDD's for SSD's in a system than you will from an idling graphics card.

 

[firstrig]

You will gain more idle power saving from simply swapping HDD's for SSD's in a system than you will from an idling graphics card.

That last bit of information is helpful. I guess I will have to look at SSD. Thanks for your advice.