Windows 7: Switching between Nvidia GPU and onboard intel HD graphics in desktop PC

Question

I have a desktop computer with an Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 motherboard (Z68 chipset) and an EVGA GTX 770 GPU.

The GTX 770 is great for gaming, but it runs quite hot, the dual fans are noisy, draws a lot of power and is essentially sitting idle and wasting electricity when doing desktop work.

Is it possible to make Windows turn it off and switch to the onboard video, and turn the GTX on manually if I'm going to run games? I know the GPU is automatically throttled when not rendering 3D and etc, but the noise is still annoying.

Note that is NOT a laptop, it's a desktop PC, so I don't have Nvidia Optimus or similar hot-switching technology.

Solution 1

I did a little google search and found this guid from AsRock http://download.asrock.com/manual/virtu/Z68%20Pro3/English.pdf (carefull direct download link). It looks pretty generic. I stumbled across it on this ThomsHardware Thread

Hope this is useful.

Solution 2

Lucid Virtu MVP does not "switch" between integrated and discrete graphics, but it does utilize both by using hardware virtualization, giving you a similar effect.

After installing the software (they have a free 30-day trial), you would connect your monitor to the video output on your motherboard. When you're not playing games, it uses the resources from your integrated graphics, and you should see a reduction in power and heat from your video card compared to your traditional configuration. When you are playing games, it uses the resources from your video card, and you should see similar or better performance than before.

Comments

[Admin]

Your configuration isn't going to support something like Optimus the fan shouldn't be that loud...

[Admin]

Fans can be noisy to an individual particularly if they're thinking or resting. What if you disable it in device manager? if that works then look for a command to do it

[Admin]

Is it resolved now?

[axel_c]

Uhm, as per asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z68V_PROGEN3 it seems this Virtu thing is supported. Will investigate and share results.

[gilgwath]

Yes thats somewhat the point of having a Z68 chipset. There where some H67 and P67 chipsets. H67 was so to say the "home"-user chipset. No SLI support, no overclocking, in turn you had support for Intel CPU-graphics. It was put into more lowcost MBs. The P67 was more of a "professional" chipset. It offered SLI support, overclocking, but no cpu-graphics and was found in many expensive MBs. After a while intel threw out the Z68 chipset which combined the advantages of both older chipsets. So it would be rather stupid to not support lucid virtu on a Z68 chip. Just to complete the picture. ;-)

[gilgwath]

That is also why the AsRock guid is applicable on a Asus board and generic to other motherboards. Because the tech is offered by the chipset manufacturer (in this case intel) and the software by ludcidlogix. So AsRock can decide whether to offer the feature or not by choice of the chip, but they can not mess with the tech itself. (well yes technically they maybe could disable it in the hardware, but it is stupid from a business point of few, since they already payed for the more expensive chips.) Good luck.