Solved! Is there any way to connect your external monitor to your dedicated graphics card

[jacecraft29]

I have an ASUS gaming laptop with a GTX 960m in it and a 144 Hz monitor that I recently bought. The problem is that my monitor isn't running at 144 Hz. When I go into my display settings on windows 10, it says that it's using the Intel graphics card and I don't know how to change it so that the monitor is connected to the dedicated graphics card, because the Intel graphics card will only run up to 60 Hz.

 

[xSimply1337x]

usually the graphics device switches over when it detects you needing to run a game if it's not already using the onboard dedicated mobile GPU by default.

Have you made sure that you've installed the latest drivers from nvidia for your 960m?

Also, if you do have the latest drivers installed, try going into the nvidia control panel and seeing if you can manually switch it over to using the GPU instead of the iGPU on the CPU.

However, I believe you are stating that it is using the iGPU when you are connected to the external monitor and it says otherwise when using the laptop screen? If this is the case, it may be that your laptop doesn't support using the dedicated GPU for the video output, or perhaps, it's a drivers or settings issue somewhere.

 

[jacecraft29]

Yes I do have the latest drivers and I have tried to switch it over in the Nicosia control panel but I can’t find an option for it

 

[jacecraft29]

usually the graphics device switches over when it detects you needing to run a game if it's not already using the onboard dedicated mobile GPU by default.

Have you made sure that you've installed the latest drivers from nvidia for your 960m?

Also, if you do have the latest drivers installed, try going into the nvidia control panel and seeing if you can manually switch it over to using the GPU instead of the iGPU on the CPU.

However, I believe you are stating that it is using the iGPU when you are connected to the external monitor and it says otherwise when using the laptop screen? If this is the case, it may be that your laptop doesn't support using the dedicated GPU for the video output, or perhaps, it's a drivers or settings issue somewhere.

No it says I am using the iGPU when connected to the external monitor on the laptop screen

 

[xSimply1337x]

By chance, have you actually tried running a game when connected to the external monitor? And while playing the game, can you see that it's using the Intel graphics?

Typically with laptops with an Nvidia GPU, it uses something called optimus, which automatically switches over to the Nvidia GPU when it is necessary, such as when you run a game.

But you can try the following to force it to use Nvidia all the time (note: this can cause your laptop battery to get drained a bit faster when it always uses the dedicated GPU)

• Go into the Nvidia control panel
• Go to Manage 3D Settings
• Inside global settings, scroll down to power mode and change it to performance.
• Apply changes.

On top of this, in the instance that you are gaming, you should have your laptop in High Performance mode to get the most out of your hardware. But, do note that his will definitely put a bigger drain on you battery. But, when gaming, you should be plugged into the wall anyways.

Just in case you aren't sure how to make sure you are running in High Performance mode in Windows:

Simply navigate to Power Options in the control panel, then if you don't see High Performance mode as an option, click the little arrow that says "show additional plans" and you should see High Performance mode.

Switch to it and feel free to modify its screen timeout and system sleep settings to your liking.
(I personally always put them to never)

 

[jacecraft29]

by chance, have you actually tried running a game when connected to the external monitor? and while playing the game you can see that it's using the Intel graphics?

Typically with laptops with nvidia GPU it uses something called optimus, which automatically switches over to the nvidia GPU when it is necessary such as when you run a game.

But you can try the following to force it to use nvidia all the time (note: this can cause your laptop battery to get drained a bit faster when it always uses the dedicated GPU)

Go into nvidia control panel
Go to Manage 3D Settings
Inside global settings, scroll down to power mode and change it to performance
Apply changes.

On top of this, in the instance that you are gaming, you should have your laptop in high performance mode to get the most out of your hardware. But do note that his will definitely put a bigger drain on you battery. But when gaming, you should be plugged into the wall anyways.

Just in case you aren't sure how to make sure you are running in high performance mode in Windows:
Simply navigate to power options in control panel, then if you don't see high performance mode as an option, click the little arrow that says "show additional plans" and you should see high performance mode.

Switch to it and feel free to modify it's screen timeout and system sleep settings to your liking.
(I personally always put them to never)

I am using my nividia GPU when I play games to render them and stuff but when I connect to my external monitor it uses the iGPU to control the monitor which means I can't get 144hz. Also how do you have all of those other options like display, video, sterioscopic 3D. Mine only gives me the option of 3D settings. I also did what you said and it's still running off of the iGPU

 

[xSimply1337x]

since you didn't say you tried doing what I suggested you do I will assume you haven't done it yet.
Please try making the changes I've provided for you with screenshots and get back to me with the results.

 

[jacecraft29]

since you didn't say you tried doing what I suggested you do I will assume you haven't done it yet.
Please try making the changes I've provided for you with screenshots and get back to me with the results.

Also where is the arrow. I did what you said to do and my monitor is still using the iGPU.

 

[xSimply1337x]

the arrow is plain as day in my image for Windows control panel.
and if you've changed settings in nvidia control panel to no avail, then it might just mean that the laptop doesn't support pass through. Since internally, the display is already wired up to both the CPU's iGPU and the dedicated GPU so it has no problem switching over.

However, with the HDMI out (or whatever adapter you have for external) it is not wired that way and is instead wired like how it is on a desktop motherboard and is only connected to the iGPU.

So chances are you're not going to get the higher refresh rate to happen.

Also, I should point out that the 960m is nowhere near good enough to handle that high of a refresh rate unless it's an older or more basic game with all graphics set to lowest settings.
It's fine for 1080p 60fps and medium settings in most modern titles, but it's not going past 100fps in games unless it's an older title that came before it, or is a basic game with basic graphic requirements.

 

[jacecraft29]

the arrow is plain as day in my image for Windows control panel.
and if you've changed settings in nvidia control panel to no avail, then it might just mean that the laptop doesn't support pass through. Since internally, the display is already wired up to both the CPU's iGPU and the dedicated GPU so it has no problem switching over.

However, with the HDMI out (or whatever adapter you have for external) it is not wired that way and is instead wired like how it is on a desktop motherboard and is only connected to the iGPU.

So chances are you're not going to get the higher refresh rate to happen.

Also, I should point out that the 960m is nowhere near good enough to handle that high of a refresh rate unless it's an older or more basic game with all graphics set to lowest settings.
It's fine for 1080p 60fps and medium settings in most modern titles, but it's not going past 100fps in games unless it's an older title that came before it, or is a basic game with basic graphic requirements.

I can get 80-90 fps high settings on fortnite. I cannot see any arrow, sorry if i'm just being stupid but I can't see one, could you send a screen shot because I don't know how to put pictures onto here from my computer.

 

[xSimply1337x]

 

[Solandri]

Optimus doesn't put the Nvidia GPU in control. The Intel GPU is always in control. The Nvidia GPU acts as a co-processor. The game renders a frame on the Nvidia GPU. The completed frame is then transferred to the Intel GPU, which then displays it on the screen. The Nvidia GPU has no way to directly display to the screen.

Some gaming laptops have a BIOS setting which allows the Nvidia GPU to directly drive the screen (at the cost of battery life). A few of them are also set up so the Nvidia GPU controls the external display, but the ones I've seen set up this way always seem to have displayport output. I only skimmed all the replies but it sounds like you have HDMI out? All the laptops I've seen with HDMI out have the Intel GPU control both the laptop screen and the external display.

Check your BIOS options to see if your laptop is one of the few which can switch GPUs. Otherwise you're out of luck. The laptop is probably physically wired to always have the Intel GPU drive both the screen and external display port.