iGPU + dGPU and use of HDMI dummy plugs

[fatryan]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I've been reading about the usage of iGPU and dGPU simultaneously and I'm seeing some people say that they need a dummy HDMI plug for full functionally of iGPU or to even use iGPU at all in some cases.

I'm in this boat, trying to use my iGPU with my 2060ko. My intent is to dedicate iGPU to surveillance software alone and use dGPU for everything else. I currently have both running, and i think it's working fine but i don't know enough about graphics to even tell if I'm short changing myself or otherwise causing problems. Also, my current configuration is main display (32" 4k) on dGPU and old shitty Dell monitor on iGPU. Does this configuration present a problem for any reason? I would prefer to move the Dell to the dGPU, but I'm thinking i might then need a dummy HDMI plug to use iGPU. Or is that assumption incorrect?

 

[kirbyrj]

By "use the iGPU" I'm assuming that you mean for QuickSync with your surveillance software since you currently have the older monitor plugged into it and it works. You wouldn't have any problems other than a small amount of your RAM will go toward running the iGPU.

Honestly, the easiest thing to do is leave it alone with the older monitor on the iGPU and not mess around with dummy plugs. It kind of depends on what your bios allows you to do with the iGPU. You might be able to enable it without a connection to it, however, some boards might disable it by default if nothing is plugged into it. Either way, I don't think you're short changing yourself or causing problems having two different monitors on two different GPUs.

 

[fatryan]

By "use the iGPU" I'm assuming that you mean for QuickSync with your surveillance software since you currently have the older monitor plugged into it and it works. You wouldn't have any problems other than a small amount of your RAM will go toward running the iGPU.

Honestly, the easiest thing to do is leave it alone with the older monitor on the iGPU and not mess around with dummy plugs. It kind of depends on what your bios allows you to do with the iGPU. You might be able to enable it without a connection to it, however, some boards might disable it by default if nothing is plugged into it. Either way, I don't think you're short changing yourself or causing problems having two different monitors on two different GPUs.

Ok thank you. And yes, point of iGPU for surveillance is purely to utilize QSV.

My mobo has settings for multi-monitor, though i haven't attempted to move the Dell off the iGPU to see what happens. If it's not going to affect anything, then I'll just leave it as you stated. I also recently upped my memory to 32gb and am running xmp, so I'm definitely good in that department.