Can you choose which GPU to use as primary?

[thilanliyan]

I'd like to use a GPU in the lowest PCI-e slot in my m/b as my primary GPU to play games and leave the other 2 untouched.

Is this possible? I don't have the 3rd GPU yet...I want to make sure I can do this before buying it. I only have one monitor and I can connect it to whichever gpu I need to.

 

[thilanliyan]

Anyone?

 

[Stuka87]

Why do you want three GPU's, but only use one to game with?!

 

[thilanliyan]

Why do you want three GPU's, but only use one to game with?!

Mining of course

 

[thesmokingman]

The slots will initialize top down usually so you will lose the bios screen unless you move the monitor plug to the top screen or are able to change the initialize order.

That said, it should be fine. Only the screen with the gpu connected will be 3d accelerated, as long as you don't enable sli/cf.

 

[ViRGE]

Usually the primary as far as Windows is concerned is whatever you have your first monitor plugged in to.

 

[PingSpike]

Usually the primary as far as Windows is concerned is whatever you have your first monitor plugged in to.

I'm pretty sure once you're in windows you just go to display settings and check that "make this display my main display" to switch them. Before windows loads though I think you're just a victim of bios settings or lack thereof.

 

[therealnickdanger]

BIOS usually defaults to the primary slot. AMD/NVIDIA settings in Windows will let you select what to use each one for.

 

[thilanliyan]

Great thanks for the info.

 

[railven]

The slots will initialize top down usually so you will lose the bios screen unless you move the monitor plug to the top screen or are able to change the initialize order.

That said, it should be fine. Only the screen with the gpu connected will be 3d accelerated, as long as you don't enable sli/cf.

I guess this is BIOS dependent? More on bottom.

Usually the primary as far as Windows is concerned is whatever you have your first monitor plugged in to.

This. When I was mining with my two 7970s, I used the bottom PCIE slot on my MoBo as my primary due to it having a better cooler.

I also never had issues getting into and out of my BIOS with the monitor plugged into the second card.

 

[Chicken76]

I don't have the 3rd GPU yet...I want to make sure I can do this before buying it. I only have one monitor and I can connect it to whichever gpu I need to.

Careful with mixing GPUs. I don't know if it's still an issue nowadays, but the nVidia driver used to refuse to work properly if it detected an AMD card present.

 

[Stuka87]

Careful with mixing GPUs. I don't know if it's still an issue nowadays, but the nVidia driver used to refuse to work properly if it detected an AMD card present.

Still is that way last I checked. There was a hacky work around, but that got "fixed" an an update some time ago.

 

[thilanliyan]

Careful with mixing GPUs. I don't know if it's still an issue nowadays, but the nVidia driver used to refuse to work properly if it detected an AMD card present.

Ewwww...nVidia?! No way!!
I wouldn't try that. It would just be another AMD card, but probably not a 290 though. If I do it the third card needs to be able to mine as well and nVidia cards don't cut the mustard for that (at least not in the way AMD cards do)!

 

[ViRGE]

Careful with mixing GPUs. I don't know if it's still an issue nowadays, but the nVidia driver used to refuse to work properly if it detected an AMD card present.

It works just fine, AFAIK. Otherwise people wouldn't be able to AFR NV and AMD cards in Ashes of the Singularity.