Switch to/from onboard video with graphics card installed?

[JakeBlade]

I'd like to be able to find a motherboard that has onboard video and a pci-express x16 slot.

Most of them do, but here's the kicker: my screen has two inputs which can be changed with the flip of a switch. I leave the computer on 24/7 because it also records a lot of TV/radio shows. So I should be able to install a pci-express gaming video card and enable it in the bios when I want to do gaming, and reboot and change the bios to disable the pci-express and enable the onboard video for when I'm not doing any gaming.

Is this possible? Or do I have to physically remove the gaming video card if I don't want to use it because it sucks up so much electricity.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone does this, or knows whether or not it's possible.

 

[BernardP]

Welcome to the Forums

I have a MSI motherboard with integrated graphics and PCI-E slot (still empty... ).
Reading my mobo manual, I can see that I would be able to do what you want to do.
There are the following options:

--- booting on the PCI-E card. If no card is present, the system will boot on IG
--- booting on IG
--- running PCI-E card and IG at the same time, with the additional option of disabling IG by setting video buffer to "Disabled"

I suggest you download the motherboard manual for the model you are interested in and look at the BIOS Setup section to see the options you have.

Unless you are a very occasional gamer, you will probably find it annoying to reset your BIOS each time you want to play a game. I probably am going to get a 8600GT for my empty PCI-E slot, and this is not what is going to make my power bill explode. Also, you might find that having a good videocard is a plus if you want to run Vista (assuming you get it with a new system)

 

[mpilchfamily]

Looks like you are wanting to save some energy right? Well fact is while outside of gaming the regular video card is using about as much power and the onboard. Now thereis a difference between them and the PCI-e card will pull more power but it a very small difference. It not really worth all the trouble of switching them.