Disable the onboard video or Not?: Advise please

[CliveM]

My PC is a bit like my grandfathers axe which was still considered to be original although he had replaced the head twice and the handle three times.
Although this desktop PC now about 6 years old I have replaced/upgraded every part of it including the case.
I have just finished replacing the MB CPU & RAM and installing Win 8.1.

Now to get to the point:
I am using my Nvida GTX GeForce GTX 560Ti not the on board video to run my monitor. It is running well as far as I can tell.
The new mother board is a Gigabyte Z87-HD3. The on board Intel HD Graphics display is not connected to anything.
Should I disable that on board display or not?
I assume if I disable the on board display from within windows that display will still be accessible if booted into bios in the event my 560Ti dies?

TIA http://cdn.pressf1.pcworld.co.nz/ima...ies/thumbs.gif

[dugimodo]

It doesn't hurrt either way, they coexist fine. If you disable the onboard in the BIOS your CPU will run a little cooler and use less power and you will free up some RAM but it makes no actual noticeable difference on most systems.

One thing about leaving it enabled, if you use any software that can take advantage of quicksync then it's worth having it enabled just for that. It's faster and more efficient than any other hardware Video acceleration available on your PC.

Me though, I turn mine off completely. I don't use it and if the main card dies you can always reset the BIOS to turn onboard back on.

[CliveM]

Thanks dugimodo. That was about what I guessed but I would sooner ask and look a little stupid than jump in and prove I was

[linw]

dugi, if you disable the on-board, and your vid card dies, how do you see what you are doing to alter the BIOS?? Just thought I would ask!

[dugimodo]

you use the reset link on the motherboard and it turns back on.

[icow]

dugi, if you disable the on-board, and your vid card dies, how do you see what you are doing to alter the BIOS?? Just thought I would ask!

In the bios you set priority for video out, if you're running a dedicated graphics card it will probably be set pci-e > pci > on board or something like that. If no graphics card is detected the bios should output video via the on board graphics. Bit like setting 1st, 2nd, 3rd boot devices.

[linw]

@dugi - ah, the old reset link, eh? Wherever that is!!

@icow - he was disabling it so the mobo shouldn't be able to use it (I think!).

[Agent_24]

@dugi - ah, the old reset link, eh? Wherever that is!!

Usually near the battery or BIOS EPROM.

[dugimodo]

Yeah what they said. The reset link I'm referring to is also called the "Clear CMOS" link if that clarifies at all.
I suspect like Icow mentioned that even if onboard video is disabled when you remove the Video card the BIOS may well use the onboard in the absence of any alternatives. If not you just reset the BIOS with the Link or by removing the battery and it sets everything back to default.

These problems are hypothetical anyway, most people don't have graphics cards die on them very often. I always have another system I can borrow a graphics card from myself.

[linw]

Of course, the BIOS reset link. Hypothetical, as you say.