Turning off GPU when 3D graphics not needed: Does this work?

Pipps · Post by **Pipps** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:16 am

Is it possible to turn-off an aftermarket PCIE graphics card and revert to using only a motherboard's onboard graphics chip, when graphic intensive applications are not in use?

For instance, when using my PC to just browse the web or write documents, I would not wish for a high-end, power-hungry, fan-cooled GPU to be consuming power and generating heat unnecessarily.

Would there be any method - either in a system BIOS or from an installable application - that this power-saving GPU disabling might be achievable?

What do you think?

LodeHacker · Post by **LodeHacker** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:28 am

I've never seen how this works in practice, but NVIDIA does have a technology called HybridPower. It essentially allows specific NVIDIA motherboards with an integrated GeForce graphics processor to utilize a NVIDIA Hybrid SLI enabled discrete graphics card to accelerate 3D performance on demand and have the discrete graphics card sleep otherwise to keep power consumption on a low level. More about it here: http://www.nvidia.com/object/hybrid_sli_desktop.html

Although it sounds nice, current implementations allow this to work only on NVIDIA motherboards for the AMD platform with select high end NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics cards. In other words NVIDIA HybridPower is strictly tied to compatible NVIDIA hardware. ATi has a similar concept called PowerXpress, but is currently available for mobile computing platforms only unlike NVIDIA HybridPower, which is available for desktop computer configurations as well.

A software or platform independent solution is not available as far as I know. One possibility could be underclocking the discrete graphics card while operating the computer, but this barely lowers power consumption and there is a risk of making the computer or the graphics card go south. Unfortunately it seems that in this field you have very limited options if any at all.

Hope this helps.

Pipps · Post by **Pipps** » Sun Jun 21, 2009 12:41 pm

This is definitely interest. Thank you!

Bakkone · Post by **Bakkone** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:23 am

I think Microsoft decided not to support this in Win 7.

LodeHacker · Post by **LodeHacker** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:26 am

Bakkone wrote:I think Microsoft decided not to support this in Win 7.

As usual...

Pipps · Post by **Pipps** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:07 am

My research has revealed that some graphics cards are more sensitive and mindful to the needs of reduced power consumption, than others.

In particular, I have noticed that Radeon graphics cards, specifically the HD4670, consume very low power, for the performance which they provide.

http://www1.sapphiretech.com/nw/product ... p?gpid=253

The HD4670 even draws its power only from the PCIE slot, and not from a separate power connection, which evidences the low amount which it consumes.

The countless reviews on many websites of the power consumption of the HD4670 would appear to reiterate this:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Powe ... 70/24.html

http://techgage.com/article/sapphire_ra ... hd_4830/10

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/rad ... 81-13.html

I have made a purchase and I will be testing it in my new ultra-quiet 'performance' system, in due course. I will report my findings!