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I have a 4 GB add-on video card and built into my motherboard I have on-board Intel 1 GB graphics. Is it possible to activate the on-board graphic card as well? If it is possible I assume it would add a full GB which is a huge gain, more than overclocking it I would think.

I can build a PC and have done a little overclocking but I am in no way an expert.

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  • Can you provide specifics. What is your exact question? What does it have to do with the Intel iGPU that you have?
    – Ramhound
    Jun 16, 2015 at 18:38
  • You need special drivers that allow the cards to switch based on the application running. This is common on a laptop in order to maximise battery life but I don't know about desktops. You cannot use the 2 together to boost performance.
    – Julian Knight
    Jun 16, 2015 at 20:56
  • I thought it would be too good to be true, thanks for your answer still.
    – Vince
    Jun 17, 2015 at 0:13

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The only way to combine the video memory or graphics processing capability of multiple video cards is to use technologies such as nVidia's SLI or AMD's Crossfire. Both of these implementations require compatible video cards and special connectors to link the cards, as noted on Wikipedia's page about SLI:

...the final output of each card is sent to the master card via a connector called the SLI Bridge.

If your on-board and add-on video cards support such technology, then with the required connector you're good to go. Otherwise what you're asking is not possible.

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  • Thanks for your input, for a moment I thought I was a genius as it hasn't been done before but then reality kicked in and I thought there's a reason why it hasn't been done before ;) anyway it was worth a try and again thanks for your reply.
    – Vince
    Jun 17, 2015 at 0:12
  • Keep thinking outside the box. One day you may run across an idea no one has thought of! Anyway, welcome to Super User and good luck.
    – I say Reinstate Monica
    Jun 17, 2015 at 1:16
  • Technically DX12 will support the ability to use two seperate graphic cards together without them being in SLI or Crossfire.
    – Ramhound
    Jun 17, 2015 at 13:21
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Something like you'd like already exists and is implemented in some systems. Specifically, in systems with AMD APUs and discrete graphics card. I'm almost sure Nvidia has something similar, but not certain.

SLI or Crossfire requires two discrete graphics cards (and possibly identical).

There is also another solution - also used in laptops - which switches between cards depending on intensity of task. but it's only switching.

Anyway, this system utilizes both graphics cards simultaneously - one for demanding tasks, one for less demanding (in effect combining both GPU's and Video RAM). Unfortunately, this way has it's drawbacks, called stuttering (faster card needs to synchronize frames with slower one, causing micro-freezing). So idea is nice, but reality is that both those graphics cards in tandem are slower than faster one on single.

Also, Intel Graphics card has only very small amount of RAM for it's use. Rest - about 95% of it - is shared RAM, which is "reserved" for Intel GPU.

And to put a cherry on top of this [sour] cake - your 4GB card will do exactly the same thing (use system shared memory) as the Intel one, if it will need more RAM.

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