Disabling the integrated graphics card is not a first-rate computer skill, but it can come in handy. Bugs in computer games or the desire to connect an external graphics card with higher performance to our laptop can be an example of the need to use such a solution
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How to disable the integrated graphics card in Windows 10/11?
Some operating systems or their versions make it difficult to interfere with components. However, Windows 10 provides a simple and relatively safe way to disable the integrated graphics card.
You can disable the integrated graphics card through the device manager. When disabling the graphics card, we should know why we are doing it and whether we can reverse the process. In case of laptops it may happen that after turning off graphics card via device manager, the screen or monitor will be turned off. In such a situation, it is worth connecting a new monitor via HDMI or VGA cable to restore the computer to its basic state.
To open the device manager, use the system search engine (magnifying glass icon on the taskbar, usually in the lower left corner) to type the phrase “control panel” and open it. Then a window will open, in which you go to “Hardware and Sound” and under “Devices and Printers” open the “Device Manager” tab.
When an additional window opens, look for the “Graphics Cards” tab in the list and look for the integrated graphics card that you want to enable. Then right-click on it and click “enable device”.
If there is only one graphics card in the list, it is better to skip this step because we can completely turn off the screen as the device responsible for generating the image will be turned off.
How to disable integrated graphics card using AMD Radeon Settings?
Disabling the integrated graphics card can also be done using dedicated software for the graphics card. Some manufacturers, such as AMD and Nvidia, have dedicated software so that we can manage the settings, performance and power of the graphics card.
To disable the integrated graphics card using AMD Radeon Settings, right-click on the desktop and select “AMD Radeon Settings” (an alternative option is to search for the program using a search engine). Next, navigate to the “Switchable Graphics” tab.
The Switchable Graphics menu displays the Running Applications view by default. This view displays the most recently and currently running applications and the switchable graphics modes assigned to them.
The default mode for most applications is determined by the operating system. Applications with special GPU requirements are marked with a lock icon next to the application name and cannot be changed; these applications always run on the integrated GPU in power-saving mode.
For applications that are not locked by the operating system, you can select the following switched graphics modes from the application drop-down menu:
- Power Saving – select the integrated GPU, which uses less power but provides lower performance.
- High performance – selects the separate graphics processor, which consumes more power but provides higher performance.
- Depending on power source-selects the integrated GPU when running on battery power and selects the separate GPU when plugged into a power outlet.
Select the desired mode for the application, and the change will be applied the next time you load the application.
How to disable the integrated graphics card using Nvidia Control Panel?
For the owners of graphics cards from Nvidia there is also a special application, using which you can disable the integrated graphics card and force the use of a dedicated graphics card on selected programs.
To do so, right-click on the desktop and click “NVIDIA Control Panel”. Then go to the “Manage 3D Settings” tab. A window will appear where we can manage settings globally or adjust settings for individual programs. This way, you can disable the integrated graphics card so that it does not run in any programs.
How to disable integrated graphics card in BIOS?
An alternative method to disable the integrated graphics card is the method of running the BIOS on a laptop or computer and only the card in the traditional way. To start the BIOS on your computer, press and hold one of two keys: F2 or Delete while the computer is booting up (at the very beginning of the computer)
After entering the BIOS interface, we should find one of the options
- Peripherals or Integrated Peripherals (on the computer).
- On a laptop it can be almost anywhere: in both Advanced and Configuration, just look for the appropriate item that has to do with graphics
Once you enter the edit of this category, you will get the option to disable the integrated graphics card.
This method is one of the more difficult ones and requires basic knowledge of how your computer works. The wrong settings can cause the hardware to stop booting, and you will need the help of specialists to repair it.
Summary – how to disable the integrated graphics card?
The first way, of course, is to use the available programs that are already installed at the start. These ways are the fastest and do not require specialized knowledge. In turn, the way using the BIOS, which is implemented in every computer, requires basic knowledge from the user. They have this knowledge, disabling the integrated graphics card in the BIOS is very fast and intuitive.
