My PC (Compaq Presario) has an onboard Intel 3100 which is pretty lame wbut would be useful for testing on, or a 3rd monitor. I've then got a nVidia PCIx card installed. I can't seem to find a way to turn both on at once... is it likely this is a BIOS limitation?
Running Windows 7.
The official page suggests I can't do this but I wondered if there is a way?
To flesh out Sathya's answer a bit: In most systems, the same PCIe lanes are used for both the IGP and the PCIe-x16 slot for the video card. So either the slot can be used or the IGP. This means you can't even put non-video card devices (e.g. RAID controllers) into the x16 slot without losing access to the IGP -- you'd still have to install a video card in a different slot!
Late Edit: It appears that on Sandy Bridge systems with an H67 (and probably Z68, when they launch) chipsets, it's possible to run both the onboard GPU and an add-on graphics card at the same time. Other 6-series (and later) chipsets may work as long as both the CPU & MB Chipset support Intel's Flexible Display Interface, a DisplayPort-based standard that gives the integrated GPU a direct connection to the onboard video connectors.
Unfortunately, there's no way around this limitation - using an external card automatically turns off the IGP.
In Asrock UEFI Bios of the h81m-vg4 motherboard there is an option to enable the onboard graphics while you have an additional video card connected:
Advanced > chipset configuration > IGPU Multi-Monitor > Enabled.
The h81 chipset allows the flexible display interface. I tested with the intel g1820 and the msi r5750 and I'm able to run up to 4 independent displays.
Old thread, but I have a Dell Optiplex 390 w/Intel integrated 2000 and am able to select multiple displays in BIOS and run both integrated and graphics card. Always looking for other desktops that have this capability as I am a quad-monitor individual on a dual-monitor budget....
I run 3 amd machines that have onboard and pcie video. All 3 machines have 3 monitors. 1 connected to onboard video (DVI) and 2 connected to the PCIE video card (DVI).
In the bios you set primary to pcie and enable onboard video. Also set 'surround view' or similar switch to enable.
If all of a sudden you lose a screen but all hardware tests ok then change your cmos battery and restore the settings.
This thread helped and I am now running 4 monitors 2 on the dedicated GPU and 2 on the onboard GPU ASRock Model H110M-HDV/D3 (CPUSocket) 6500 Dedicated 3 ports but only 2 can be used at a time it seems = NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 1/ HDMI 2/ DVI Onboard Intel HD Graphics 530 3 ports 1/ HDMI 1/ VGA of all things and it runs at full speed for what I want / The DVI would not work.
ASUS Del key to enter Bios Advanced mode F6 Advanced tab Chipset Configuration folder Primary graphics card Change it from PCI Express to Onboard Exit tab SAVE CHANGES AND EXIT Now both cards will work.
I saw this done on YouTube. The guy pressed 'delete' while his machine was booting. When the bios came up he went to 'video controllers' and re-arranged the order of the bootable graphics He made IGP first then PCIe second instead of the default way of PCI being first. He explained that by doing it this way the MOBO couldn't disable the IGP and that they both would play. I tried to do it on my machine but I haven't been able to find the control in order to re-arrange it, so I just had to use two video cards for the four monitors.
