Should You Plug Both Monitors Into GPU?

GPUs or graphics cards are one of the best hardware installed in a computer system. They perform complex mathematical calculations for apps and games and provide a display on the monitor(s). We can never imagine a computer system without a GPU (graphics processing unit) installed.

If you have or plan to have a second monitor, this article is definitely for you. This article will try to answer whether you should plug both monitors into a single GPU and how. We will also discuss some pros and cons of connecting monitors and different methods.

Should You Plug Both Monitors Into GPU?

Some GPUs allow you to plug in two monitors, while others enable you to connect more than two monitors simultaneously. Nearly all the dedicated graphics cards today allow you to plug in multiple monitors, so it shouldn’t be a problem. A dedicated GPU is a separate hardware with its memory and cores.

But it is better to install another GPU with more than three monitors. This is because a single graphics card will not become overburdened or overloaded. As a result, the overall performance of your computer system will increase. Hence, you can enjoy your favorite games and apps smoothly.

The only con is that your electricity bills will be slightly higher than the previous ones. This is because the graphics cards consume more power than the other hardware installed in your computer system. The older GPUs with less processing power consume more or less 70 watts, while the latest GPUs require 350 watts. There are also a few benefits of using dual monitors.

• Increase Productivity
  Dual monitors increase your productivity. You can multitask and save a lot of time. Hence, you can do more work in the same amount of time.
• More Work Space
  This point is just for you if you are a video editor, graphics designer, or photo editor. Multiple monitors increase your workspace. In short, gives you more area to place files and edit long videos. 
• Enhance Gaming Experience
  If you want to get the ultimate gaming experience, we recommend you use multiple monitors. It will increase your vision. Connecting both monitors with one GPU will give you the best graphical view.

Can I Use One Monitor With GPU and the Other with Motherboard VGA?

You can undoubtedly use one monitor with the GPU and another with motherboard VGA. It will increase not only your productivity but also your multitasking skills. But when you install a graphics card into the PCIe slot, your computer system disables the built-in VGA port on your motherboard.

To solve this issue, first, restart your computer. As your PC starts again, go to the BIOS by pressing the relevant key, such as “F2” or “Delete.” In the BIOS setting, look for the “Advanced BIOS Features” where you need to set the “Init Display” to “Onboard.” Ultimately, set the “Onboard VGA Settings” to “Always Enable.”

Do 2 Monitors Affect GPU Performance?

Two monitors increase your productivity and multitasking. On the other hand, they affect GPU performance. The first thing that the second monitor will affect is FPS or framerate. Simply put, it has been tested that only one monitor gives the best frame rate if a single GPU is installed.

Low FPS means low performance. We think this is because a GPU can perform calculations during gaming and give output on both monitors simultaneously. It is why it becomes overloaded with work, and its performance degrades. But you can overcome this problem by upgrading your other hardware.

Two monitors will also affect your GPU performance if you are into video editing and exporting or 3D modeling, animation, and rendering. The reason is the same as discussed in the paragraph above. That is why people who are video editors or 3D artists have one of the best GPUs installed in their computer systems.

Which GPU Can Run Two Monitors?

Nearly all the latest GPUs and even their older siblings allow you to connect two or more monitors simultaneously. Most of the graphics cards are built in a way that will enable you to install multiple monitors at the same time.

And most people do that, especially when their computer is not a high-end PC, and performance is not a priority for them. On the other hand, computer users with extreme gaming, video exporting, animation, rendering, etc., install more GPUs for multiple display monitors without compromising performance.

How To Connect Two Monitors On One GPU?

Connecting two monitors on one GPU is a piece of cake. The first and foremost thing you need is two compatible cables with your graphics card. Your GPU will have “HDMI” or a “Display Port.” It can also combine both, as shown in the image.

If you have display ports, we recommend you connect your monitors to these ports. That is because not only are they the latest and fastest technology for connecting display monitors to a GPU, but they also allow Daisy Chaining and MST (Multi-Stream Transport).

Let the first monitor be in the port where it is present. Usually, the monitors are connected to a GPU from left to right. After that, connect the second monitor to the consecutive HDMI or DisplayPort. It is possible that your second monitor is not giving any display at all, even when it is switched on.

To solve this issue in Windows 10/11, open the “Start Menu” and select the cog icon saying “Settings.” A widow will appear with multiple options where you need to select the option on the top left corner named “System.” An interface will come with a list on your left-hand side. Select “Display” from that list.

After that, scroll down the UI on your right-hand side in the same window until you see the section named “Multiple Displays.” Press the “Detect” button here because this is how your GPU and operating system detect the other display monitor connected to your computer system.

Where Should I Connect My Monitor? GPU or Motherboard?

Some computer motherboards allow you to connect your monitor directly to the built-in GPU, and for this, they have a VGA or other ports. Undoubtedly, it saves you money because neither you have to buy a dedicated GPU nor your PC consumes more power. But usually, motherboards have low-powered built-in graphics cards.

Such graphics cards can never give you the performance that a dedicated GPU does. Hence, a motherboard for connecting your display monitor is recommended, especially if you have a low-end computer system. It might also not allow you to connect to more than one monitor.

In addition, a built-in motherboard GPU uses the same memory (RAM) shared by other hardware or devices. As a result, the computer system starts to degrade its performance. The RAMs are not built for video games or graphic-based applications like Blender.

On the other hand, we have a dedicated GPU or a graphics card that is separate hardware and installed in the PCIe slot on your motherboard. This piece of hardware allows you to connect multiple monitors to it and has its special memory known as VRAM.

VRAM allows you to store the graphical data before and after processing during a game or graphics-based application. The second advantage of connecting your monitor to a GPU is that it has processors with hundreds or even thousands of graphic processing cores.

The advantage of these processing cores is that your CPU (central processing unit) does not have to perform calculations during the gameplay, exporting, rendering, mining, etc. As a result, it can focus on controlling and executing other tasks, giving you a computer system with high performance and throughput.

The main advantage of connecting your monitor to a GPU or graphics card is that you can attach multiple monitors to it. It will increase your multitasking skills and productivity to a much more prominent extent. Connecting dual or more monitors to your GPU is also a secret to winning games.

Why Do Gamers Use Two Monitors?

The first and foremost reason gamers use two monitors is to make game streaming easy. Simply put, on one monitor, they have their game playing, while on the other, they have their streaming software or apps running. In this case, gamers do not have to switch between apps and games frequently.

The second reason gamers use two display monitors is that it is the minimal gaming requirement for most of the latest games. On one monitor, they have the main game, while on the other, they have the map or the other view of the same game. It is advantageous when playing strategy games.

Is It Better to Have One Monitor or Two Monitors?

One monitor connected to your computer system GPU is not an issue if it fulfills your computer-based tasks’ needs. New users like students and writers can have only one monitor because they need simple typing and video-watching tasks. In other words, we suggest a single monitor for naive users.

On the other hand, we have professional users such as gamers, streamers, YouTubers, 3D artists, animators and renderers, video and photo editors and exporters, etc. These people had better install two monitors because it is not only a requirement of their profession, but it will also provide them ease.

Is a 27″ or 32″ Better for Gaming?

By now, we have learned about the process of installing dual monitors and their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s talk about which monitor is better for gaming now. On the one hand, we have a 27-inch monitor, and we will recommend this monitor to you. This monitor will save you energy and your electricity bill payment.

The first reason is that this monitor will give you the best result for the games with a resolution of 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels). On the other hand, a 32-inch display monitor is best when you use it from a distance to play games. This monitor is more suitable for games with 8K resolutions.

We will never recommend this monitor when you have a small room or sitting near in front of this monitor. Because it will not only affect your eyesight but also you will have difficulty finding things on the map. A 32-inch monitor will add a couple more dollars to your electricity bill.

Conclusion

Having a GPU and connecting multiple monitors to it has its advantages. It will increase your multitasking skills, productivity, and performance. Gamers prefer dual monitors for game streaming and playing strategy games. Users can use one monitor; however, they must have dual monitors connected to their GPU for professional tasks such as gaming, streaming, 3D art, and video/photo editing.