The vast majority of PC motherboards have one or more video outputs, usually in the form of an HDMI output. However, we all know that when you have a dedicated graphics card in your PC, you use the video outputs of it and the motherboard ones are disabled, but what if we told you that you can get connect an additional monitor to the pc using the motherboard?
All or almost all PC motherboards are designed to have an integrated video output, so if the processor has integrated graphics (iGPU), you can use the PC without having a dedicated graphics card. It’s the main function of the motherboard having an HDMI output, but why would you want it if you already have a graphics card?
The motherboard HDMI video output
As we already mentioned a moment ago, the HDMI video output of the motherboard is used to connect a monitor and have an image on the PC when the processor has an integrated GPU. And it’s a requirementsince if the processor does not have an integrated graphics card, even if the motherboard has an output HDMI will not work.
Thus, if you already have a graphics card installed in your PC, you will use the video outputs of this one and therefore the HDMI of the motherboard is not used at all… in fact, you will not even be able to connect an additional monitor to this HDMI as it is usually disabled by default. However, there is a way to take advantage of this HDMI from the motherboard, although not everyone will be able to do it because it depends on the motherboard and the processor you have.
How to use motherboard HDMI to add a monitor
You can do the test: if you have two monitors on your PC, try connecting one to the graphics card and the other to the HDMI of the motherboard, and you will see how the one on the motherboard does not work; there are exceptions, with some motherboards it is allowed configure in bios this works even if there is a dedicated graph, but be careful with this setting as it usually has the opposite effect: disabling the use of the graph’s video outputs. In some motherboards it is allowed to have a dedicated and integrated graphics card working at the same time, and both with their video output: in this case, the motherboard’s HDMI will work even if you have a dedicated graphics card.
We repeat that you have to be careful when configuring this parameter, because depending on the model of motherboard you have, it can cause an undesirable effect. If for some reason you have touched this setting in the PC BIOS and you are missing a video signal, change the monitor cable between your motherboard and your graphics card because if one does not give you a signal, the else will (again, like as long as your processor has iGPU).
However, basically, if you have a dedicated graphics card, you normally won’t be at all interested in using the motherboard’s video outputs, and really that HDMI will only serve you if, for example, you have problems with dedicated graphics and you must have a video signal on the PC to check what is happening to it. However, as we told you, on some motherboards you can use it to add an additional monitor to the PC.
