Would it be possible to program a key on my keyboard to switch on/off power to the videocard, or at least make it so when vista puts my monitor to sleep, it does the same for my videocard? Even though my 4870 underclocks to 500mhz when not in use, I'm sure it still wastes plenty electricity when I leave my computer on to download something, compress something, burn dvds, or other time consuming tasks. If this isn't yet possible, then Logan, could you use your influential powers to get ati and/or nvidia to implement this functionality in future drivers? Less electricity = less coal burnt = less pollution = world saved = profit.
Not possible aslong as it is connected.
IT SHOULD turn off when you put it in sleep mode :S
i have a Q, when you put your computer into sleep mode, will it still continue downloads such as torrents?
granolaaaaa wrote 11 minutes ago »
i have a Q, when you put your computer into sleep mode, will it still continue downloads such as torrents?
no
Global warming is a lie. Burn all the coal you can muster!
Killgroup wrote 9 hours ago »
Global warming is a lie. Burn all the coal you can muster!
well it still costs me money, and since my stupid case opens on the right, my video card faces up, which, at least in the case of my previous card, caused the fan lubricant to drain out after a few months of use, making my computer sound like a weed whacker until I disassembled and re-oiled it, which I don't want to have to go through again too soon, cuz it was a pain.
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MeGotRice wrote 7 hours ago »
Ｉｆ　ｙï½ï½•ã€€want　ｔï½ã€€ï½”ｕｒｎ　ï½ï½†ï½†ã€€ï½™ï½ï½•ï½’　ＰＣＩｅ，　ｔｕｒｎ　ï½ï½†ï½†ã€€ï½”ｈｅ　ｃï½ï½ï½ï½•ï½”ｅｒ．　Ａｓ　ｌï½ï½Žï½‡ã€€ï½ï½“　ｙï½ï½•ï½’　ｇｒï½ï½ï½ˆï½‰ï½ƒã€€ï½ƒï½ï½’ｄ　ｉｓ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ＰＣＩｅ　ï½ï½ï½’ｔ，　ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗｉｌｌ　ｂｅ　ｃï½ï½Žï½“ï½”ï½ï½Žï½”　ï½ï½ï½—ｅｒ　ｔï½ã€€ï½”ｈｅ　ｆï½ï½Žï¼Ž
So if the card wants power, there's no way i can say it can't have it. But would it still be possible for ati/nvidia to update the drivers to put the card in a "sleep mode" at least when windows automatically turns off my display?
It is most likely possible.. But I dont think nvidia/ati have any plans doing that
GreenSLi wrote 5 hours ago »
But I dont think nvidia/ati have any plans doing that
Your probably right, which sucks because it probably wouldn't even be that difficult, and it seems stupid to be running a graphics card when not outputting any graphics, especially since my 4870 is supposed to have a relatively high idle power draw.
Basterisk wrote 8 minutes ago »
GreenSLi wrote 5 hours ago »
But I dont think nvidia/ati have any plans doing that
Your probably right, which sucks because it probably wouldn't even be that difficult, and it seems stupid to be running a graphics card when not outputting any graphics, especially since my 4870 is supposed to have a relatively high idle power draw.
You could find a way to have it set the voltage as low as possible and 100mhz core clock when not in use.
Only AMD/Nvdia chipsets have this feature and I believe its called Hybrid Power.
When you surf the net etc the motherboard/drivers turn the main gfx card off and you use the onboard gfx to save power, but when you go into a game it switches the main gfx card back on and it uses that instead.
Doctor wrote 20 hours ago »
Only AMD/Nvdia chipsets have this feature and I believe its called Hybrid Power.
When you surf the net etc the motherboard/drivers turn the main gfx card off and you use the onboard gfx to save power, but when you go into a game it switches the main gfx card back on and it uses that instead.
Thanks Doc, just did a lil research
Hybridpower qualifying board/cards
My mobo is AMD, but it's only GeForce 6150 SE nForce 430, and I don't have a 9800 or GTX 260/280
This would still be possible for me though, if I hooked up my lcd to both my mobo and my 4870, i would probably need to alter the bios though too, but it would be better than just turning the card off when i'm not using the monitor.
bump for additional thoughts
Both ATI/AMD and nVidia has that technology on some chipsets and GPUs that when surfing the web or just doing text documents, it disables the main GPU and uses the integrated one and when u start to play games and do some heavy stuff then it activates the main GPU again.
Even some chipsets have Hybrid SLI/CF, so that both graphics card and integrated are in use, giving some more perf.