XPS 9700 Direct Graphics Controller Direct Output mode performance differences

Question

Hello,

Does enabling Direct Graphics Controller Direct Output effect in-game performance? That is, can better framerates be achieved for the same in-game graphics settings when this mode is enabled?

Does it effect monitor refresh in away as well?

Windows does recognize which display adapter my external monitor is using when this mode is enabled or not:

Thank you.

jphughan · Accepted Answer

@samus1 That option allows the discrete GPU to take direct control of the display outputs rather than operating via NVIDIA Optimus, where the NVIDIA GPU acts as a render-only device and passes completed video frames to the Intel GPU for final output to the displays. I wouldn’t expect much of a difference in frame rates from that option. The main reason you’d enable that option would be to use capabilities that are only available when the NVIDIA GPU has direct control of the outputs because the Intel GPU doesn’t support them, such as:

G-Sync (or Adaptive V-Sync)
VR
Displays that require DisplayPort 1.4, such as 4K 60 Hz HDR or higher than 4K resolutions (5120x2160 or 5120x2880), since the Intel GPU in the XPS 17 9700 only supports DisplayPort 1.2.
Displays that require multiple DisplayPort 1.4 interfaces connected to a single display, such as Dell’s 8K 60 Hz display.

The downside to enabling that option is that the NVIDIA GPU will then have to be running all the time, even when nothing graphics-intensive is going on, whereas in an Optimus configuration it only activates when its performance is actually required. Keeping the NVIDIA GPU running all the time may result in increased fan noise, heat, and battery drain. So I would only enable it if you actually need capabilities that don’t work through the Intel GPU.

jphughan · Answer

@samus1  Happy to help. The preferred GPU comes into play in an Optimus configuration, i.e. the default mode with that BIOS option disabled. That allows you to override the automatic decisions by the drivers in terms of whether to allow the Intel GPU to run the application or whether the NVIDIA GPU should be activated. Typically the GPU drivers these days are already smart about that though. The BIOS option only affects which GPU controls the actual physical display outputs, and again, when that is the NVIDIA GPU, then it has to be running whenever a display is active. And if the NVIDIA GPU is always active and controlling the display outputs, then it will always be the 'preferred GPU', because you can’t run Optimus in reverse where the Intel GPU does the rendering work and passes through to the NVIDIA GPU. That wouldn’t even make sense since the whole point of Optimus is to save battery life by keeping the NVIDIA GPU inactive except when its performance is actually needed, and it wouldn’t make sense to have a slow GPU do the work when a fast GPU has to stay running anyway.

samus1 · Answer

Well, I also have Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling set to on in Settings, and the Preferred graphics processor set to the discrete GPU (RTX 2060). Would enabling Direct Graphics Controller Direct Output mode cause further usage of the card than this? Once again, many thanks to you for all the detailed and practical info! Good day.

samus1 · Answer

That does make sense, I think I'll disable it for now.

XPS

XPS 9700 Direct Graphics Controller Direct Output mode performance differences

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