Turning ON Mux Switch (using the discreet GPU only) performance question on Nitro AN515-46

Using the MUX switch to run your Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46 with the R7 6800H and RTX 3070 on the dedicated GPU only, without an external monitor, will provide a performance boost in games. However, it may increase power consumption and heat generation, potentially leading to higher fan noise.

Using an external monitor connected directly to the GPU, bypassing the MUX switch, will also improve performance compared to running on the integrated GPU. This configuration may be more efficient in terms of power consumption and heat generation, as the dedicated GPU is only active when needed.

Neither option is inherently bad for your laptop's GPU or overall wear and tear, as long as you maintain proper cooling and avoid excessive stress on the system. Proper usage and maintenance of laptop will extend its lifespan.

In summary, using the MUX switch with or without an external monitor will provide better gaming performance, but may impact power efficiency and heat generation. The choice depends on your priorities and the specific game requirements.

You don't need to turn on 'Discrete GPU only' because your HDMI port is probably connected directly to your dGPU. Therefore, it will use the dGPU. When an external monitor is connected, to achieve the same performance as with mux switch, you need to set the display to show only on the external monitor. This means you need to turn off the laptop display and set external monitor as primary display from Windows settings in order to disable the iGPU and use only the dGPU during that time.

In that case, both screens should use the dGPU. The key benefit of the MUX switch is that it allows the dGPU to be fully utilized for gaming and other GPU-intensive tasks, without the performance overhead of routing the display through the iGPU first. This can result in a significant boost in frame rates and responsiveness, especially in competitive games.

If we use an external monitor or MUX switch, we can disable the iGPU completely and use only the dGPU, which increases system performance.

If you're using a laptop with an external GPU and the MUX switch is off, then the laptop screen will use the iGPU while the external screen will use the dGPU, resulting in performance similar to having the MUX switch off on the laptop. However, with the MUX switch on and an external monitor connected, both screens will use the dGPU, potentially providing better performance. You should test this yourself to see if it causes any issues.

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