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Is there any way to select a primary monitor in BIOS?

Sargon
Level 8
Hi,
Is there any way to select a primary monitor in BIOS?
Once again, I'm not asking about Windows, I'm asking about BIOS.

So far the workaround seems to be physically swapping inputs.

Hardware:
Asus ROG Maximus Formula IX
Asus ROG Strix GeForce STRIX-GTX1080-A8G
Both monitors are connected via DisplayPorts
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10 REPLIES 10

Nate152
Moderator
Hi Sargon

With a 1080 installed you want PEG as the primary output, you can enable multi monitor but this is for the Intel cpu graphics.

I only use one monitor and I'm not 100% sure but the nvidia control panel may let you switch the primary monitor under "Set up multiple displays".

Nate152 wrote:
Hi Sargon

With a 1080 installed you want PEG as the primary output, you can enable multi monitor but this is for the Intel cpu graphics.

I only use one monitor and I'm not 100% sure but the nvidia control panel may let you switch the primary monitor under "Set up multiple displays".

Hi, I tried changing it from Auto to PEG, but, as I expected, it did not make any difference, since both of my monitors are plugged into the 1080 (It has 2 DPs).
Nvidia Control panel, Sadly, is no different from Windows Settings. It affects Windows only.


Ghozer wrote:
Windows display properties lets you choose your main monitor..

right click desktop > Display Settings > scroll to the bottom...


Thanks, but I specifically mentioned that I want to change it for BIOS, not Windows. I know how to change it in Windows and BIOS ignored the setting in Windows.

Ghozer
Level 7
Windows display properties lets you choose your main monitor..

right click desktop > Display Settings > scroll to the bottom...

ahh ok i know what your wanting to do, yeah i have the same issue, the only thing ive been able to figure out is it depends on witch monitor is pluged in first when you first put the card in, you may try switching ports plug in the main display first then after boot up plug in the 2nd that may work but ive never seen an option in bios to force main display.

hom3gr0wn wrote:
ahh ok i know what your wanting to do, yeah i have the same issue, the only thing ive been able to figure out is it depends on witch monitor is pluged in first when you first put the card in, you may try switching ports plug in the main display first then after boot up plug in the 2nd that may work but ive never seen an option in bios to force main display.


Yeah I thought that it may depend on which one is plugged in first, but it simply seems to prefer one DP over the other, no matter what.
I unplugged both monitors and plugged only my "primary" into DP1. While BIOS was on I plugged in the "secondary" monitor into DP2 and it stayed that way for that session... then after a reboot it was using DP2 as the primary again.

I thought maybe it treats whatever you plug in second as the primary, but nope... same thing. Whatever is plugged into DP2 is the primary it seems.

I also looked at "Internal GOP Configuration" under Advanced settings and it has a selection between "DP1" and "DP3"... No idea what these refer to exactly and where is 2... Is 2 the integrated one?
Anyway this setting cannot be saved it seems. If you change it to 3 and try to save changes, bios says that no changes have been made and after a reboot it reverts to "DP1" in that menu.

hom3gr0wn wrote:
ahh ok i know what your wanting to do, yeah i have the same issue, the only thing ive been able to figure out is it depends on witch monitor is pluged in first when you first put the card in, you may try switching ports plug in the main display first then after boot up plug in the 2nd that may work but ive never seen an option in bios to force main display.


So basically if I were to remove the card from the motherboard and then reinstall it, do you think that would work? Then it would re-detect the monitors and select the correct one for the main monitor?

GrandMasterMikel wrote:
So basically if I were to remove the card from the motherboard and then reinstall it, do you think that would work? Then it would re-detect the monitors and select the correct one for the main monitor?


This thread is about BIOS display so is that what you're having an issue with? In my experience with other devices the BIOS output (and Sargon too apparently) is that it's a fixed order. So if you need a different display in the BIOS plug that display into the port on the card that is starting first or unplug/power off the extra display when you need to use the BIOS.
A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station…

If you're talking about seeing the BIOS screen on a certain monitor just swap the cables on the back of the video card connectors - you may need to redo windows main screen afterwards though.

I use two DP connections and usually when I first boot a new PC setup I see which displays and switch the cables so my closest monitor has the bios on it.

This may be different if you're mixing and matching connections types (DP versus HDMI etc).

I have a way of selecting any technique and additions to the computer is to take the most expensive, the same applies to the monitor bios. I make a lot of videos for youtube with different instructions. I use different services to create videos, and do the editing myself or hire a freelancer when it gets very busy. So monitor is almost a key role for me)) If I took a monitor specifically for gaming, I would choose an easier one)).