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# Motherboard HDMI vs GPU HDMI ports

## Overview

On some computers there may be HDMI ports in two different locations:

* The motherboard
* The GPU (aka the graphics card)

You should always prefer to use the HDMI ports on the GPU first and only use the motherboard HDMI ports as a last resort.

## Location

There are two general locations on the back of a computer.

* The motherboard I/O panel
* The GPU (aka the graphics card)

<figure><img src="/files/SzAt3qtrahf49mnXb3l2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Motherboard HDMI vs GPU HDMI

If you have two working ports, one on the motherboard and one on the graphics card, which should you pick? The answer is **always try the graphics card HDMI first, and only use the motherboard HDMI as a last resort**.

First, motherboard HDMI support is usually not as capable as what you will find on a graphics card from the same era. The motherboard HDMI port may not support 4K or a high enough refresh rate. So it might work, but the experience may be worse.

Second, both motherboard HDMI and a graphics card need memory to do their work. A graphics card has its own dedicated memory. Motherboard HDMI usually does not. It instead uses system memory, which means your CPU and system lose some memory to graphics.

## Other issues with motherboard HDMI

Sometimes you'll read a statement like "HDMI doesn't work on the motherboard." That is an exaggeration, but it is well-intentioned. It is true that motherboard HDMI sometimes does not work. Here are the common reasons.

First, to get a motherboard HDMI port working, several things need to be true:

* First, the HDMI port must exist.
* Second, the computer has to have a component that sends a display signal to the port. This is called integrated graphics. It's called "integrated" because the graphics component is on the CPU.
* Third, the HDMI port must be enabled.

What often happens is that not all these conditions are met on PCs with motherboard HDMI ports.

The HDMI port might exist, but there may be no integrated graphics, so that port will not work.

You might have the port and integrated graphics, but the BIOS may disable that port. In that case, you need to enable it in the BIOS.

Finally, some computers automatically disable motherboard HDMI when a graphics card is installed. In other words, you can use either the motherboard HDMI or the graphics card, but not both.

You aren't going to hurt your computer by trying to use motherboard HDMI, but you should know why it might not work.