ProArt X870E bios 1001/1003: Integrated Graphics menu entry missing (Disabled/Enabled/Auto)

[cure]

Motherboard: ProArt X870E-CREATOR WIFI

Mobo bios version 1001/1003

Bios menu entry to enable/disable integrated (cpu) graphics is missing. There is no way to manually enable or disable integrated graphics in the bios, or set it to auto.

A week ago on bios 1001, I've installed Windows, w/o using a discrete graphics card in the freshly built system, using the integrated graphics (cpu) instead with a 1920x1080 monitor. All good. Installed apps, made an image.

Mounted a RTX2080 Super (awaiting RTX5080), hooked up to my ultra widescreen 5120x1440 monitor. All good. Dual screens.

RTX2080: 5120x1440 main monitor

CPU iGPU: 1920x0180 secondary monitor

Use case: While still on the RTX2080 for now, I'd like to use the CPU's iGPU for my 2nd monitor, since the outdated RTX2080 is the system's bottleneck. So I do not want to load that up more than I have to.

Now, at one point, upon loading bios defaults later and performing a "Save Changes & Reset": There was a listing of all the variables which were going to be reset, including "Integrated Graphics".

Updated the bios from 1001 to 1003, was looking to turn the iGPU back on. Could not find it anywhere in the sub menus.

Also, when one performs a (F9) search for "Integrated Graphics" in the bios, nothing.

I can't enable the CPU's iGPU.

Would like to see this changed in/added to the bios.

Other components:

CPU: AMD 9800X3D

RAM: Kingston KF560C32RSK2-96

[RP22]

I'm using a ProArt Z890-CREATOR WIFI with an Intel CPU so the BIOS menus might be different. But I too struggled to find the BIOS setting to disable the internal graphics and finally found it under:   Advanced Menu -> System Agent (SA) Configuration -> Graphics Configuration -> Internal Graphics. Perhaps the setting is in the same place in the ProArt X870E-CREATOR WIFI BIOS.

[cure · Accepted solution]

Under Advanced, the whole NB Configuration sub menu (which should include Integrated Graphics) was apparently missing from the bios. (It is listed in the manual.)

So, clearing CMOS did provide me with a NB Configuration menu entry, allowing me to change iGPU settings.

Now I did discover that enabling CSM (Boot\CSM (Compatibility Support Module)) apparently disables the iGPU and the NB Configuration menu.

Re-Size BAR info states CSM interaction (disabling).
CSM info however does not state Re-Size bar and/or iGPU interaction (disabling).

I use CSM to be able to boot a (SATA) SSD with a Linux distro (using the bios boot manager), which does not have GRUB nested into the Windows Boot Loader of the primary boot (NVMe) SSD.
With CSM disabled, that Linux drive and all other drives except the primary Windows one, were not listed in the boot manager.

I also noted that the bios sometimes does wonky stuff when changing, saving and loading settings. Be it from a settings file or just by changing variables. It apparently doesn’t like it when changing many settings at once for instance (possibly due to dependencies, who knows).

I could go in various tangents here about other bios functionality, not related to the main topic, however related to the above:

1. Why can’t I disable individual M.2 NVMe slots/drives?
   Sometimes when installing a second or third OS (on other drives), one could want the OS to not see specific drives at all, since an OS install might do things to drives you don’t want it to. It happens.
   It’s perfectly possible with SATA ports to individually disable them (ironically when it’s actually easy to unplug those drives in most cases). Physically removing NVMe’s to get the same result is a PITA. It can easily be argued M.2 slots need that functionality more than SATA ports. The option for M.2 drives is not there. Why?
   Use case: Prevent certain Linux distros grub managers to mess with the Windows boot manager, despite telling them during install not to do so. (Checking out Ubuntu/Linux Mint as an example.) (Glad I had an image of the Windows boot manager to restore its state.)
2. Why isn’t there a bios option to show the bios boot manager on every boot? Rather than having to press F8 to bring it up. It would be nice to see.

Quite the tangent, but yeah, endofrant!

After having previously messed with grub, repairing/redefining it as well (after it had altered the Windows boot loader, which I fixed using an image restore), I figured the grub repair could be the culprit.
I could boot that Linux install with either CSM enabled, or triggering it from a Systemrescue Linux USB stick (basically a live ISO).

Decided to perform a Linux reinstall.

So I booted Systemrescue Linux from an USB stick, wiped the Linux disk using GParted. I also used GParted to temporarily remove the boot flag from the Windows boot partition, so grub would not detect the Windows boot loader and mess with it during the Linux install.

Installed Linux. It indeed did not see the Windows boot loader this time. Perfect. Used GParted to re-enable the boot flag on the Windows boot partition.

Now the Linux disk has a proper boot entry. Grub and the Windows boot loader have not messed with each other. No CSM required to (manually) boot into it anymore.

iGPU working.
Booting either OS working, without them knowing of each other’s existence.
CSM disabled.