Why do I need Intel HD 3000 graphics with AMD Radeon HD?

[PatrickGSR94]

I just reformatted a Samsung laptop and am trying to get it all loaded and patched back up again. The laptop has a AMD Radeon HD 7400M graphics adapter. So after getting it up and running (at a low resolution obviously), I downloaded and installed the latest AMD graphics driver w/ the Catalyst Control Center thingy. Now the display is at the native 1600x900, but Device Manager shows both the AMD graphics adapter and Intel HD Graphics 3000 adapter.

Why are there two listed? I tried removing the Intel adapter earlier and the display went all wonky back to the previous 1024x768 resolution.

I'm the type of computer user who likes to get rid of stuff that's not needed. So are both graphics adapters really needed?

 

[Barman58]

The two graphics systems are needed to support the hybrid system used on many of today's laptops, the Intel is used for general low graphics intensive applications and the AMD is used for certain higher requirements such as games. The purpose of the dual system is to conserve power when possible and only use the power for the HQ graphics when it is actually needed

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Ah gotcha, thanks for the clarification.

 

[logicearth]

Plus, the HD 3000 is built into the processor, you should not try and get rid of it. If I may say, you should change your ways of "get rid of stuff" even if you think it is not necessary, this can only lead to problems.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Yes I know the Intel HD graphics are built-in, but I thought if it wasn't being used it might free up system resources if I could uninstall the driver. All of our office workstations, as well as my home PC, have discreet graphics cards. They all have motherboards with built-in on-board graphics which are not used, but I've never seen them both listed at the same time under Display Adapters.

I had a graphics card on my home PC bite the dust once, and in the interim I installed the driver for the Intel HD on-board graphics so I could plug my monitor into the motherboard. But when I got a new graphics card, as I recall (this was probably 5 years ago) I think I uninstalled the on-board graphics driver and installed the new discreet card and its own driver.

I don't have as much experience dealing with laptops, especially not ones with discreet mobile graphics cards.