Changing primary GPU on Windows Vista x64?

**** Long, well explained version ***** If you don't need/care, then skip this part and go to the bottom.



I have two graphics cards, both are crossfired HD Radeon 4850. The second graphics card is the 1GB RAM version, first one is 512MB RAM version. The first one also runs very hot and has a tendency to overheat causing a bluescreens and game crashes.



And yes, I know that switching the slots would probably fix it. However, I bought the computer at Best Buy, with the 3 year warranty. If I open up the case the warranty will void and I definitely don't want that, especially since my computer hard drives tend to burn out faster than most people's and my graphics card runs at constant 60C-70C when playing games, so I am expecting the graphics card to die within the next year.



Even using ATI Overdrive to UNDERCLOCK my first graphics card as well as boosting the fan speed to 100%, it overheats generally pretty quickly. Also depends on the game. Crysis max settings won't overheat, Source based games (Counter Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, Half Life 2, etc) overheat slowly, but they still do. I have to set a framerate cap on Source based games to make it take around 1-2 hours for my graphics card to overheat to the point where my computer crashes.



It is sad when you can render a game at an average of 280 frames per second using your worst graphics card, and having a bluescreen causing you to either lower settings or lower frame limit to 40 and STILL bluescreen.



**** End long, explained version ****



Small version: First GPU is worse than my second (both are HD Radeon 4850, one is the newer version I guess, even same Vendor ID)

First GPU overheats very easily, even when underclocked.



How do I make it so my second GPU is used as the primary graphics card? And no, I cannot open my case. The reason why is explained in the long version, I just cannot open it.





Searching has told me to use the change main monitor option, however this seems to be disabled with Windows Vista.



Any help would be extremely appreciated. I just bluescreened playing Mount %26amp; Blade with a framerate limit of 40, because I was playing it for 30 minutes.Changing primary GPU on Windows Vista x64?
check your manuals for any troubleshooting info. also look for warranty info on the card. you may be eligible for a replacement if the hardware is defective. also check with best buy and see if those cards are covered under your warranty with them.