Most of the laptops and desktops today come with two different graphics cards, which are dedicated GPU like AMD or NVIDIA, and the second one being an integrated graphics unit in case the motherboard has it. any app or a game would use the dedicated GPU in case it exists. However, some games would still make use of the integrated graphics card even when the dedicated GPU exists. In this guide you will learn how to force a game to use graphics card and how you can switch between he two graphics cards options in your Windows 10.
Forcing a game to use the integrated graphics or dedicated GPU in Windows 10
This method would work very well mostly on the laptops. If you want to use this method on your PC, you can scroll down to see the next method. However, if you want, you can try out this method on your PC as well, provided if you can see both the GPUs in the options.
Windows 10 comes with a feature which isn’t much known by many people out there. But this feature is very useful if your laptop or PC has a dedicated GPU and an integrated graphics card both. If you wish to force any app or a game to use the dedicated GPU like AMD or NVIDIA instead of the integrated graphics, here is a step by step procedure on how you can do so in Windows 10.
- The first step is to right click anywhere on your desktop screen. Then select the display settings.
- Once the display settings are shown, scroll down on the right side panel to look for the graphics settings.
- Under the option of “choose an app to set preference”, select the Classic app. Then click on the browse option. Browse through the app or game you wish to change the settings for to use the GPU.
- Once you are done selecting the option, click on the app and click on settings.
- Under the option of “set graphics preference”, select the option of your choice which are based on the listed GPU.
- Usually the integrated graphics, the Intel HD Graphics would be listed as the Power Saving GPU, whereas the dedicated GPU like NVIDIA or AMD would be shown as High Performance GPU. Just select the graphics preference of your choice and it would force the app or the game to use the current graphics card.
In case both of the GPU preferences listed the same graphics card if there are no ways in which you can change the GPU settings, you can try out the next method instead.
Forcing a game to use the Integrated Graphics or NVIDIA GPU
Another method by which you can force an app or a game to use the graphics card of your choice is through add the option of “Run with graphics processor” to the context menu. You can do so by right clicking on the app or game of your choice. This option would allow you to select the graphics card of your choice, be it the integrated graphics or the NVIDIA GPU.
- For enabling the option and adding it to the context menu, you can open the NVIDIA Control Panel. Click on the View option from the menu and enable the option which says “Add run with graphics processor” to the context menu.
- Once you are done enabling the option, you would see the option “run with graphics processor” when you right click on the game or app’s shortcut. You can either choose the integrated graphics or the NVIDIA GPU for running the app or game that you have selected.
Option of Run with graphics processor missing
In case you do not see an option that adds the run with graphics processor to the context menu in the NVIDIA control panel, it may be possible that your GPU chipset does not support the NVIDIA Optimus Technology. This technology allows the NIVIDA GPU to be chosen and used whenever you wish to. also, you need to make sure that your GPU drivers are latest and updated. The older drivers and the out of date versions of the NVIDIA Control Panel would not have the option.
This was the guide to help you to force the app or game to switch and use the graphics card that you want. Follow these steps carefully and you would be all set to play your favourite game seamlessly!