How To Tell What Graphics Card You Have in Windows 10. Where to find graphics card info

Consequently, you should do a system search of these brands to see if you have their control panel programs installed. For example, AMD has Radeon while Nvidia has GeForce Experience.

How to Check the Graphics Card on a Windows 10 PC

There are so many ways to find out what type of graphics card is in your computer.

Every laptop and computer is powered by a graphics processing unit (GPU). Without it, the image would not be displayed on the screen. Some machines have a graphics processor built into the motherboard or processor, while others have a dedicated graphics card.

If you don’t know what graphics card you have, it’s easy to find out with a variety of methods. Here’s how to check your graphics card in Windows 10.

Check Your Graphics Card via Settings

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Click on System. By default, you will be in the Display section.
3. Under Multiple Displays, click Advanced Display Settings.
4. It is possible to connect different graphics cards to different monitors. If necessary, use the drop-down menu to select the primary monitor.
5. Under the display information, it will be shown which graphics card you are connected to for this monitor.

You can also use this section to check the resolution, refresh rate, bit depth, and more.

After following these steps, you will know the exact model of your graphics card. On the right, you will also find various other details such as the number of CUDA cores, CPU clock speed, data rate, bandwidth, type, quantity, and video BIOS version.

Looking Up Your Graphics Card Info in Windows 10

Searching for a graphics card in Windows 10 is easy, and there are several ways you can do it depending on the amount of information you want to get about the card

Our first method uses Windows’ built-in DirectX diagnostic tool, which you can use to read information about your computer’s system while listing information about the DirectX components on your system. For those who don’t know, DirectX is the Windows API for handling multimedia content, including video and games, on your platform.

Our second method uses an external software tool, GPU-Z, to read information from the device, often offering more information with the additional cost of installing a separate application.

Using DirectX Diagnostic Tool to Identify GPU Information in Windows 10

To find out more details about your GPU, you can use Windows’ built-in DirectX diagnostic tool, which is used to read your computer’s system information.

Running the DirectX Diagnostic Tool is relatively simple. The application works on all versions of Windows 10, so you can access it through the Start menu, regardless of your computer. DirectX is also a fairly old standard, so you should find it on older versions of Windows like 7, 8, and 8.1. Here’s how to access your information.

1. Start by locating the Windows key in the lower left corner. Click on it with the mouse and type “Run” when the Start menu opens.
2. After opening “Run” on the desktop, type “dxdiag” in the text box and click “OK”. If, before starting the application, a window with a “Yes” or “No” prompt to start the “Diagnostic Tool” appears, press “Yes.”
3. After loading the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, you’ll see several separate tabs along with lots of system information including the motherboard manufacturer, the amount of memory in your computer, etc.
4. Select the ‘Screen.
5. You’ll see all general information about your system’s current display preferences, including graphics card, make and model, amount of VRAM (video RAM), and the current resolution that the device is sending.
6. For anyone who has two graphics cards in his system (integrated and dedicated), the window will open two tabs “Display.
7. Whether you want to replace a card, find supported software for your device, or are simply looking for general hardware information, the information on the “Display” tab is usually all you need.

Type Control Panel in the search bar on the desktop and click on the option when it appears. Then click Hardware and Sound .

Questions Regarding Your Graphics Card

You already know your computer has some form of graphical functionality, but you may have other concerns about this. These may be the details you need to compare against the game’s minimum requirements. There may also be scenarios where you wonder if your graphics are performing optimally.

Where Do I Find My Graphics Card Info?

If you are asking yourself “how do you check your graphics card in Windows 10?”, Rest assured that this task is simple.

One easy way is to type Device Manager into the search box on the taskbar and select it. When Device Manager appears, find the Graphics Adapters section and expand it. You should see your device name in the list.

Right-click and select Properties. You will see several tabs (General, Driver, Details, etc.) which contain detailed information about your device.

Another way to find useful information is to type Display in the taskbar search box and click Change display settings. In the System area, select Display, then Advanced Display Settings.

How Do I Check if My Graphics Card Is Working Properly?

Suppose you see items on the screen when you start your computer. If so, at least the hardware is working. Another question is whether it reaches the peaks.

If you can see a blank or unreadable screen, you are having more pressing problems. Before you call a professional technician or manufacturer, there are a few things you can check.

You can open the machine itself (assuming it’s a desktop) by sliding the panel on the side. You may need a screwdriver to remove the cover if it is secured with screws. Then check that the graphics card is seated properly in the board – usually in the PCI card slot.

Another thing to check is if the video card is being used by the BIOS. When starting your computer (depending on the machine type) you will press a function key before Windows loads. The F2 and F10 keys are common ways to access the BIOS, but others are possible.

After entering the computer’s BIOS, check that the system is using the PCI slot and not the integrated graphics chipset. Always be aware of what changes you make to the BIOS – incorrect changes can have negative effects.

Ensure You Have the Latest Device Drivers

A common reason why graphics cards – or potentially any device on your computer – may stop working properly is because of the special software that makes them run. This software, known as device drivers, may be corrupted or out of date. When that happens, it’s time to update the driver to the latest version.

There is more than one way to install the latest graphics drivers. You can give Windows a chance to find the one that’s right for you. However, don’t be surprised if the latest version is not found and installed.

Manually Updating the Drivers

Before you install a driver yourself, you need to find the correct one on the manufacturer’s website. For this you will need the model number and possibly the serial number. If the necessary information is not found in Device Manager, you may need to use an application installed on your graphics card (if applicable) or a third-party utility to find more detailed details.

Once you have found the information you want, download and unpack the driver. Then go back to Device Manager and right-click on the device. Select Update Driver. This is where you can allow Windows to search or locate the driver yourself.

Choose to search for the driver yourself and go to where you downloaded / unpacked it.

Automating the Task of Updating Drivers

There is an easier and more proactive way to update drivers.

Software like Driver Support can automate the task and take the burden off finding the right driver. This solution also provides a routine driver update to avoid problems with device drivers before they even begin.

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Start using driver support | ONE today and save the time and frustration of common problems with Windows devices. The software will carry out an inventory of the computer in terms of all active types of devices that we support after installation. After full registration, the service will automatically update the drivers.
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Our first method uses Windows’ built-in DirectX diagnostic tool, which you can use to read information about your computer’s system while listing information about the DirectX components on your system. For those who don’t know, DirectX is the Windows API for handling multimedia content, including video and games, on your platform.

Method 3: Check the graphics card from Display Settings

Another quick access to checking your graphics card is in the desktop display settings. Display settings allow you to customize the desktop and modify related settings. Please follow the steps below:

1) Right-click a blank area on the desktop and click Display Settings.

2) Scroll down and click Graphics Card Properties.

3) In the Adapter tab, you can see information about your graphics card, including details of your graphics memory.

Method 4: Check the graphics card by running DxDiag

The third method to check the video card is to run DxDiag. DxDiag is a short term DirectX diagnostics. It is a helpful tool for viewing system information about the video and sound card. Please follow the steps below:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R simultaneously to bring up the Run box.

2) Type dxdiag and press Enter.

3) Wait a few seconds for the app to load the information.

4) Click the Display tab to view information about the graphics card, including driver type, date and version.

Tips: You can also check if there is any problem with the device in the Notes section.

Here are some effective ways to check your graphics card in Windows. Which method helps? If you have any questions, please let us know and we’ll see what else we can do to help.

To launch Device Manager, open the Start menu or the Search bar on the desktop, start typing Device Manager, and select it when the option appears. You can also press Ctrl + Alt + Del on your keyboard and click Task Manager in the list that appears.

What’s a Graphics Card?

When you turn on your computer, the images that appear on your screen – whether it’s a simple Word document or a complex 4K game – are generated by the graphics processor (or GPU). These chips can range from simple “integrated graphics cards” that are part of the motherboard or processor to larger, more powerful expansion cards.

These expansion cards – often called “discrete” or “dedicated” graphics cards – can usually perform more advanced tasks than integrated graphics, such as better 3D games, accelerated video rendering, and even some non-graphics tasks such as bitcoin mining. This extra tool comes at the cost of more power consumption, more heat, and more computer space, which is why you will rarely find dedicated graphics cards in ultra-thin laptops.

Like any other computer component, graphics cards can become obsolete over time. The card you bought in 2010 probably won’t play 2020 AAA games at high settings, so if you’re ever unsure whether a game will run on your PC, you’ll want to compare its minimum or recommended requirements with your current hardware.

Knowing which graphics card you have can be a bit confusing as there are two relevant model numbers: the GPU model (that is, the actual chip that does the job) and the model of the card itself (including other hardware like cooler, voltage regulator etc).

There are currently two main manufacturers of discrete GPUs: Nvidia and AMD. However, there are many other manufacturers that make their own cards – Asus, EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte – and other companies can make graphics cards using Nvidia and AMD chips by adding their own patches to distinguish themselves from each other. One manufacturer’s version may have better fans than another, it may be factory overclocked, or it may have a better warranty.

So when you check which graphics card you have, you have to decide if you only need to know the chipset (for example, “Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060”) or if you need the actual manufacturer and model of your card (such as “EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 Superclocked” which uses the Nvidia chipset). The former is very easy to find in Windows while the latter is a bit more complicated.

Find Out What GPU You Have in Windows

Open the Start menu on your computer, type “Device Manager” and press Enter. You should see an option at the top of your graphics card. Click the down arrow which should contain the name of your GPU. For example, in the screenshot below, you can see that I have a Radeon RX 580.

If you’re not sure which company designed this chip, you can right-click it and select Properties to view the manufacturer – Advanced Micro Devices or AMD in my case. (Remember that Device Manager uses graphics drivers to determine what GPU you have, so if you suspect you may have installed the wrong drivers you should skip to the next section.)

Once you’ve got the GPU name, you can search Google to find out more about it or compare it to the minimum requirements of the game you want to play. Usually, a higher number means a better card – so a game requiring the RX 580 may not work on the RX 480, which is weaker (though there is a workaround for this at times).

If you’re comparing two cards that use different naming schemes – like the AMD RX 580 and their more powerful RX Vega 56 – you may need to do a bit of research to see which card is more efficient and what the price difference is.

Note: Some devices, such as select MacBook Pro models, have integrated and dedicated graphics processors (graphics processing units) that are used interchangeably depending on what you are doing.

How to find out graphics card details using Task Manager

To find out which graphics card is available in Windows 10 with Task Manager, follow these steps:

Search for Task Manager and select the highest result to open the tool.

Quick tip: You can also use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open the Task Manager.

Click on GPU.

source: Windows Center

After completing these steps, Task Manager will display the manufacturer’s name and model, as well as the dedicated amount of memory, DirectX version, physical location on the motherboard, and current usage details.

How to find out graphics card details using control panel

Alternatively, if you have an Intel, NVIDIA or AMD GPU, you can also use their control panel software which allows you to check the specifications of your graphics card, including settings that allow you to adjust a lot of preferences.

To check the specifications using the NVIDIA Control Panel, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click Hardware and Sound.
3. Click on the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Click System Information in the lower left corner.

source: Windows Center

In the “Graphics Information” section, confirm the graphics model on the left.

source: Windows Center

After following these steps, you will know the exact model of your graphics card. On the right, you will also find various other details such as the number of CUDA cores, CPU clock speed, data rate, bandwidth, type, quantity, and video BIOS version.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful Windows 10 articles, coverage, and answers to frequently asked questions, visit the following resources:

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Want to know what graphics card or GPU is packing your PC? Don’t bother reaching for a screwdriver – just keep reading to find out how to check the graphics hardware that powers your pixels. Then learn how a dedicated update tool can optimize your driver software for sharper graphics and optimal performance.

What is a graphics card (GPU)?

While often used interchangeably, graphics processors and graphics cards are not the same. Also called video cards, video cards, or video cards, video cards generate and send images to a computer screen or monitor. For this purpose, graphics cards contain various components, including a graphics processor or a graphics processor.

The GPU is the nerve center of the graphics card where the processing necessary to display images takes place.

The GPU is the nerve center of the graphics card where the processing necessary to display images takes place. After getting texture data from the graphics card’s GPU memory, it performs a quick calculation to process the data. Once processed, the data is sent back to RAM before being transferred to the screen where it appears as an image or frame in a video game or computer game.

Get sharper graphics with Avast Driver Updater

No matter how powerful your GPU is or how much free video RAM you have, your graphics card is only as good as the drivers running on it. Outdated or defective software can cause crashes, lag in gameplay, reduced FPS, and poor quality graphics.

Therefore, keeping your drivers fully optimized with a world-class driver update tool is crucial to ensuring optimal performance.

With Avast Driver Updater, not only graphics drivers benefit from automatic detection, repair, and update – that’s it. Along with crystal-clear images and silky-smooth video rendering, Driver Updater keeps your entire PC running at peak performance. Fewer freezes, richer sound and faster browsing.