How to know what graphics card you have

Your graphics card is an essential component of your computer's hardware. If you want to play any kind of video game, you'll find that your graphics card is listed among the most crucial specs for any game you want to play, powering almost every visual you see on screen. Powerful graphics cards are equally important for video editing, as rendering and CUDA cores are all powered by the graphics card inside your machine.

Most Windows games and programs include graphics card details in their system requirements, and you may need to check which graphics card you have to see if it meets the requirements.

Whether you're confused about dedicated graphics cards vs integrated graphics cards, the amount of VRAM in your dedicated card, or which manufacturer created your card, it's easy to check even without opening your laptop, your computer desktop or your tablet. Let's see how you can find your graphics card information in Windows 10.

It's also important to keep in mind that some devices, particularly some Macbook Pro models, have both integrated and dedicated GPUs, with the ability to switch between the two chips depending on what you're doing with your pc.

Finding Information About Your Graphics Card in Windows 10

Finding your graphics card in Windows 10 is easy and there are several ways to do it depending on how much information you want to get about your card.

Our first method uses Windows' built-in DirectX diagnostic tool, which you can use to read your machine's system information while detailing information about your system's DirectX components. DirectX, for those who don't know, is Windows' API for managing media content, including video and games on your platform.

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

Using DirectX Diagnostic Tool to Identify GPU Information in Windows 10

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

Launching the DirectX Diagnostic Tool is relatively simple. The tool is included in all versions of Windows 10, so regardless of your PC, you will be able to access this tool through your Start menu. DirectX is also a fairly old standard, so you should be able to 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 your mouse and type " To run " once the Start menu is open.
   
2. Once "Run" opens on your desktop, type "Dxdiag" in the text field and click " OKAY. » If, before launching the application, you receive a box with a "Yes" or "No" prompt about launching the "diagnostic tool", press " Yes. "
   
3. Once the DirectX Diagnostic Tool loads, you'll see a few separate tabs, along with lots of system information, including your motherboard manufacturer, how much memory your PC has, and more.
4. Select the "View" tab.
5. You'll see all of the generic information about your system's current display preferences, including graphics card, make and model, amount of VRAM (video RAM), and current resolution pushed by your device.
   
6. For anyone who has two graphics cards in their system (integrated and dedicated), you will have two “Display” tabs open in the window.
   
7. Whether you're looking to replace the card, trying to find supported software for your device, or just looking for generic information about your hardware, the information on the "Display" tab is usually all you need.
   

Using TechPowerUp GPU-Z to Identify GPU Information in Windows 10

GPU-Z (also known as TechPowerUp GPU-Z) is a totally free utility, so don't worry about having to pay to use the app on your device.

Instead, you'll be able to use the program to find out a lot more about your computer's graphics card than you knew before. Start by heading to this page to download the utility.

GPU-Z may provide us with additional information about your graphics card(s). So if you're looking for specific information (clock speed, BIOS version, release date of your processor, or whatever), here's how to do it. this.

You will find two distinct themes here: the standard version of GPU-Z and the ASUS ROG theme program (Republic of Gamers, the line of ASUS equipment aimed at gamers). For our purposes, we only need the standard version, but if you're looking for visual flash in your utilities, you can also get the one from ASUS. Both apps will perform the same basic task.

1. Download GPU-Z and install it.
   
2. Launch GPU-Z, then choose the standard version of GPU-Z or the ASUS ROG theme program (Republic of Gamers, the line of ASUS gear aimed at gamers).
3. At first glance, this app contains a ton of information that you might not know what to do with. Select the " Graphic card " tab to view GPU details.
   
4. If you don't understand what something means, you can hover over the text input fields in each part of the app for more details.
   
5. Finally, you can also use the GPU drop-down list at the bottom of the app to switch between card information, if your computer has dual graphics cards.
   

Understanding GPU-Z Sections

• The Search button: Click this to launch your browser to load a page about your specific graphics card, along with an image of the device, release dates, and tons of other information. Much of this is displayed in GPU-Z, but if you need to send or share your graphics card information with someone, TechPowerUp's graphics card database is reliable and easy to share information.
• Name: This will show the generic name of your graphics card (in the screenshot below it shows an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970). However, this will not display your graphics card brand (this is called a sub-vendor within GPU-Z).
• Technology: This shows the size and structure of your GPU, measured in nm (nanometers). The smaller the chip, the less heat generated by the GPU.
• Release date: The original release date of your specific graphics card.
• Sub-provider: The manufacturer who created your card (ASUS, EVGA, etc.).
• Memory type and size: The type and generation of the dedicated memory contained in your graphics card (VRAM). The size is listed below the type, listed in MB (megabytes). The more VRAM, the more powerful the chip.
• Clock speeds: This is the speed at which your GPU is configured to run. These can be boosted and overclocked, depending on your card and device, so you'll also see information about your turbo-boosted clock speeds here. These are measured in MHz (megahertz).

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If you want to understand how your computer works, or if you need to upgrade or troubleshoot a problem with your graphics card, knowing how to find this information can be a very handy tool. Even if you're just looking to find out if you can run Cyberpunk 2077 on your PC, you'll be happy to know that Windows 10 has this graphical info built in.

Of course, GPU-Z can help you learn the ins and outs of how your device works. Since graphics cards are as important as they are to running a computer, knowing how to find your card information is one of the most useful tips to know. So whether you're fixing up your computer or buying some new games in the next Steam sale, you'll be happy to know where to find the information you're looking for.