How to force Games to use GPU or Graphics Card in Windows 11

There is a feature in Windows 11 that can amp up your gaming experience. The feature allows a game to use dedicated graphics rather than the Integrated GPU. And since it is more powerful, the game will run more smoothly and deliver higher FPS. You can force a game to use a Graphics Card or GPU in Windows 11, and in this article, we are going to see just that.

Force a Game to use a Graphics Card or GPU in Windows 11

If your GPU not being used in Games, then the following are the method to force a Game to use a Graphics Card or GPU in Windows 11:

1. Select Graphics Driver from Settings
2. Add the option to the Context Menu

Let us talk about them in detail.

How to use GPU instead of CPU for gaming

1] Select Graphics Driver from Settings

As mentioned earlier, in Windows 11, one can easily configure the Graphics Settings such that a game or any other app uses dedicated graphics. Follow the given steps to do the same.

1. Open Settings by Win + I.
2. Go to System > Display.
3. Now, scroll down to Related Settings and select Graphics.
4. Look for the app you want to configure from the given list. If you can’t find it there, click Browse, navigate to its location and select its EXE file.
5. Now, click Options.
6. You will see the Graphics Preferences window, select High performance, and click Save.

Finally, open the game and enjoy your experience.

Read: GPU usage drops to 0 in Windows

2] Add the option to the Context Menu

If you want a bit more flexibility, you can ‘Run with graphics processor’ in the context menu and whenever, you want to run a game with superior graphics, just use this setting.

To do that, you need to follow the given steps.

1. Launch NVIDIA Control Panel.
2. Click View and then  Add “Run with graphics processor” Option to Context Menu.

Now, to use this setting, right-click on a game, select ‘Run with graphics processor’, and then High-performance NVIDIA processor.

Hopefully, with the help of these methods, you can enjoy your game to the fullest.

What happens if I disable Intel HD Graphics

A question may come to mind: should I disable Intel HD Graphics, and what will the consequences be if I decide to go that route?

The simple answer is no, you must not disable or remove Intel HD Graphics or any integrated graphics. If you do that, your computer will switch to Generic Microsoft VGA drivers, which will exacerbate the whole UI experience. You might not be able to use the Peak Brightness; you will see issues when connecting an HDMI cable, and you may encounter other Graphics issues as well.

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