If the GPU usage drops to 0 in Windows 11 or Windows 10 computers, you might find countless problems such as lagging, hanging, etc. All these problems may appear even if you do not play games on your computer. If it happens with you frequently, try the following solutions to troubleshoot the issue.
GPU usage drops to 0 in Windows 11/10
If you see that the GPU usage has dropped to 0% in the Task Manager of Windows 11/10, follow these steps to resolve the issue:
- Verify game issues
- Verify the graphics card
- Reinstall graphics driver
- Reset the game launcher
- Reset graphics card settings
- Switch to internal graphics
- Check overall heating issues
- Find problems in SMPS
- Close unnecessary apps
- Check for Windows Update
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
1] Verify game issues
It is the very first thing you need to check when the GPU usage drops to 0% on your computer. If the game has some problems with the server or the latest update, it might be reflected through your GPU or graphics card. No matter whether you play a heavy-weight or light-weight game, the same problem might appear for both. That is why do the following to verify if the problem lies in your game or not:
- Check the official website for the latest updates. At times, the developers release a press note for the users mentioning the issue.
- Check for updates. If you haven’t updated your game for a very long time, it is highly recommended to do that immediately.
2] Verify the graphics card
As the GPU performance is directly related to the graphics card, you need to verify whether the problem lies in your graphics card or not. If you do not know how to check the graphics card for optimal performance, you can take the help of a professional. As it might cause issues in the future, it is highly recommended to go through a professional.
3] Reinstall graphics driver
The driver of your graphics card might cause issues, and as a result, the GPU performance might drop to 0 on Windows 11 or Windows 10 computers. If so, the simplest way to recover from the situation is by reinstalling the graphics driver. Although you can try updating the graphics driver, it would be better if you could uninstall the driver and install it again.
To reinstall the graphics driver in Windows 11/10 PC, you need to uninstall it first. For that, you can take the help of a software uninstaller program. Then, you can download the latest version of the driver from the official website and install it accordingly.
4] Reset the game launcher
Nowadays, most computer games are included in a launcher, such as Steam, Origin, Epic games, Playnite, etc. The main goal of this solution is to reset the game launcher or the game settings. Most users often tweak various settings according to the computer configuration and game. If you have enabled or disabled incorrect settings, they might make them incompatible with your computer. That is why it is recommended to reset the game launcher on Windows 11/10 PC. No matter which launcher you use on your computer, you can find a similar option in the app.
Note: If you open your game directly, you can open the graphics settings in the game and reset it, respectively.
5] Reset graphics card settings
Almost all modern-day graphics cards come with a control panel, and it is possible to tweak various settings of your graphics card using that control panel. Whether you use NVIDIA, AMD Radeon, or anything else, you can find a control panel or settings panel for sure. If you have changed incorrect settings or settings incorrectly, you might find this issue on your computer. That is why it is recommended to reset the graphics card settings on Windows 11/10 PC.
In most cases, you can find an option called Restore Defaults. You need to make use of this option to get the job done. This solution works if you haven’t followed the third solution mentioned in this list.
6] Switch to internal graphics
In Windows 11 and Windows 10, you can easily switch between graphics cards. In other words, you can switch from a dedicated graphics card to internal graphics and vice versa. The best thing is that you can apply this change to a specific game or application. For that, you do not need to install third-party software since Windows 11 comes with an in-built option to get the job done.
To switch to internal graphics in Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
- Go to System > Display > Graphics.
- Select the game and click the Options button.
- Choose the internal graphics option and click the Save button.
Then, try to play the game. Hopefully, you won’t find any other problem.
Read: How to force a Game to use a Graphics Card or GPU in Windows 11
7] Check overall heating issues
The GPU might fail to work if your computer has heating issues. If so, you need to fix the overheating issues – no matter whether you use a laptop or desktop computer. Following that, check if that resolves your problem or not.
8] Find problems in SMPS
SMPS, or the Switched-mode Power Supply, is one of the most essential components of your computer. SMPS is the first thing where you supply the power for your computer. If the SMPS has some faults, it will reflect on your overall performance – in this case; it is the GPU. That is why you need to verify whether the problem lies in your SMPS or not. If you have an old or cheap SMPS, this problem is very common for you.
9] Close unnecessary apps
If you use a lot of heavy-weight apps simultaneously, your GPU might not be able to handle all the things. That is why it is suggested to close all the unnecessary apps before starting the game on your computer. For that, you can take the help of the Task Manager. To close unnecessary apps in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager.
- Ensure that you are in the Processes tab.
- Select the app you want to close.
- Click on the End task button.
10] Check for Windows Update
If you are on the BETA or DEV channel, such problems are very common. In most cases, Microsoft releases press notes recognizing the issue. That is why you should check for available updates. If an update is available mentioning such issues, you need to download and install it immediately.
Read: How to restart Graphics Driver in Windows 11/10
Why does my GPU suddenly drop to 0?
There could be several reasons why your GPU suddenly drops to 0. No matter whether you use Windows 11, Windows 10, or any other version, you can find the same issue across all the platforms. However, you might be able to troubleshoot the problem by following the aforementioned solutions.
Why does my GPU usage drop?
Various things could be responsible for this error, and here we have discussed a few of them. This error might occur due to not updating the graphics driver for a very long time, having issues with the game launcher, etc. That is why it is suggested to follow all the solutions mentioned on this list to get rid of this issue.
That’s all! Hope these solutions worked for you.
Read: Find out Computer RAM, Graphics Card/Video memory of your Windows PC.
