How To Tell What Graphics Card You Have in Windows 10

Your graphics card is an essential component of your computer’s hardware. If you want to play any video game, you’ll find that your graphics card is among the most crucial specifications for any game you’ll want to play, powering nearly all the visuals you see on-screen. Powerful graphics cards are equally important for video editing, as rendering and CUDA cores get powered through the graphics card inside your machine.

Most Windows games and programs include graphic card details in their system requirements, and you might need to check what graphics card you have to see if it matches the requirements.

Whether you’re confused about dedicated versus integrated graphics cards, the amount of VRAM within your dedicated card, or what manufacturer created your card, it’s easy to check—even without cracking open your laptop, desktop, or tablet. Let’s take a look at how you can find out your graphics card information in Windows 10.

Note: Some devices, like select Macbook Pro models, have integrated and dedicated GPUs (graphical processing units) that get used interchangeably depending on what you’re doing.

Looking Up Your Graphics Card Info in Windows 10

Looking up your graphics card within Windows 10 is easy, and there are a couple of ways to do it depending on how much information you’re looking to learn about your card.e

Our first method uses Windows’ built-in DirectX Diagnostic Tool, which you can use to read the system information of your machine while detailing information on the DirectX components within your system. For those not in the know, DirectX is 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 the information on your device, often offering more information with the added cost of installing a separate application.

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 geta used to read the system information of your machine.

Launching the DirectX Diagnostic Tool is relatively simple. The app resides in all versions of Windows 10, so you can access it through your Start menu regardless of your PC. DirectX is also a pretty old standard, so you should find this 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 hand corner. Click on it with your mouse and type “Run” once the Start menu has opened.
   
2. Once “Run” is open on your desktop, type “dxdiag” into the text field and click “OK.” If, prior to the application launching, you receive a box with a “Yes” or “No” prompt about launching the “Diagnostic Tool,” hit “Yes.”
   
3. Once the DirectX Diagnostic Tool has loaded, you’ll see a few separate tabs, along with plenty of system information, including the manufacturer of your motherboard, the amount of memory within your PC, etc.
4. Select the “Display” tab.
5. You will see all the generic information about your system’s current display preferences, including the graphics card, make and model, the amount of VRAM (video RAM), and the current resolution being pushed out by your device.
   
6. For anyone who has two graphics cards in their system (integrated and deicated), you’ll 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 in the “Display” tab is typically all you need.
   

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

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

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

GPU-Z can give us some additional information about your graphics card(s), so if you’re looking for a specific piece of information—clock speed, BIOS version, the release date of your processor, or anything else—here’s how to do it.

1. Download GPU-Z and install it. Choose between the standard version of GPU-Z and the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) theme. Both applications do the same basic task.
   
2. Launch GPU-Z, then choose the standard version of GPU-Z or the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers, ASUS’s line of gamer-focused equipment) themed program.
   
3. Upon first glance, this app has a ton of information that you might not know what to do with. Select the “Graphics Card” tab to view the GPU details.
   
4. If you’re confused about what something means, you can hover over the text entry fields in each part of the application for more details.
   
5. Finally, you can also use the drop-down GPU list at the bottom of the application to switch between card information, if your computer has two graphics cards.
   

Understanding GPU-Z Sections

• The Lookup button: Clicking this will launch your browser to load a page on your specific graphics card, along with an image of the device, dates released, and tons of other information. Much of this is shown within GPU-Z, but if you need to send or share your graphics card info with someone, TechPowerUp’s database of graphics cards is reliable, easy-to-share information.
• Name: This will display the generic name of your graphics card (in the screenshot below, it displays an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970). However, this won’t display the make of your graphics card (this is known as 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.
• Subvendor: The manufacturer that created your card (ASUS, EVGA, etc.).
• Memory type and size: The type and generation of the dedicated memory contained within your graphics card (VRAM). The size is shown below type, listed in MB (megabytes). The more VRAM, the more powerful the chip.
• Clock speeds: This is the speed your GPU is set to run at. These can be boosted and overclocked, depending on your card and device, so you’ll also see information on your turbo-boost clock speeds here as well. These are measured in MHz (megahertz).

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Knowing how to look up GPU information can be a convenient tool if you’re interested in figuring out how your computer works or need to upgrade or fix a problem with your graphics card. Even if you’re looking to find out whether you can run Cyberpunk 2077 on your PC, you’ll be happy to know that Windows 10 has that graphics information built right into it.

Of course, GPU-Z can help you learn the ins and outs of how your device works. With graphics cards being as crucial to running a computer as they are, knowing how to look up the information on your card is one of the most valuable tips to know. So, whether you’re troubleshooting your computer or buying new games during Steam’s next sale, you’ll be happy to know just where to find your GPU information.

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