What GPU am I using?
Sometimes you may be wondering what card you actually have
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Like every other component of a computer, graphics cards will become obsolete as time passes. If you’re ever in doubt about whether the game you want to play will work on your computer it is best to examine the system requirements with the current hardware.
Expansion cards, often referred to as “discrete” or “dedicated” graphics cards – can typically perform more power-intensive tasks than integrated graphics cards, including more powerful 3D gaming, enhanced video rendering, and even some non-graphic jobs, such as mining bitcoin.
This additional functionality is at the cost of increased power consumption, higher heat, and more room in your system that’s why you won’t find dedicated graphics cards on ultra-thin laptops.
Which GPU are you using?
The information about the graphic card you own isn’t always easy, as two models are the design of the GPU (the actual chip that performs the job) as well as its model (which includes additional hardware such as the cooler and voltage regulation module, and others).
There are two major discrete GPU manufacturers at the present: Nvidia and AMD. Intel are making a return to the sector too.
Numerous other companies make cards themselves. These include Asus, EVGA, MSI, and others can make graphics cards with chips made by Nvidia and AMD with their tweaks to make them apart from the others.
The version of one manufacturer may have more fans than the others and may also be with an overclocked version at the factory, or come with a longer warranty.
If you’re researching the model of your graphics card it is important to determine whether you know the chipset (for instance, the “Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090“) or whether you’ll need the exact model and manufacturer of the device (such as “ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090” which is based on the chipset of Nvidia). The former is accessible within Windows and the latter is more difficult to find.
How to check your GPU
Now if you’re unsure what your current rig is running then there are a couple of ways to find out. This can help you understand your specs and make better decisions on gaming or choosing, especially upgrades.
To do that there are multiple methods of doing so. Firstly, you can check the GPU physically. So if you have access to look at it, there should be a serial number on the card that will list the model or you can look up the card.
Another is checking the hardware while in your OS. You can do that by opening task manager and clicking GPU to see what it is. Or running dxdiag to find more information on it. Whilst third-party apps, such as GPU-Z or Speccy will also grant you more information about your hardware.
If you’re looking for more in-depth methods:
What GPU am I using? FAQs
How do I check my GPU?
Aside from physically checking the name of the GPU on the component, there are plenty of programs to turn to if you need to know which GPU is currently installed. Windows’ dxdiag is a good place to start, but you can also use applications such as GPU-Z or Speccy.
Is it hard to find out which GPU I’m using?
No, this is a simple process – with a bunch of different ways of figuring it out. We’re showing you the best ways of finding out in this handy article.
