Windows 10: so you can choose which graphics card to use for each application

In 2018, one of the most popular updates for the Windows 10 operating system arrived. The call April 2018 Update it included important news for the user. Looking back, his novel timeline or concentration assistant caught his eye. But we cannot forget one of its main functions, the one that allowed us choose the graphics card in Windows 10 for each game or application installed on our pc.

This novelty that, at the time, went unnoticed by many users (and still more than necessary), allows us to get better performance from our device when making use of a specific program or application. In the case of laptops especially, it was common for the system to opt “by default” for one of the two existing graphics cards. It used to be the least powerful and least energy consuming. Precisely, the arrival of the aforementioned Windows 10 April 2018 Update came to correct this problem.

The process to choose which card we want each application to use is simple and we will explain it below in a few simple steps.

Screen settings

To access the menu is as simple as clicking on the right button from our desktop and choosing the option Screen settings. We can also do it on the Home icon which is in the lower left corner of our screen. Next, click on Setting and then in System. The process can be shortened even more by pressing the Windows on our keyboard plus the letter i.

This menu will open directly to the option Screen. Once here, we scroll down and almost at the end the words will appear Graphics Settings. Within this menu, as we will read in the description, we can customize “the preference of graphics performance for specific applications.”

This is the time to choose the GPU that we want to use. For example, we can maximize the performance of a game or application if we decide to opt for the most powerful graphics card. On the other hand, if perhaps we want to prolong the life of our battery, as well as optimize the energy consumption of the laptop, we can reduce priority to programs that are not in use.

Choose the application

In this panel we can already choose if we want to execute the classic applications waves universal apps. If we click on the first option, we must go to the button examine and choose the path of an application or game that we have for example on the desktop or some folder. When it is already in the list, click on it and then press options.

Here the two graphic cards that your computer has will appear specified.Now, among the three existing options, it is time to choose the appropriate one depending on the use you want to give it:

System default

If you choose this, the system will choose the default card.

Energy saving

It usually makes use of the GPU that consumes the least, in this case the integrated one.

High performance

Here the system opts for the dedicated one, which is the one that consumes the most and, at the same time, the most powerful.

Once the option is chosen, you just have to save

. The moment you want to remove this application from the list, you just have to click on it and select put off.

You can do exactly the same when you select the universal apps. In this case, a drop-down called Select an application. Once you have chosen the app in question, you just have to press add add, click on it in the lower list and go back to options. Again, you will have to choose between default, power saving, or high performance.

Windows 10 generally uses the integrated graphics card by default which is more energy efficient and less powerful. Therefore, keep in mind the type of application you are going to use.

Surely, now you will realize that, sometimes, your video games or programs do not always perform as expected. Surely more than once you are playing with the laptop and, as the battery wears out, the computer begins to slow down. You can even notice it sometimes by connecting the pc to the power. With this option, without a doubt, you will be able to make better and more optimized use of any game or app.

Check graphics card usage

After all this process, we can check if the system has recognized our changes and if the graphics card is running with the selected game or program.

For this, it is recommended to access the Task Manager. It can be accessed directly by typing the name from the search engine. Also if we press the right button on the taskbar of our desktop. If it is not visualized in its entirety, click on More details. Once opened, it should be maximized to be able to clearly appreciate all the important points.

Within the processes tab we go to the two columns located further to the right, which are GPU and GPU Engine. Here we will find described the information on the use that our graphics card is making by the application or game that we have previously selected.

In these two columns we will find information about the performance that our graphics card is having, and it will be described through a percentage. We will also know, for example, which video engine is being used by the number of the graphics card used by the specific application. To know which GPU each number corresponds to, also in the Task Manager we have the tab Performance.

This procedure, which is quite simple and can only be carried out in a few minutes, can be repeated as many times as necessary with all the programs that are installed on our computer.

Sometimes problems may arise with our laptop and the changes may not be saved, even after checking the Task Manager. To do this, you will only have to restart the system (do not shut down) and the changes will have been saved.

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