How to find graphics card information on a Windows 10 PC

Source: Windows Central

On computers, the graphics card is an essential component that makes it possible to render every pixel you see on the screen when you’re navigating the Windows 10 desktop, running an app, playing a game, etc. Usually, devices have a graphics card from one of the three leading manufacturers, including NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel. Check out our very best graphics cards roundup for tons of options.

Although for the most part, if you’re a regular user, you don’t need to worry about the graphics specifications on your device, it might be something important for users who work with graphics-intensive applications or play games. Typically, because if you don’t have a card with a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), it may not be possible for an application to perform correctly. Or, if you’re a gamer, you may not be able to play games, or you may need to determine the hardware to adjust the settings accordingly to prevent affecting performance.

Whatever your reasons might be, Windows 10 includes multiple ways to quickly find out the graphics card specifications using Settings, Device Manager, System Information, DirectX Diagnostic Tool, and Task Manager, and, of course, using the card’s control panel software.

In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to check which graphics card is currently installed on your computer.

How to find out graphics card details using Settings

To find out the graphics card manufacturer and model using the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Click on Display.

Under the «Multiple displays» section, click the Advanced display settings option.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Display information» section, confirm the graphics card vendor and model.

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you will now have an understanding of the video card installed on your device.

How to find out graphics card details using Device Manager

To determine the graphics card installed on your computer with Device Manager, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Expand the Display adapters branch.

Confirm the manufacturer and model of the video card.

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the graphics card information will be revealed.

How to find out graphics card details using System Information

To check the graphics card on Windows 10 with System Information, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for System Information and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Expand the Components branch.
4. Click on Display.

Under the «Adapter Description» field, determine the graphics card installed on your device.

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you’ll know the graphics card make and model, as well as driver information and more.

How to find out graphics card details using DirectX Diagnostic Tool

To find out the video card installed on your PC using DirectX Diagnostic Tool, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for dxdiag and click the top result to open the tool.
3. Click the Yes button (if applicable).
4. Click the Display tab.

Under the «Device» section, check the manufacturer and processor type of the graphics card.

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, you’ll be not only able to understand the basic information about the video card, but also other details, such as the amount of memory built into the device and driver information.

How to find out graphics card details using Task Manager

To figure out the graphics card available on Windows 10 with Task Manager, use these steps:

Open Start.

Search for Task Manager and select the top result to open the tool.

Quick tip: You can also use the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut to open Task Manager.

Click on GPU.

Source: Windows Central

Confirm the brand and model of the graphics card on the top-right corner.

Once you complete the steps, the Task Manager will display the manufacturer name and model, as well as a dedicated amount of memory, DirectX version, physical location in the motherboard, and current utilization details.

How to find out graphics card details using control panel

Alternatively, if you have a GPU from Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD, you can also use their control panel software that allows you to check the graphics card specifications, including settings to adjust many preferences.

To check the specifications using the NVIDIA Control Panel, use these steps:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Hardware and Sound.
3. Click on NVIDIA Control Panel.

Click the System Information option from the bottom-left corner.

Source: Windows Central

Under the «Graphics card information» section, confirm the graphics model on the left side.

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you’ll know the exact graphics card model. On the right side, you’ll also find various other details, such as the number of CUDA cores, clock speed of the processor, memory data rate, bandwidth, type, amount, and the video BIOS version.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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Windows 10 graphics card support

Problem #1:

You upgraded to Windows 10 — you’re trying run Starry Night software and you have encountered difficulty getting the app to successfully run.

Solution:

Please read this KB article here and update/install a Windows 10 graphics card driver:

Problem #2:

While it is possible to install Windows 10 on many older computers Windows 10 is not always officially supported by the manufacturer of that computer, nor the manufacturer of the graphics card in that computer. If Windows 10 is not officially supported on your computer/graphics card then there will be no Windows 10 graphics card driver available for you to install.

Starry Night requires support for OpenGL. Support for OpenGL comes with the graphics card driver.

NO Windows 10 graphics card driver = NO support for OpenGL on Windows 10 = NO Starry Night software on Windows 10.

Bottom line, you need full graphics driver support for Windows 10 on your computer. If you do not have graphics driver support then Starry Night will not run.

Is Windows 10 supported on your computer? That requires a little bit of research — start with KB article linked above and contact your computer manufacturer support department for clarification.

See a complete list of intel graphics cards supported on Windows 8 and Windows 10 here

Search for Nvidia and Windows 10 driver support here

Search for AMD and Windows 10 driver support here

These graphics cards and processors support Windows 10’s DirectX 12 graphics tech

Windows 10’s supercharged DirectX 12 graphics tech may revolutionize PC gaming—but only if your hardware supports it.

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Senior Editor, PCWorld |

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Why can’t I see DirectX 12 active in Windows 10?

It’s a question we’ve already heard numerous times this morning, on various social media channels. Because while games that leverage DirectX 12’s supercharged graphics technology won’t hit the streets until the end of the year, DX12 itself comes with Windows 10—and a lot of people are still seeing DirectX 11 or 10 listed when they run dxdiag in Windows 10.

Back to the question: Why? It’s simple. DirectX 12 needs to be supported by your hardware, too. If it’s not, you’ll see an older version of DirectX installed. (You may also need to update your drivers, which we’ll cover later.)

Here’s a list of all the graphics cards and integrated graphics processors that support DirectX 12:

All new graphics cards, like the EVGA GTX 980 FTW and the Asus Strix Fury, support DirectX 12.

Intel: Intel Haswell (4th gen. Core) and Broadwell (5th gen. Core) processors

AMD: Radeon HD 7000-series graphics cards, Radeon HD 8000-series graphics cards, Radeon R7- and R9-series graphics cards, and the following APUs (which meld CPU and GPU on a single chip): AMD A4/A6/A8/A10-7000 APUs (codenamed “Kaveri”), AMD A6/A8/A10 PRO-7000 APUs (codenamed “Kaveri”), AMD E1/A4/A10 Micro-6000 APUs (codenamed “Mullins”), AMD E1/E2/A4/A6/A8-6000 APUs (codenamed “Beema”)

Nvidia: GeForce 600-, 700-, and 900-series graphics cards, GTX Titan series

Of particular note, Nvidia promised DirectX 12 compatibility for older graphics cards based off its Fermi GPUs—namely, the GeForce 400- and 500-series. This morning, Nvidia released a knowledge base article stating that while Fermi compatibility is still coming, it doesn’t support DirectX 12 quite yet, as first reported by Anandtech. Bummer. Fortunately, the first DX12 games aren’t expected until the holidays, so Nvidia has plenty of time to catch up.

If your GPU supports DirectX 12 and you’re still seeing an earlier version of DirectX, try heading to your graphics providers’ website and downloading the latest available drivers—Intel, AMD, and Nvidia have all released Windows 10 drivers. Be sure to allow Windows 10 to check for all available updates, too. And if you’re still not seeing DX12, try rebooting your system. A couple of users have reported seeing DX11 immediately after upgrading to Windows 10, but that jumped to DX12 after a reboot.

Senior editor Brad Chacos covers gaming and graphics for PCWorld, and runs the morning news desk for PCWorld, Macworld, Greenbot, and TechHive. He tweets too.

Intel® Graphics — Windows® 10 DCH Drivers

Available Downloads

igfx_win10_100.9316.exe

Windows 10, 64-bit*

Language: Multi language

igfx_win10_100.9316.zip

Windows 10, 64-bit*

Language: Multi language

Other Versions

Detailed Description

Note: Installing this Intel generic graphics driver will overwrite your computer manufacturer (OEM) customized driver. OEM drivers are handpicked and include customized features and solutions to platform-specific issues. The generic Intel driver provides users the latest and greatest feature enhancements and bug fixes that OEMs may not have customized yet to address platform-specific needs. Users can check for matching OEM versions at OEM websites.

Are you still experiencing an error preventing the driver update? Look here for why and a solution.

Any graphics issues found using Intel generic graphics drivers should be reported directly to Intel. Corporate customers should always use OEM drivers and report all issues through the vendor they purchased the platforms and support through.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fix for crash seen when launching Outriders*on Intel® Iris® X e Max graphics.

Game loading time improvements for Death Stranding*on Intel® Iris® X e

Stability fixes for DaVinci Resolve* on Intel® Iris® X e Max graphics.

IMPROVEMENTS

Game loading time improvements for Death Stranding* on Intel® Iris® X e graphics.

DEVELOPER HIGHLIGHTS

Support for New Level Zero loader layer tracing API.

Install the Intel® Driver & Support Assistant, which automatically checks for drivers on a regular basis and can provide notifications when new drivers are available.

Supported OS versions

OS Reference:

Microsoft Windows® 10-64 — Fall Creators Update (1709)(RS3)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — April 2018 Update (1803)(RS4)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — October 2018 Update (1809)(RS5)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — May 2019 Update (1903)(19H1)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — November 2019 Update (1909)(19H2)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — May 2020 Update (2004)(20H1)

Microsoft Windows 10-64 — October 2020 Update (20H2)

Platform (OS Support)

6th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Skylake) (RS3+)
7th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Kaby Lake) (RS3+)
8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Kaby Lake-R, Coffee Lake) (RS3+)
9th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Coffee Lake-R) (RS3+)
Apollo Lake (RS3+)
Amber Lake (RS3+)
Gemini Lake (RS3+)
Whiskey Lake (RS3+)
Comet Lake (RS3+)
10th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Ice Lake) (RS3+)
Intel® Core™ Processor with Intel® Hybrid Technology (Codename Lakefield) (19H2+)
Intel® Pentium® Processor family (Codename Jasper Lake) (19H2+)
Intel® Celeron® Processor family (Codename Jasper Lake) (19H2+)
11th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family (Codename Tiger Lake) (19H2+)
Intel® Iris® Xe Dedicated Graphics family (Codename DG1) (20H1+)
11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) processor family (Codename Rocket Lake) (20H2+)

Notes

Self-installing format (.exe) is the easiest installation method and our recommendation.

Manual installation format (.zip) is intended for developers and IT professionals.

See the ReleaseNotes for installation instructions, supported hardware, and more.

Be sure to check out gameplay.intel.com, where you’ll find recommended game settings for many more of your favorite PC games.

Not sure if this is the right driver for your Intel® Graphics Driver?

Run Intel® Driver & Support Assistant to automatically detect updates.

About Intel® software and drivers

The driver or software for your Intel® component might have been changed or replaced by the computer manufacturer. We recommend you work with your computer manufacturer before installing our driver so you don’t lose features or customizations.