4 Simple Ways to Find Out What Graphics Card You Have

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A user-friendly guide to know your graphics card on PC, Mac, or Linux
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Do you want to check what graphics card you have on your computer? You can easily see your Graphics processing unit (GPU) using the Device Manager on Windows or your "About" menu on Mac. For Linux, you'll need to use the Terminal to find out what video card you have. This wikiHow will show you how to locate your computer's graphics card information on a Windows, Mac, and Linux computer.

What GPU Do I Have?

  • On Windows, open the Device Manager and double-click the "Display adapters" heading. The graphics card(s) will be listed underneath.
  • On Mac, click the Apple menu, then "About This Mac". Click "System Report", "Graphics/Displays". The card will be listed in the right panel.
  • On Linux, use the Terminal to look up the list of PCI items. Find the ID number, then enter it in a new Terminal.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Using Windows

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  1. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen or press the Windows key on your keyboard. [1]
    • You can also right-click the Start icon to open the Advanced Options menu.
    • Knowing your current graphics card can help if you need to fix or change a graphics card .
  2. Type "Device Manager" into the Start menu, then click Device Manager at the top of the search results. [2]
    • If you opened Start with a right-click, click Device Manager in the pop-up menu.
    • A new window will open.
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  3. This looks like a monitor icon with a small chip-like icon. You may need to scroll down to find it.
    • The options in the Device Manager window are organized in alphabetical order, so you'll find the "Display adapters" heading in the "D" section.
    • If you see indented options below the "Display adapters" heading, skip the next step.
  4. Doing so expands it to show your installed graphics card(s).
    • You can also click the right-facing arrow to the left of Display adapters .
  5. Your installed graphics card's name will appear under the Display adapters heading. If you see more than one name there, it means you have both a built-in graphics card and an installed graphics card.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Using macOS Ventura

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  1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear. [3]
  2. This will be near the top of the menu. [4]
  3. This will be next to the grey cog icon. [5]
    • You may need to scroll down to find this.
  4. This will be located in the right panel.
  5. A new page will open. [6]
  6. This can be found underneath the Hardware header. If the header isn't expanded, click the arrow to the left of Hardware .
  7. It will appear at the top of the right-hand pane.
    • Select your graphics card to view its specifications listed below.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Using macOS Monterey and Earlier

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  1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear. [7]
  2. This option is at the top of the drop-down menu. [8]
    • You may find your graphics card listed next to Graphics . If you don't see it, proceed to the next step.
  3. It's at the bottom of the About This Mac window. [9]
  4. This option is in the left-hand pane of the System Report window.
  5. It's about halfway down the group of options that appear below the Hardware heading in the left-hand pane.
  6. It will appear at the top of the right-hand pane.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Using Linux

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  1. Click the Terminal app icon, which resembles a black box, or press CTRL + ALT + T at the same time to open a new Terminal window. [10]
  2. Type the following command into Terminal, then press Enter . [11] 
    sudo update-pciids
  3. Type in the password that you use to log into your computer, then press Enter . Doing so will confirm your command and update your computer's PCI list.
    • The password's characters will not appear when you type in Terminal.
  4. Type in the following command and press Enter to bring up a list of installed and built-in PCI items (including graphics cards): [12] 
    lspci -v | 
less
  5. Scroll up in the Terminal window until you find the "Video controller", "VGA compatible", "3D", or "Integrated graphics" heading. Your graphics card's name will be listed next to this heading.
  6. This number is to the left of the graphics card's heading, and will usually be in the following format: 00:00.0
  7. Press CTRL + ALT + T again, or right-click the Terminal app icon and click New Terminal Window (or similar).
  8. Type the following command into Terminal—making sure to replace "00:02.0" with your graphics card's actual ID number—and press Enter to see your graphics card's specific information: [13] 
    sudo lspci -v -s 00 
:02.0
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I play games using Intel HD Graphics only?
    Community Answer
    You can play games like Minecraft, CS:GO, and other very light games on graphics with Intel HD Graphics. If you want to play more graphic intensive games though, you will need a graphics card.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 23
  • Question
    What if mine only says Intel HD graphics??
    Community Answer
    This means you have an integrated graphics controller and not a separate graphics card.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 24 Helpful 61
  • Question
    How can I tell which graphics card is being used?
    Community Answer
    Click right on the home screen, the cpu will pop up and you can use it to chose which one you need to use.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-device-manager-a7f2db46-faaf-24f0-8b7b-9e4a6032fc8c
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-device-manager-a7f2db46-faaf-24f0-8b7b-9e4a6032fc8c
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/get-system-information-about-your-mac-syspr35536/mac
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/system-information-user-guide-syspr35536/mac
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/system-information-user-guide-syspr35536/mac
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/get-system-information-about-your-mac-syspr35536/mac
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102312
      8. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-ph/guide/system-information/syspr35536/11.0/mac/12.0
      9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-ph/guide/system-information/syspr35536/11.0/mac/12.0
      1. ↑ https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners#3-opening-a-terminal
      2. ↑ https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-tell-which-graphics-vga-card-installed/
      3. ↑ https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-tell-which-graphics-vga-card-installed/
      4. ↑ https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-tell-which-graphics-vga-card-installed/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Device Manager .
      2. Double-click the "Display adapters" heading.
      3. View the graphics card(s) listed in the expanded "Display adapters" heading.

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