How to Change the Default Graphics Card in Windows 11

To change which graphics card an app uses in Windows 11, open Settings, go to System > Display > Graphics, select the app, choose High performance or Power saving, and save. Windows 11 sets this preference one app at a time; it does not have a single switch that sends every program to one graphics card.

Applies to: Windows 11 PCs with more than one graphics processor (GPU).

What “default graphics card” means in Windows 11

Many laptops, and some desktops, have two graphics processors: an integrated GPU that is built into the processor and uses little power, and a separate (discrete) GPU that is faster but uses more power. Windows decides which one each app runs on. In the Graphics settings that decision appears as three choices:

• Let Windows decide: Windows picks for you. This option shows the current pick in parentheses, for example “Let Windows decide (Power saving)”.
• Power saving: the app uses the GPU that draws less power, which on most laptops is the integrated one.
• High performance: the app uses the more capable GPU, which is normally the discrete card.

So “changing the default graphics card” in practice means moving the apps you care about from the first choice to one of the other two. If your PC has only one GPU, these choices have nothing to switch between. Not sure what your computer has? You can check which graphics cards Windows 11 detects before you start.

Before you start

• Know which app you want to change. For a desktop program you may need to find its .exe file, so note where it is installed.
• Close the app first. The new preference is used the next time the app starts.
• On a laptop, remember that the high-performance GPU uses more battery. Use it for games, video editing, and 3D work rather than for everything.

How to choose the graphics card for an app in Windows 11 Settings

1. Select the Start button, then select Settings. The Settings window opens.
2. Select System, then Display, then Graphics. The Graphics page lists system-wide options at the top and a list of apps below.
3. Under Custom options for apps, find the app or game you want to change and select it. If it is not in the list, add it first (see the next section).
4. Select Options. A Graphics preference box opens for that app.
5. Select High performance to use the stronger GPU, or Power saving to use the low-power one.
6. Select Save. Your choice is stored for that app.
7. Start the app again so it launches with the new setting.

If your Graphics page looks different

Microsoft redesigned this page, so newer builds of Windows 11 do not match the steps above word for word. In the redesigned page the app list is headed Custom settings for applications. Instead of an Options button and a pop-up box, each app opens like a drawer when you select it, and the drawer contains a GPU preference setting with the same three choices. Pick High performance or Power saving there. Microsoft’s overview of the redesigned Graphics settings page shows this layout.

Add an app that is not in the list

The list only shows apps Windows already knows about. In the redesigned page, select Add desktop app for a classic program, browse to its .exe file, and open it; a second button next to it adds apps from the Microsoft Store. In the older layout, use the add-an-app control above the list, choose whether it is a desktop app or a Store app, and browse to the program. Once the app appears in the list, set its preference as described above.

Pick the file that actually runs the game or program. Many games start from a small launcher, and setting a preference for the launcher does not change the game itself.

Choose which card counts as “High performance”

This is the closest Windows 11 comes to a true default graphics card setting. If your PC has more than one discrete or external GPU, the redesigned Graphics page has an Advanced graphics settings section with a Default high performance GPU option. It sets which GPU Windows uses for apps that need high graphics performance, such as PC games. On a typical laptop with one integrated and one discrete GPU, there is only one candidate, so you may not need this setting at all.

Use your graphics driver software instead

NVIDIA Control Panel

On PCs that use NVIDIA’s power-saving GPU technology (most NVIDIA laptops), the NVIDIA Control Panel has its own selector:

1. Open the NVIDIA Control Panel. There are several ways to open the NVIDIA Control Panel on Windows 11 if it is not on the desktop menu.
2. Open Manage 3D settings.
3. On the Global Settings tab, find Preferred graphics processor. This is the setting that applies to all 3D programs.
4. Choose the high-performance NVIDIA processor, integrated graphics, or the auto-select choice that lets the driver decide, then apply the change.
5. To set one program only, use the Program Settings tab, pick the program under Select a program to customize (or select Add to find it), and set Preferred graphics processor for that program.

Preferred graphics processor appears only on systems with that power-saving technology (details are in NVIDIA’s Manage 3D Settings reference). If you do not see it, use Windows Settings.

AMD Software

Older AMD guides point to a Switchable Graphics menu. AMD removed that option from Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 19.12.1 and later, because Windows now sets graphics performance per app. On a current AMD laptop, use the Windows Settings method above. The background is in AMD’s article on customizing graphics performance preference.

Confirm that the app is using the right GPU

1. Start the app or game and let it run for a moment.
2. Open Task Manager and look at the Processes list. Next to the GPU usage column is a GPU engine column that shows which GPU the app is using, such as GPU 0 or GPU 1. If you do not see it, right-click a column heading and turn it on.
3. Open the Performance section and select each GPU entry to see which number belongs to which card. Task Manager numbers GPUs by their physical location in the PC, so GPU 0 is not always the integrated one.

For more on these columns, read the DirectX team’s post about GPUs in Task Manager.

Undo the change

Go back to Settings > System > Display > Graphics, select the app, and set its preference back to Let Windows decide. In the redesigned page you can also select Reset to return an app to its default settings, or Remove to take an app you added out of the list.

Troubleshooting

There is no GPU choice for the app

The performance choices appear only if your PC has more than one graphics processor. If Windows detects a single GPU, either the PC has only one or the driver for the second one is missing. Install the graphics driver from your PC maker or GPU maker, restart, and look again. The usual routes are covered in updating GPU drivers in Windows 11.

The app still runs on the wrong GPU

• Close the app completely and start it again. A running app keeps the GPU it started with.
• Check that you set the preference for the program’s real .exe file, not a launcher.
• Look in the app’s own settings. Some games and creative programs have their own graphics adapter choice.
• Check whether a setting in your graphics driver software is pointing the same program at the other GPU.

You are on a desktop PC

On a desktop, the picture normally comes from whichever graphics output the monitor is plugged into. If the cable is connected to the motherboard’s video port, move it to a port on the graphics card itself. Some motherboards also have a firmware setting for the primary graphics adapter; the name and location vary, so follow your PC or motherboard maker’s manual rather than a generic guide.

The settings are missing or locked on a work or school PC

Organizations can manage Settings pages and driver software on their computers. If the Graphics page is missing or you cannot install drivers, ask your IT administrator instead of trying to work around it.

Do not disable a GPU to force the other one

Disabling the integrated or discrete adapter in Device Manager is not a safe shortcut. On some laptops the built-in screen depends on the integrated GPU, so disabling it can affect the display, battery life, video playback, and automatic switching.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make every app use my dedicated graphics card?

Not from Windows Settings, which works app by app. On a supported NVIDIA laptop, the Preferred graphics processor setting on the Global Settings tab applies to all 3D programs. For most people, setting High performance for the handful of demanding apps is the better choice, because everything else stays on the low-power GPU.

Will High performance drain my laptop battery faster?

Yes, for the apps you assign to it. The discrete GPU gives better performance but uses more power. Leave everyday apps such as browsers and office programs on Let Windows decide or Power saving.

Do I need to restart my PC after changing the setting?

Restarting the app is what matters, since the preference is read when the app starts. Restart the PC only if you also installed or updated a graphics driver.

What is the difference between “Let Windows decide” and “Power saving”?

Let Windows decide leaves the choice to Windows, and the text in parentheses tells you what it currently picks. Power saving and High performance are fixed choices that you make yourself for that app.

Why does Task Manager show my game on GPU 0?

GPU 0 is only a label. Open the Performance section in Task Manager to see which card GPU 0 is on your PC before deciding that the setting did not work.

Once your main game or creative app is set to High performance, run it and check the GPU engine column in Task Manager to confirm the change took effect.