How Do I Turn On Hardware Acceleration in Windows 10?
How Do I Turn On Hardware Acceleration in Windows 10?
3 Answers

If you’re looking to give your Windows 10 a little performance boost by turning on hardware acceleration, here’s the lowdown on how to get it done:
- Check out Your Display Settings:
- First off, right-click anywhere on your desktop and hit up Display settings. Easy peasy.
- Jump to Graphics Settings:
- Scroll down a bit, and you’ll spot Graphics settings. Go ahead and click it.
- Switch On Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling:
- Here’s the kicker: If your system’s got it, flip that switch for Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling to ‘On’.
- Make Sure Your Graphics Drivers Are up to Date:
- Heads up, though—your drivers need to be current. Peek at your device manager, find your graphics card in Display adapters, right-click, and select Update driver. Or just grab the latest from the manufacturer’s site.
- Reboot Your Computer:
- Once you’ve done the deed, just restart your rig to seal the deal.
Now, here’s a heads-up: Not every system is up for this option. It needs the right kind of hardware, and, honestly, it’s more beneficial if you’ve got a shiny new GPU. If you don’t see the option, your hardware might just not be up to snuff for this kind of thing.

Hey there! If you\’re looking to boost your Windows 10 performance, hardware acceleration might just do the trick. It\’s a neat way to let your graphics card handle more tasks, making things smoother, especially if you\’re into gaming or video editing.
So, how do you turn this feature on? Let\’s dive into a couple of easy methods.
Method 1: Going Through Windows Settings
First up, we need to make sure your GPU is up for it. If you\’ve got an NVIDIA GTX 10-series or newer, or an AMD 5600 or later, you\’re good to go. Don\’t forget to check if your graphics drivers are up to date too!
- Pop open the Settings app. A quick Windows + i will get you there.
- Hop over to System, then Display.
- Scroll all the way down until you find Graphics Settings.
- You should spot “Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling.” Flip that switch on.
- Give your computer a quick reboot to lock in the changes.
Honestly, this method is a breeze for most folks since it all happens right from the Settings app.
Method 2: Diving into the Registry Editor
If the above option doesn\’t show up for some odd reason, or if you\’re feeling a bit adventurous:
- Hit Windows + R, type in regedit, and press Enter.
- If you get a pop-up from User Account Control, let Registry Editor run.
- Navigate here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\GraphicsDrivers
- Look for a DWORD entry called HwSchMode.
- Want to turn it on? Double-click, set the Value Data to 2, and stick with Hexadecimal.
- To turn it off later, just change it to 1.
- Hit OK, close the Editor, and restart your system.
Okay, a quick heads-up: playing around in the registry should be done carefully since it has all the nitty-gritty system details. But hey, it\’s just as effective as the Settings method.
Give it a shot! With hardware acceleration turned on, you might see a nice little boost in how your computer handles graphics-heavy jobs. And if it doesn\’t jive with your setup, no worries—you can always switch it back as easily as you turned it on.

Hey there! Want to give your Windows 10 system a performance boost? You might want to try turning on hardware acceleration. It\’s like giving your CPU a breather by letting your GPU handle the heavy lifting when it comes to visuals and demanding apps like games or video renderers. Let’s dive into how you can get this rolling!
Okay, first up, check out the built-in setting on Windows 10. It’s a pretty recent feature—kicked off around the May 2020 Update—that lets your GPU take over some tasks straight away. Hit up your Settings by pressing Win + I, go to System, then Display, and look for Graphics settings. Once you’re there, flip on the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option. Pro tip: You’ll need to restart your PC to make it stick. Heads up—this works with newer GPU models like the NVIDIA RTX 20 series and up, AMD RX 5000 series and later, or certain Intel types.
Now, your GPU likely has its own nifty control panel for managing stuff like this. If you’re rocking an NVIDIA card, right-click your desktop, slap open the NVIDIA Control Panel, and under 3D Settings, crank up the High-performance NVIDIA processor for your apps. For AMD fans, poke around in the AMD Radeon Settings and switch the graphics on over to High Performance for the apps you fancy.
Don\’t stop there! Applications like browsers or media players often have their own hardware acceleration settings. Take Google Chrome, for example. Head to Settings, then System, and find the “Use hardware acceleration when available” switch.
Got issues? If your system starts crashing or stuttering—don’t panic. You might just need to update your drivers. Hit Win + X, tap on Device Manager, and update your driver under Display adapters. If stuff is acting wonky after enabling acceleration, maybe it\’s time to clean house a bit and make sure your drivers aren’t fighting each other.
As a last resort, or if your computer\’s acting like a diva, you might need to sneak into your BIOS/UEFI settings, especially if there are certain GPU functions playing hard to get. Be careful here, though, as tweaking the wrong settings can trip your system into a spin.
That’s pretty much the nuts and bolts of it! Mess around with these settings, and you might just notice everything running a whole lot smoother. But if things don’t quite work out or your system gives you grief, reach out to support channels or maybe even run some diagnostics to see what’s what. Good luck, and may your PC run like the wind!