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DxDiag cannot tell you which graphics API a particular game is using. It reports the DirectX version installed in Windows. To check a game’s active mode, use the game’s own graphics or launcher setting for DirectX 12/Direct3D 12, then restart and confirm that selection. If the menu is ambiguous, a Windows Performance Toolkit/GPUView trace or a PIX capture can provide stronger technical evidence.
For FPS, use an in-game counter or overlay for a quick reading. For a trustworthy comparison, capture the same gameplay sequence with identical settings, repeat the run, and report average FPS together with a low-percentile result or frame-time data.
DirectX installed on Windows is not the same as the API a game is using
“DirectX 12” is commonly used to describe the Direct3D 12 graphics API, the part of DirectX responsible for rendering. Windows may support and report DirectX 12 even when a particular game is currently running through Direct3D 11, Vulkan, or another mode.
That distinction explains many incorrect checks. The DirectX version shown by Windows is a system capability and installation detail. It is not a per-process record of the API selected by the game. A GPU feature-level field is not proof either: it describes supported hardware capabilities, not the renderer used in the current session.
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Check the DirectX version installed in Windows
Use DxDiag when you need to know what DirectX version Windows reports for the PC.
- Open Start or Windows Search and type
dxdiag. - Launch DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Approve the prompt if Windows asks whether it should check digitally signed drivers.
- On the System tab, find DirectX Version under System Information.
This answers “What DirectX version is installed on this PC?” It does not answer “Which API did this game select for its current launch?” Do not use a DxDiag result alone to claim that one game is running Direct3D 12.
Find the game’s selected graphics API
The game’s own configuration is the best first check because it records the mode the developer exposes to players.
Use the in-game graphics or video menu
- Start the game and open Settings, Options, or Graphics/Video.
- Look for a setting labelled Graphics API, Renderer, DirectX version, or similar.
- Select DirectX 12 or Direct3D 12 if that is the option you want.
- Apply the change. Restart the game if it requests a restart; many engines do not switch renderers while a session is running.
- After relaunching, reopen the setting and confirm that the selected value persisted. A failed launch, a compatibility fallback, or a reset configuration can otherwise leave you testing a different mode than expected.
Check launcher arguments when the menu has no selector
Some games expose renderer choices in their launcher rather than in the running game. Look for an advanced launch-options field or a per-game launch setting. The exact argument is game-specific, so use that game’s official help rather than assuming a universal command. If the launcher offers separate entries such as DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, record which entry you used and restart after changing it.
When the setting is missing or unclear
A game may choose its API automatically, hide the selector after installation, or fall back to another renderer if the requested mode fails. In that situation, the menu is evidence of the intended selection but not always conclusive proof of the API used by the process. For support cases, performance diagnosis, or a disputed benchmark, collect a trace.
Verify the active API with profiling tools
Microsoft documents Windows Performance Toolkit tracing and GPUView for analyzing DirectX application performance. These tools require more setup and interpretation than a settings menu, but they can show what the application and graphics stack are doing during a captured scenario.
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Windows Performance Toolkit and GPUView
Use a trace when you need to investigate renderer behavior, CPU/GPU scheduling, frame timing, or a suspected fallback. Plan the capture around a reproducible scene, start tracing before entering that scene, stop after the defined interval, and inspect the process and GPU activity in GPUView. Microsoft presents this as performance analysis, not a one-click consumer detector; interpreting a trace requires familiarity with processes, queues, and timing events.
PIX on Windows
PIX on Windows provides DirectX 12 GPU and timing captures and is documented primarily for developer profiling and debugging. It is appropriate when you need detailed GPU events, timing data, or resource inspection and can work with a technical capture workflow. It is excessive for simply checking a game’s graphics menu, and a PIX capture may require the game to be compatible with the capture method.
Use the trace or PIX result as evidence for the specific executable and run you captured. It does not turn a system-wide DxDiag value into a per-game result, and it should not be presented as a universal detector that works identically for every title.
Choose the right tool for the question
| Question | Starting point | What it can and cannot establish |
|---|---|---|
| What DirectX version does Windows report? | DxDiag | Reads the system-level DirectX version; it does not establish a game’s active renderer. |
| What renderer did I select? | The game’s graphics/video menu or launcher | Shows the exposed selection for the next or current launch; menu names and fallback behavior vary by game. |
| What FPS am I seeing right now? | The game’s built-in counter or a supported overlay | Provides a live reading, not a controlled benchmark or complete frame-pacing analysis. |
| What are average and percentile FPS during a run? | NVIDIA FrameView or another tool with documented capture metrics | Can capture average and percentile FPS across supported DirectX APIs; features and overlays can vary by version. |
| Is CPU or GPU work limiting a DirectX application? | Windows Performance Toolkit/GPUView | Enables trace-based CPU-time and GPU-time analysis, but setup and interpretation are technical. |
| What is happening inside a DirectX 12 frame? | PIX on Windows | Provides detailed DirectX 12 GPU and timing captures; it is primarily a developer profiling tool. |
Use an overlay for a quick FPS reading
A built-in counter is the least disruptive option. Enable it in the game’s interface or statistics settings and note whether it reports instantaneous, rolling-average, or sampled values. If the game has no counter, use an overlay that supports the game’s graphics API. NVIDIA FrameView documentation describes support for DirectX 9 through DirectX 12 and reports average and percentile FPS.
Treat a live number as a quick check. It changes as the camera, effects, AI, and streaming workload change, so it is not a fair basis for comparing two settings unless the scene and capture interval are controlled. Overlays can also add a small measurement or rendering overhead; keep the same overlay state in every comparison.
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Accuracy in game benchmarking means that another run under the same conditions produces a comparable result. It does not mean that one overlay has a universally correct number. Define the test before recording it.
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1. Pick one repeatable gameplay segment
Choose a route, replay, saved location, benchmark scene, or timed sequence that stresses the system in a representative way. Avoid comparing a quiet menu, loading screen, and busy combat scene as if they were equivalent. Write down the start and stop points and the capture duration.
2. Lock the rendering conditions
- Resolution and render scale
- Every graphics-quality option, including ray tracing, shadows, texture quality, and upscaling settings
- Frame cap, if enabled
- V-Sync and any latency or refresh synchronization option
- Display refresh rate
- Graphics driver version and the selected DirectX mode
- Background applications, recording software, browser tabs, and overlays
Changing a frame cap or V-Sync setting can make an FPS result look different even when the game’s workload is unchanged. A display running at a different refresh rate can also alter synchronization behavior. Record these conditions beside the result.
3. Warm up before measuring
Run through the scene once before capturing data. This allows shader compilation, asset streaming, and caches to settle where the game uses them. If the game compiles shaders during the first run, include that behavior only when it is part of the user experience you intend to measure; otherwise, warm up consistently before every comparison.
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4. Capture a defined interval
Start the counter or capture tool at the same point each time, play the segment for the stated duration, and stop at the same endpoint. A longer interval generally includes more of the scene’s variation than a few seconds of watching one hallway, but the interval should match the question you are answering. Do not call a single instantaneous reading a benchmark.
5. Repeat the run
Run the same route more than once. If the results differ substantially, investigate background activity, streaming, shader compilation, thermal behavior, or an inconsistent route before drawing a conclusion. Report the runs or their summary rather than silently choosing the most favorable number.
6. Report more than the average
Average FPS is useful for throughput, but it can hide short stalls. Add a low-percentile FPS value, such as the tool’s reported percentile, or include frame-time data when available. A low-percentile result describes the slower portion of the captured frames and makes stutter easier to see than an average alone.
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Understand FPS, frame time, and percentiles
Average FPS
Average FPS summarizes the frames delivered over the capture interval. It is useful for comparing the same scene at two settings, provided all conditions remain unchanged. It does not show whether the experience was smooth throughout the run.
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Frame time is the time spent producing each frame, usually expressed in milliseconds. A sequence with mostly short frame times and a few very long ones may have a high average FPS but still feel jerky. Looking at a frame-time graph or distribution reveals spikes that an average conceals.
Low-percentile FPS
A percentile result describes the slower tail of the captured frames. The exact percentile and calculation depend on the tool, so name the tool and metric in your report. Do not imply that a percentile number is interchangeable with another tool’s similarly named statistic.
Presented frames are not API calls
DXGI documentation notes that the number of images presented is not necessarily the number of calls to Present. Consequently, do not treat a count of API calls as a direct count of images a player saw. Presentation, buffering, synchronization, and display behavior can make those quantities differ.
Use CPU and GPU timing to explain a result
When FPS changes after switching to DirectX 12, the number alone does not identify the cause. Windows Performance Toolkit and GPUView can help compare CPU time and GPU time per frame in a defined scenario.
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- If GPU time is consistently the longer part of each frame, reducing resolution or GPU-heavy effects is the more direct experiment.
- If CPU time dominates while the GPU has unused capacity, a busy simulation, draw-call submission, background task, or other CPU-side limit may be involved.
- If both times look acceptable but frame times spike, inspect streaming, shader compilation, synchronization, and background activity rather than relying on the average FPS.
Microsoft’s profiling guidance uses a 16-millisecond frame interval as an example for a 60 Hz target. That is an example tied to that display target, not a universal threshold for every monitor, refresh rate, or performance goal.
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Troubleshoot conflicting results
DxDiag says DirectX 12, but the game looks like DirectX 11
There is no contradiction: DxDiag reports the installed system version, while the game may select another renderer. Check the game’s API selector or launcher entry and verify after restarting.
The game resets to DirectX 11
Confirm that the DirectX 12 choice was applied, restart when prompted, and check the game’s official support information for hardware, driver, or launch requirements. A failed DirectX 12 initialization can cause a game to fall back or reset its configuration. Do not claim DirectX 12 is active until the selection persists or a trace confirms it.
Two FPS counters disagree
Check whether they cover the same interval and define FPS the same way. One may show an instantaneous or rolling value while another reports a captured average or percentile. Disable one overlay and repeat the same run, then document which tool produced the published number.
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Return to the controls: use the same route and duration, warm up consistently, close changing background workloads, keep drivers and settings fixed, and repeat enough runs to identify ordinary variation. If the game streams assets or compiles shaders during play, record whether those events were included.
The average is high but the game stutters
Inspect low-percentile FPS and frame-time data. The average can remain high when a small number of frames take much longer than the rest. A trace can then show whether CPU scheduling, GPU workload, synchronization, or streaming coincides with the spikes.
A practical reporting template
For a result that readers can reproduce, record:
- Game version and selected renderer, such as DirectX 12
- Resolution, graphics preset, individual overrides, upscaling, frame cap, and V-Sync
- Display refresh rate and graphics-driver version
- CPU and GPU model if hardware comparison matters
- Warm-up procedure and exact gameplay route
- Capture duration and number of repeated runs
- Tool and version used for the overlay or capture
- Average FPS plus the reported low-percentile or frame-time result
This record separates a system capability check from an application API check and makes clear whether a number is a quick live reading or a controlled measurement.
Bottom line
Use dxdiag to see the DirectX version installed in Windows, not to identify a game’s active renderer. Check the game’s DirectX 12/Direct3D 12 setting first, restart and confirm it, and use GPUView or PIX when technical proof is necessary. For FPS, an overlay is fine for a quick reading; an accurate comparison requires a fixed scene, fixed settings, a warm-up, repeated captures, and an average paired with percentile or frame-time data.
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