Set an app’s GPU preference in Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Choose the app, open Options, select a graphics preference, save, and restart the app. The GPU choices appear when your PC has more than one GPU.
Set the GPU preference for an app
-
Open Settings, then go to System > Display > Graphics.
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Under Custom options for apps, find the app or game. If it is missing, add it: browse to the desktop app’s
.exefile, or select a Windows Store app from the app picker. Microsoft’s [Graphics Settings guidance] explains how to add either type. -
Select the app, choose Options, and look under Graphics preference.
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Choose the preference you want, select Save, and restart the app for the change to take effect. The available GPU choices depend on the GPUs in your PC; use the names shown in your own dialog rather than assuming a label maps to a particular manufacturer or model. See Microsoft’s Windows 11 graphics instructions.
What the graphics preferences mean
| Preference | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Let Windows decide (Power saving) | Leaves the choice to Windows, with the preference labeled “Power saving.” |
| Power saving | Expresses a power-saving preference. Check the GPU name shown in your Windows dialog. |
| High performance | Expresses a high-performance preference. Check the GPU name shown in your Windows dialog. |
These are preferences, not a promise of a particular frame rate, battery-life change, or that every part of an app’s rendering and display path will use the selected GPU. The official instructions list the settings but do not quantify performance or battery results.
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How Windows Graphics settings interact with NVIDIA Control Panel
Windows’ choice for an individual app takes precedence over that app’s per-app graphics preference in NVIDIA Control Panel. If Windows has no preference for the app, NVIDIA Control Panel can specify one, according to NVIDIA’s preferred graphics processor guidance. For a per-app preference on Windows 11, check Windows Graphics settings first.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do not confuse GPU choice with the other graphics options
The app-specific Graphics page also includes Optimizations for windowed games and Auto HDR. They are separate controls; changing either does not set the app’s GPU preference. Microsoft says windowed-game optimization applies to DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 games running in windowed or borderless-windowed mode, and recommends restarting the app after changing that optimization. The Settings page’s layout can differ by Windows UI version, but Microsoft’s DirectX Developer Blog notes that the redesigned presentation retained the covered settings and functionality for users without the new design.
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