I’m a gamer, and you might be too. Today I’ll show you how to boost your GPU performance with hardware-accelerated Scheduling. Windows 11 has an advanced setting called hardware-accelerated GPU Scheduling that can improve gaming and video performance by using your GPU.
What is hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling?
- Hardware accelerated GPU scheduling allows for better Scheduling between CPU and GPU for applications to run smoothly. It boosts your gaming performance and video rendering process.
- Basically CPU handles the graphically demanding tasks so that video games and photo/video editing apps can run smoothly.
- The CPU examines all the frames, put the frames in order, prioritize them and send frames one at a time to be rendered by GPU. However, in recent times GPU has performed effectively.
- Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling allows GPU’s dedicated processing power and memory(VRAM) to gather and process all the data. This frees up CPU’s processing power and memory and boosts the performance of PC.
- GPU takes over the major tasks, collects all the data and renders it in batches instead of one by one. Researchers has showed that the performance of the GPU increases as we input the data in batches rather than one by one, which consumes lot of time and take more computing power.
Do I switch GPU scheduling off or on?
- It depends. GPU scheduling works fine in medium-end-machines to high-end-machines. However, GPU scheduling in low-end-machines causes decline in gaming and video performance.
- GPU scheduling works well for certain tasks and doesn’t perform well in other tasks, it works well for gaming and video editing for example.
- You should know that GPU-scheduling needs modern GPU. It requires a Nvidia GTX 1000 card or higher, while AMD 5600 series cards are required.
- There are two ways to turn on/off hardware accelerated GPU Scheduling.
Method 1 (Using Registry)
It is easy to turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling using Registry. Just follow the steps:
1. Click on Search and type “Regedit” then click on Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the registry key “GraphicsDrivers” and create a new DWORD.
You’ll find the GraphicsDrivers key in Computer/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/GraphicsDrivers. Click on any space in the main panel and select “DWORD (32 bit) Value“.
3. Name the new DWORD, “HwSchMode“.
4. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling can be turned on by changing the value data to “2”.
Double-click the name of your DWORD to modify its value data. Once you have entered “2“, press “OK.”
5. By changing the value data to “1“, you can turn off hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
Double-click your DWORD to turn off the GPU scheduling. Enter “1” into the value data field and press “OK.”
Method 2 (Using Settings):
1. Open Settings.
Click on the Start menu, then press “Settings” on the Start menu. Or, you can press “Windows + I.”
2. Click on “System” in your settings sidebar and click “Display” at the main pane.
3. Click on “Graphics.”
4. Click “Change Default Graphics Settings.”
5. The toggle allows you to switch between the hardware GPU schedule on and off.
If your GPU requirements don’t meet, Just Give it a try
While it is recommended to use latest GPUs(Nvidia GTX 1000 card or higher, & AMD 5600 series cards) in order to turn on this feature but you can give it a try if you do not have latest GPUs. You can try turning on hardware accelerated GPU Scheduling, if it works it will be a plus point for you. Otherwise, you can turn it off anytime you wish to.
Also, you should upgrade your video drivers before you turn on this feature.