Keep reading this article to get to know how to switch from Intel Graphics to Nvidia in Windows 10.
Do you love gaming on your PC? If so, you must know a thing or two about graphics cards.
In any case, let us presume you decided to get yourself an Nvidia graphics card to improve your gaming performance.
However, you cannot seem to find a way to switch from your default Intel HD graphics to your new Nvidia card.
We should get clear that using the right graphics card at the right time is important.
Your PC’s display performance would be severely affected if you run the wrong programs on the wrong graphics processor, especially if you play heavy games on your computer.
Many Windows 10 users struggle to switch from their default Intel HD graphics card to the Nvidia GPU. Today we will be showing how to switch between both with ease.
Before we get to our main guide, let us address a difficulty that most users face, that happens when they cannot seem to access their Nvidia graphics card.
Table of Contents
- How to switch from Intel Graphics to Nvidia in Windows 10
- Dedicated GPU vs Integrated Graphics
- Wrap Up
If you’re using a desktop computer, there’s a chance that you might have connected your graphics processor in the wrong way.
To solve this issue, you can watch YouTube tutorials and learn where and how is your graphics card connected.
As for laptop users, this problem usually occurs when some drivers are missing from their devices.
For tackling this situation, we suggest you find out which GPU driver version is needed and download it from Nvidia’s official website here.
Once you download and install the new drivers, your Nvidia graphics control panel will surely be accessible on your laptop or stationary computer.
How to switch from Intel Graphics to Nvidia in Windows 10
Setting your Nvidia card as your default graphics card
Moving on with our main topic for today, let us start with our guide on how to change the default graphics card in Windows 10.
- After your PC recognizes the Nvidia GPU, you should head for your Windows desktop and right-click on a free space. Choose the “Nvidia Control Panel” option;
- Nvidia’s control panel will open up. Look for the “Manage 3D Settings” button and click there;
- You’ll see two tabs from which the first one is “Global Settings”. Clicking on it will open a drop-down list of options;
- Here you’ll find “High-Performance Nvidia Processor”. Choosing it will set the Nvidia graphics card as your preferred graphics processor from now;
- Click on the “Apply” button to save your changes.
Wasn’t that a piece of cake? Well, in some cases, it won’t be. As we mentioned above, some users often struggle to get their Nvidia graphics card recognized by their PC, and the Nvidia control panel simply does not appear for them.
These bugs are often caused by a faulty Nvidia driver on the device.
Above, we provide you the link to download the latest driver, but what should one do if even that does not solve the problem?
Sometimes the graphics driver crashes and needs re-installation or an update to function properly.
Therefore, your best bet at tackling this situation is by re-installing the Nvidia graphics driver. Here’s how you can do that.
Reinstalling Nvidia graphics driver software in Windows 10
- Click on the Windows Start button on the bottom left of your screen;
- Type “Device Manager”. Click on the Device Manager button that appears on top;
- Look for the “Display Adapters” option on the given list. Click it and then right-click on the Nvidia card;
- You’ll be given a list of options. Choose “Uninstall device”;
- Now Nvidia driver will be uninstalled. All you have to do is head to Nvidia’s official website and download the latest driver, then install it again.
There’s also a possibility that your driver might not be up to date. We suggest you check that out as well if the problem remains.
Hopefully, this would do the trick. Your PC will most likely be able to set the Nvidia graphics card as its default graphics card after these steps.
However, do keep in your mind that Nvidia GPU takes more power from your computer.
So, if you’re using it on a laptop, then you might have to keep an eye out for the battery life.
We suggest you switch from the dedicated GPU back to the Intel HD graphics card whenever you don’t need heavy-duty graphics.
Also, if the integrated graphics driver gives you a hard time, try updating or reinstalling it as you did with Nvidia.
This brings us to some frequently asked questions regarding this subject. Users often ask about the comparison between the dedicated graphics card and integrated graphics.
We thought we should clear that too before we wrap up.
Dedicated GPU vs Integrated Graphics
There’s no lie that a dedicated GPU is typically more capable than your default integrated graphics.
However, this surely does not mean that an external graphics card would always outweigh integrated graphics in terms of pros.
To put it straight, your integrated graphics card is positioned in the same boat as your CPU.
Unless you have an additional microprocessor like the AMD Ryzen, the processor’s performance gets limited to some extent.
Nonetheless, it is great for executing most tasks on an average user’s PC. Lastly, integrated graphics are not heavy on the wallet.
A dedicated GPU, also known as a discrete GPU, gives you an upper hand on graphics performance.
Be it an AMD graphics card or an Nvidia, you can find many types of dedicated GPUs with different properties but they all serve the same purpose.
AMD GPUs are just as popular as Nvidia’s. As sweet as the thought of high-performance graphics may sound, a discrete GPU, such as Nvidia GeForce GTX, produces loads of heat and is also heavy enough to break the bank for an average user.
To summarize, both sides have their pros and cons and there can never be a clear winner in this comparison. We advise you to go for the choice that best suits your needs.
Wrap Up
Be it for gaming or any other purpose, your dedicated card can be set as your default GPU easily with our simple hassle-free guide.
Now you know how to change the default graphics card in Windows 10.
We hope you guys learned a thing or two regarding graphics cards from us today. That’s all, folks!
Check out some of our other awesome articles:
