3 Ways to Manage Your GPU in Windows 11

The GPU plays an important role in many computers and is essential for running games and some professional workloads such as video editing and 3D rendering. However, getting the most out of your GPU isn't always just about letting Windows 11 manage everything itself. You can improve your experience by using some apps to manage your GPU by changing performance, rendering and power settings. Here are a few apps worth trying to improve your experience.

3 Nvidia, AMD or Intel apps

Use what you are given

All three major GPU manufacturers offer apps that allow you to manage various GPU and graphics settings on a global or application-specific level. AMD has AMD software that allows you to manage various functions, including changing performance settings for individual apps and games, overclocking your GPU, and managing other power settings and features.

Nvidia offers the Nvidia GeForce experience that works with the Nvidia Control Panel. GeForce Experience offers some options to optimize the performance of certain games on your PC and can also manage some laptop features like Battery Boost. The Nvidia Control Panel has some advanced options, such as managing global 3D rendering settings. Nvidia is also working on a new one Nvidia app That should make things a little easier, including settings like voltage tuning and the ability to set performance and noise targets.

Finally, Intel is a relative newcomer, but Intel GPUs and processors also come with the Intel Arc Control app, which provides power and performance graphs as well as the ability to manage 3D settings per application and globally. It's not quite as detailed as the other options, but it's still a good starting point.

2 HWiNFO

Monitor your GPU stats

Managing your GPU is as much about changing settings as it is about understanding them and their impact. HWiNFO is a very famous app for monitoring all aspects of your PC. Not only does it identify all your components so you can be completely confident about which GPU you have and what its specifications are, but it also includes advanced real-time monitoring.

HWiNFO presents information such as temperature and hotspot temperature, voltage levels, temperature targets, fan speeds, PCIe connection speeds, clock speeds for the GPU and video memory, and much more. This information can help you keep an eye on temperatures and determine the impact of changing certain GPU settings when trying to optimize performance for optimal results.

1 MSI Afterburner

Advanced tuning for each GPU

Finally, there's MSI Afterburner, a tool specifically designed to help you get the most out of your GPU. Afterburner includes settings such as voltage control, performance curve settings, fan speed, temperature targets and clock speeds for both the GPU itself and the memory. You can also pair it with MSI Kombustor to stress test your GPU to ensure your overclocking settings haven't caused any problems.

Additionally, Afterburner is also a great tool for monitoring real-world performance as it measures frame rates, including averages, peaks, and percentiles, as well as generates real-time reports on GPU temperature and usage while gaming. It's a very useful tool for many reasons, and it's also highly customizable so you can design the interface the way you want.

Maximize the potential of your GPU

These apps give you much more control over your GPU's performance and power consumption, allowing you to achieve the best results possible, whether you're aiming for maximum performance or want to save some power. These tools allow you to change overclocking settings, but also change performance settings for individual games to give you the best overall experience.

Of course, if you're looking for performance, it's not just your GPU that matters. Check out the guide below if you want to learn more about overclocking your CPU.