A graphics card is the beating heart of your gaming PC hardware.

Your graphics card is the arbiter of your visual gaming experience, determining graphical resolution and screen refresh rate as well as executing modern visual technologies. Knowing what kind of graphics card you have and what your graphics card is capable of will tell you what games your system can handle. That’s why it’s important to figure out what kind of graphics card you have. 

Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to check your graphics card’s capabilities. We’ll teach you everything you need to know in our detailed guide to finding your graphics card and learning what it can do.
 

How to check your graphics card on a Windows PC

Figuring out what kind of graphics card you have on a Windows PC is a fairly easy process. In fact, there are several ways to do it. In this section, we’ll show you how to get information on the graphics card that you have installed on your PC. 

Device Manager

1. Use the Windows Start menu or search bar to find and open Device Manager. 
2. Find the Display adapters section on the left. 
3. Double-click on the graphics card you wish to see more information about. 

DirectX Diagnostic Tool

1. Go to the Windows search bar, type dxdiag, and run that command.
2. In the DirectX Diagnostic Tool window that opens, click the Display tab. 

System Information

1. Use the Windows Start menu or search bar to find and open System Information.
2. In the window that opens, double-click on Components.
3. Click Display.

Graphics software

Many graphics cards have their own software. You can use this software to identify your graphics card’s make and model. Each manufacturer’s software is unique, and a simple internet search will tell you how to use it. 

Windows settings

1. Use the Windows Start menu or search bar to find Settings.
2. In the window that opens, click System.
3. Click Display.
4. Click Advanced display settings.
5. The screen that loads contains information about your display/monitor as well as your graphics card. 

Command prompt

1. Use the Windows Start menu or search bar to find and open Command Prompt.
2. Type wmic path win32_VideoController get name into the Command Prompt window, and hit the Enter key.

Third-party software

There are a number of third-party software options for looking up your graphics card’s information. Some may have been bundled with your PC or graphics card hardware. Others are available for you to download off the internet. Before downloading third-party software, do some research on the software’s reputation and the site hosting the downloadable software to ensure that they’re safe and don’t contain malware.
 

How to check your graphics card on a Mac

Figuring out what kind of graphics card is installed on your Mac computer is easy. Here’s everything you need to know to look up your Mac's graphics card information.

About This Mac

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen. 
2. Click About This Mac.
3. Click the More info… button. 
4. In the window that opens, click the System Report… button. 
5. In the System Information window that opens, select Graphics/Displays to find information about your Mac's graphics card. 

System Report

1. From your menu bar at the top right corner of your screen, click on the Spotlight icon, which looks like a magnifying glass. You can also type Command + spacebar to open Spotlight.   
2. Type System information into the Spotlight search bar.
3. In the System Information window that opens, select Graphics/Displays to find information about your Mac's graphics card. 

Quick reminder: What is a graphics card?

A graphics card is a piece of hardware in your PC. Its capabilities determine visual factors like screen resolution, graphics rendering quality, and screen refresh rate. Graphics cards usually contain their own VRAM for processing and accessing information more quickly. It’s a key piece of hardware for PC gamers.  
 

Graphics cards vs. GPU

Although the terms graphics card and GPU are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same. 

Think of your graphics card hardware as a piece of land that contains several related buildings. It includes the GPU and components like VRAM, ports, and cooling systems like heat sinks. 

The GPU is one of the buildings on a graphics card. As the name implies, it’s responsible for handling the complex math required to render what appears on your screen. 
 

Find games that meet system requirements

Now that you know how to find out what kind of graphics card you have, it’s time to find some games that work with your system. Fortunately, the Epic Games Store has a vast catalog of games available, many of which will work with your graphics cards and other system requirements. Be sure to browse through our online store for games that will get the most out of your system and graphics card.