How To Enable Hardware Acceleration In Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide

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5 min. read

Published on October 15, 2025

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Hardware acceleration in Windows 11 can significantly improve your computer’s performance, especially when it comes to graphics-intensive tasks like gaming, video editing, and even general web browsing. By offloading these tasks to your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), your CPU (Central Processing Unit) can focus on other processes, leading to a smoother and more responsive experience.

If you’re experiencing lag, stuttering, or generally poor performance in applications that rely heavily on graphics, enabling hardware acceleration might be the solution you’re looking for. This guide will walk you through the steps to enable hardware acceleration in Windows 11, ensuring you get the most out of your system’s capabilities.

How Do I Turn On Hardware Acceleration in Windows 11?

Enabling Hardware Acceleration in System Settings

Open the Settings app. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + I on your keyboard, or by searching for “Settings” in the Start menu.
Click on System. This will open the System settings menu.
Select Display. This will take you to the display settings page.
Scroll down and click on Graphics. This opens the graphics settings, where you can manage graphics preferences for different applications.
Click on Change default graphics settings. This will open a new window.
Toggle the Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling option to On. This is the primary setting that enables hardware acceleration at the system level.
Restart your computer. This is crucial for the changes to take effect.

Enabling Hardware Acceleration in Your Browser (Chrome, Edge)

Most modern web browsers also have their own hardware acceleration settings that you may need to enable separately. Here’s how to do it in Chrome and Edge:

Open Google Chrome (or Microsoft Edge).
Click on the three vertical dots (Menu) in the top-right corner of the browser window.
Select Settings.
In the Settings menu, type “hardware acceleration” in the search bar.
Toggle the Use hardware acceleration when available option to On.
Restart your browser. This is necessary for the changes to take effect.

Enabling Hardware Acceleration in Discord

If you use Discord, enabling hardware acceleration there can also improve performance, especially during video calls and screen sharing.

Open Discord.
Click on the gear icon (User Settings) at the bottom-left of the Discord window.
In the User Settings menu, scroll down and click on Advanced under the “App Settings” section.
Toggle the Hardware Acceleration option to On.
You may be prompted to restart Discord. If so, click the “Okay” button to restart.

Verifying Hardware Acceleration is Enabled

After following the steps above, you can verify that hardware acceleration is indeed enabled.

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
Go to the Performance tab.
Select your GPU.
Monitor GPU usage while running a graphically intensive application. If hardware acceleration is working, you should see significant GPU usage.

Tips

If you’re still experiencing performance issues after enabling hardware acceleration, make sure your graphics drivers are up to date. You can download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s website (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
In some cases, hardware acceleration can cause compatibility issues with certain applications. If you encounter problems after enabling it, try disabling it to see if it resolves the issue.
Monitor your GPU temperature. Heavy use of hardware acceleration can increase the temperature of your GPU. Make sure your cooling system is adequate.

Here’s a comparison of the different areas where you might want to enable Hardware Acceleration:

Feature	System-Wide	Browser (Chrome/Edge)	Discord
Location	Settings > System > Display > Graphics	Settings > System > Display > Graphics	User Settings > Advanced
Benefit	General performance boost	Improved web browsing performance	Better video call/screen share perf.
Potential Issues	Compatibility problems with some apps	Occasional rendering glitches	Rare compatibility issues
Restart Required	Yes	Yes	Sometimes

Boost Your Windows 11 Performance

Enabling hardware acceleration in Windows 11 is a simple yet effective way to improve your computer’s performance, especially in graphics-intensive applications. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can unlock the full potential of your system and enjoy a smoother, more responsive computing experience.

FAQ

What is hardware acceleration? Hardware acceleration is the use of a computer’s hardware, typically the GPU, to perform some functions more efficiently than is possible in software running on the CPU.

Why should I enable hardware acceleration? Enabling hardware acceleration can improve performance in graphics-intensive tasks, reduce CPU load, and provide a smoother user experience.

Can hardware acceleration cause problems? Yes, in some cases, hardware acceleration can cause compatibility issues with certain applications or drivers. If you experience problems, try disabling it.

How do I know if hardware acceleration is working? You can monitor GPU usage in Task Manager while running a graphically intensive application. If GPU usage is significant, hardware acceleration is likely working.

What if enabling hardware acceleration doesn’t improve performance? Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date. If problems persist, your hardware may not be capable of supporting hardware acceleration effectively, or the application may not be optimized for it.