What is a graphics card (GPU)?
Your graphics card — also called a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), video card or display adapter — is the part of your computer that draws everything you see on screen. Every window, every video frame, every game and every animation is rendered by your graphics card. When people ask "what is my graphics card" or "what GPU do I have", they're asking for the brand and model name of this component so they can check game requirements, update drivers, troubleshoot display problems, or decide on an upgrade.
The tool at the top of this page answers that question instantly. It reads your GPU's vendor (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Apple and others) and its renderer string — the full model name — directly from your browser, with no download and no login. If your computer has more than one graphics card, it will try to show both the primary and the secondary adapter.
Quick answer: the big card at the very top of this page is your graphics card. It shows the brand, the type (integrated or dedicated) and the full model name. Press Refresh if it looks empty, or read the OS guide below for VRAM and driver details the browser can't see.
How to check what graphics card you have
There are several ways to find out what graphics card is installed in your computer. The browser checker above is the fastest, but the built-in operating-system tools give you extra detail like VRAM and driver version. Here is how to check on every platform.
Method 1 — This browser tool (fastest)
Just scroll to the top of this page. The checker already detected your GPU brand, type and model name using WebGL. It works on any device and any operating system, and nothing is uploaded — the detection happens entirely on your machine.
Method 2 — Windows 10 & Windows 11
Any of these built-in methods will show your graphics card on Windows:
- Device Manager: right-click Start → Device Manager → expand Display adapters.
- Task Manager: press Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance tab → GPU (shows the model and live VRAM usage).
- DirectX Diagnostic Tool: press Win+R, type
dxdiag, open the Display tab (best for full GPU and driver details). - Settings: Settings → System → Display → Advanced display shows the connected GPU.
Method 3 — Mac (macOS)
Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. The graphics card is listed next to Graphics. For more detail click More Info → System Report → Graphics/Displays, which shows the GPU model, VRAM (or "Built-in" for Apple Silicon), Metal support and connected displays.
Method 4 — Linux
Open a terminal and run lspci | grep -i vga or
lspci | grep -i -E "vga|3d" to list your graphics cards. For more
detail use lshw -C display (run with sudo), or install
glxinfo and run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer".
Method 5 — Phone & tablet
Phones use mobile GPUs such as Qualcomm Adreno, ARM Mali or Apple GPU. The browser checker above works on Android and iOS too — open this page on your phone and the detected mobile GPU appears at the top.
Is my GPU NVIDIA, AMD, Intel or Apple?
One of the most common questions is simply "is my GPU NVIDIA or AMD?" The brand is the easiest thing to identify from the model name. Here's how to read it — the checker above already labelled your brand for you.
NVIDIA
Names contain GeForce, RTX, GTX, MX, Quadro or Tesla. Popular for gaming and AI.
AMD
Names contain Radeon, RX, Vega, FirePro or ATI. Common in both gaming PCs and consoles.
Intel
Names contain HD Graphics, UHD Graphics, Iris or Arc. Usually integrated into the CPU; Arc is Intel's dedicated line.
Apple
Names contain Apple, M1, M2, M3 or M4. The GPU is built into Apple Silicon and shares unified memory.
Integrated vs dedicated: primary and secondary graphics
Many laptops — and some desktops — have two graphics cards. Understanding the difference explains why this page sometimes shows a primary and a secondary GPU.
Integrated graphics (secondary / power-saving)
Integrated graphics are built into the CPU and share your system RAM. They sip power and are perfect for browsing, video and office work, but they're weaker for gaming. Examples: Intel UHD Graphics, Intel Iris Xe, and AMD Radeon Vega APU graphics.
Dedicated (discrete) graphics (primary / high-performance)
A dedicated graphics card is a separate chip with its own video memory (VRAM). It's far more powerful and is what you want for gaming, video editing, 3D rendering and machine learning. Examples: NVIDIA GeForce RTX, AMD Radeon RX, Intel Arc.
On a hybrid-graphics laptop, the system switches between the two automatically to balance battery life and performance. This page asks the browser for both a high-performance and a power-saving rendering context, which is how it can reveal both cards when your hardware supports switchable graphics.
Seeing only one GPU? That's normal. Browsers usually expose a single active adapter. To force a game or app onto the dedicated card, set its GPU preference in Windows Settings → System → Display → Graphics, or in the NVIDIA/AMD control panel.
Understanding the graphics card details
The checker shows several fields. Here's what each one means and why it matters.
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Model / Name | The full graphics card name (the renderer string), e.g. "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070". This is the answer to "what is my graphics card name". |
| Brand | The manufacturer — NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, Apple, Qualcomm or ARM. |
| Type | Whether the card is integrated (built into the CPU) or dedicated (a separate, more powerful chip). |
| WebGL Version | Which graphics API your browser exposes. WebGL 2.0 means modern, hardware-accelerated rendering is available. |
| Max Texture Size | The largest texture your GPU can handle — a rough indicator of how capable the card is. |
| VRAM | Video memory. Browsers hide this for privacy, so check Task Manager or dxdiag for the exact amount. |
What graphics card is compatible with my PC or motherboard?
Once you know what graphics card you currently have, the next question is usually about upgrading: "what graphics card is compatible with my PC?" or "what graphics card is compatible with my motherboard?" The slot is rarely the problem — the things to check are these:
- PCIe slot: virtually every modern graphics card uses a PCI Express x16 slot, which every desktop motherboard from the last 15 years has. Newer cards stay backward compatible with older PCIe versions.
- Power supply (PSU): check the wattage and that you have the right power connectors (6-pin, 8-pin or the newer 12VHPWR). This is the most common upgrade blocker.
- Physical size: measure the length, height and thickness your case can fit. High-end cards are large and need multiple slots of clearance.
- CPU balance: a very fast GPU paired with an old CPU can bottleneck. Aim for a roughly matched pairing.
- Laptops: laptop GPUs are almost always soldered to the motherboard and cannot be upgraded. An external GPU (eGPU) over Thunderbolt is the only option on supported models.
Tip: note your current GPU name from the tool above, then look up your motherboard model and power supply wattage before buying. With the PCIe slot, the PSU and the case dimensions confirmed, you can shop for a compatible upgrade with confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Your graphics card (GPU or video card) is the component that renders everything on screen. To find out which one you have, look at the result at the top of this page — it reads your GPU's brand and model name directly from your browser. You can also open Device Manager on Windows, About This Mac on macOS, or run lspci on Linux.
On Windows 11, right-click Start → Device Manager → expand Display adapters. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Esc for Task Manager → Performance → GPU, or run dxdiag. The fastest way is the checker on this page, which shows your GPU instantly without opening any settings.
The checker detects your GPU brand automatically. If the model name contains GeForce, RTX, GTX or Quadro it's an NVIDIA card; Radeon or RX means AMD; HD/UHD Graphics, Iris or Arc means Intel; and M1/M2/M3 means an Apple Silicon GPU.
Many laptops have two GPUs — an integrated chip for everyday use and battery saving, and a dedicated, more powerful card for gaming and heavy work. This is called hybrid or switchable graphics. The checker requests both a high-performance and a power-saving rendering context, so when your system has two GPUs it can show both the primary and the secondary card.
No. For privacy and security reasons browsers do not expose the exact amount of video memory (VRAM). To check VRAM, open Task Manager → Performance → GPU on Windows, run dxdiag, or go to About This Mac → System Report → Graphics/Displays on macOS.
Almost any modern graphics card uses a PCI Express x16 slot, which every desktop motherboard from the last 15 years has — so the slot is rarely the limit. The real constraints are your power supply wattage and connectors, the physical length and width of the card inside your case, and on laptops whether the GPU is soldered (most are and can't be upgraded). Check your motherboard model and PSU rating before buying.
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