How to enable hardware accelerated GPU scheduling

In its Windows 10 May 10, 2020 update, Microsoft introduced a new feature called “Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling.” As an optional feature, it is not activated by default in either Windows 10 or Windows 11, which means you must activate it yourself if you want to take advantage of it.

This leads to two simple questions: what is hardware-accelerated GPU programming and how is it enabled?

What is hardware accelerated GPU programming?

To answer this question, you need to understand the basics of GPU programming. In 2006, Microsoft introduced Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 (WDDM), which brought with it the concept of GPU programming. Before scheduling, applications could send as many requests to a GPU as they wanted, often causing bottlenecks that compromised system performance. Think of it as a dozen people trying to walk through the same door at once and you’ll understand why this lack of scheduling was such a problem.

The release of WDDM introduced organizational tools that automatically prioritized and scheduled requests to a GPU. In the years between 2006 and 2020, WDDM underwent many evolutions, with each change adding new features to account for the increasing complexities of new computers. Over time, incorporating new features into WDDM became impractical and resource-intensive, requiring the introduction of a new form of programming.

This is how Microsoft came up with hardware-accelerated GPU programming.

Assuming your device has the right hardware (and the right drivers), hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling can offload most of the programming that WDDM previously handled to a scheduling processor based on your own GPU. Microsoft defines this change as similar to rebuilding the foundation of a house while you still live in it, as it essentially transforms the way your computer schedules requests made to the GPU.

What is needed to enable hardware accelerated GPU scheduling?

Unfortunately, not all devices running Windows 10 or Windows 11 can use hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. You need the right combination of hardware and drivers to take advantage of this feature.

As for hardware, you’ll need a fairly up-to-date graphics card, like those found in modern gaming computers. Any device from the AMD 5600 range or later, along with cards from the NVIDIA GTX 1000 range or later, can use this feature. However, it is best to research your graphics card inpidually before attempting to enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.

Beyond the hardware, you’ll need to have Windows 10 or 11 installed (meaning no programming changes for Windows 9 or lower), along with the appropriate drivers. The feature requires the WDDMv2.7 or later driver, which comes with the Windows May 10, 2020 Update.

Please note that having the driver and an incompatible graphics card means you cannot enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling; The same goes if you have a compatible graphics card but haven’t updated your version of Windows to get the driver.

How to Enable Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling in Windows 10

Assuming you have a compatible graphics card and the appropriate drivers, you can enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows 10 using two methods:

Use Windows Settings

The easiest way to activate the feature is to do it through Windows Settings:

1. Click the “Start” button on your desktop and go to “Settings.”
   
2. Select “System” to bring up a menu on the left side.
   
3. From where you select “Display”.
   
4. Navigate to “Multiple Displays” and click the “Graphics Settings” link.
   
5. You should see a switch next to “Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling,” which you can turn on or off and restart your computer after making the change.
   

When restarting, your device may take a little longer to charge while it adjusts to the new settings.

Use the registry editor

You may not be able to find the Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling option in the Windows Settings menu. If that’s the case, you probably don’t have the proper update installed or Windows 10 recognizes that your graphics card doesn’t support the feature. If you are sure your card is supported and are willing to bypass Microsoft’s integrated hardware-accelerated GPU programming method, you can use the registry editor to enable it:

1. Click the “Start” button and type “registry editor” in the search bar.
   
2. Press “Run as administrator.”
   
3. Go to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,” then click “System” followed by “CurrentControlSet.”
   
4. Select “Control” from the file drop-down menu, then click “Graphics Drivers.”
   
5. Find “HwSchMode” in the file list on the right side of the screen and open it.
6. In the resulting popup window, set the “Base” to “Hexadecimal” and the “Value Data” to 2.
7. Click the “OK” button to save the changes automatically.
8. Restart your computer.

Your computer may take a little longer to load after making this change, although it will soon adjust and load more smoothly with subsequent restarts.

How to enable hardware accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows 11

The introduction of Windows 11 brought the hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling feature over, although you must use a different method to activate it:

1. Hold down the “Windows” button and press “I” to open the “Settings” app.
   
2. Navigate to “System” via the left menu and select “Display”.
   
3. Scroll down to “Related Settings” and click “Charts.”
   
4. Click the “Change default graphics settings” link.
   
5. Activate the toggle under “Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling” and click “Yes” on the prompt.
   
6. Close the “Settings” app and restart your PC.

Is hardware accelerated GPU programming worth it?

Interestingly, Microsoft says that you’re unlikely to see major functionality differences on your computer (assuming everything is working correctly) when you enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. The feature simply changes the way GPU requests are processed, which is not immediately evident when using the device for everyday tasks.

The benefits come into play when you start doing more CPU-intensive tasks, like gaming, and the following are great reasons to try the feature:

• Reduce CPU utilization – Transferring responsibility for scheduling to your GPU means your CPU doesn’t have to keep creating the frame data your GPU normally needs to handle these requests.
• Reduce input lag – Every millisecond of delay in a reflex-based video game is a time that could make the difference between victory or defeat. Because your GPU handles all aspects of graphics processing, there’s less delay between pressing a button and the corresponding on-screen action.
• Lower your CPU temperature – With fewer demands placed on the CPU due to the change in scheduling responsibility, your CPU can run faster and longer without overheating.

While these benefits are pronounced for high-end PC gaming, it is necessary to keep in mind that hardware-accelerated GPU programming places more demands on your GPU. Power consumption will increase and your computer may begin to have difficulty displaying graphics at high-end settings if your GPU was already approaching maximum utilization before you turned on the feature.

Schedule things differently

The hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling feature is a useful aid for gamers (and others who use graphics-intensive applications) because it reduces the load on the CPU. However, you need hardware that is capable of using the feature and may run into problems if you try to run a graphics-intensive application because more demands are placed on your GPU.

Still, it can be a useful feature for those who know how to use it.