How to find out the characteristics of a video card: the most relevant methods for obtaining the most complete information

Needless to say, obtaining information about the characteristics of a video card installed in a computer or laptop may be required very often? Yes, take at least a study of the system requirements of modern games or programs for processing graphics and video! But where can I see the model of the video card, and at the same time find out all its parameters?

In principle, you can use the special BIOS sections or even the “Device Manager”, but quite often not all information will be presented in them, not to mention the drivers installed for this equipment. To obtain the full information, you can apply some simple methods described below. Please note immediately that the parameters of the primary systems will not be considered, as well as the capabilities of the standard dispatcher, only because the information provided in them is very small and usually absolutely insufficient to obtain the most detailed information on all the required parameters of the graphics accelerator (and not only this type of equipment).

How to find out the characteristics of a video card in the system information?

So, since the “Device Manager” displays only the name of the model of the graphic adapter, and does not provide additional information (for example, it does not show the amount of allocated memory), first use the special section on system information. The easiest way is to call it from the Run console using the msinfo32 command .

System Information




In the main window, go to the component menu, then click on the display item, and on the right look at the adapter settings about which you need to get information.





Graphics Properties in the System Section




Note: in Windows 10, you can additionally use the options menu, where in the display section the item for viewing information about the graphic adapter is selected.

How to find out the characteristics of a video card on Windows 7 and higher through the DirectX dialog?

The above method is not the only one. Speaking about how to find out the characteristics of a video card on Windows 10 and its closest analogues, however, as in all other modifications that have the DirectX platform installed, you can use its tools. To call the main dialog in the Run console, enter the abbreviation dxdiag, and in the details window, go to the screen tab.

DirectX Dialog




In the upper left block, all the main parameters will be shown, and in the right - information regarding the drivers and their location in the system.

General Information Applications

If we consider the issues related to how to find out the characteristics of a video card in full, we should separately mention special information plan programs that provide information on all hardware and software components of a computer, such as how this is done in the system information. However, it’s worth mentioning right away that such applications are much more informative and give out information, so to speak, in a simpler expression.





Speecy Program




Among the most famous utilities in this area, programs like AIDA64, CPU-Z / GPU-Z, Speecy, and many others can be noted. In each of them, in addition to obtaining the main characteristics, you can also monitor the change in some additional parameters (for example, temperature conditions and loads).

Specialized Graphics Management Software

Finally, as another tool that makes it easy to find answers to questions about how to find out the characteristics of a video card, you can recommend applications developed by the manufacturers of graphic chips themselves. It can be all kinds of graphics and media control panels or additional software packages installed with drivers. At least for NVIDIA and AMD adapters such programs on the Internet (even on official websites) are presented in abundance.

How to find out the characteristics of a video card, I think, is already clear. It is especially worth noting that the advantage of utilities from the equipment manufacturers themselves lies in the fact that many of them allow you to perform some settings that are inaccessible to other applications, adapting the parameters of the graphics adapter to specific software such as modern computer games. And specific narrowly targeted applications allow, in addition to everything, to perform the so-called stress testing of video cards and immediately give a result that can be used to judge whether your adapter is suitable for the same installed game or not. Among other things, you can also use them to resolve problems of compatibility of the chip with the software used, which uses the equipment in the process of its work.




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