How Can You Set Per-app Graphical Performance in Windows 10

You can set per-app graphical performance in Windows 10 to improve Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) performance. An app can be set to always run in Power Saving mode, or in High Performance mode. MiniTool helps you to achieve it.

You are able to customize graphical performance settings on per-app basis in Windows 10, which allows you to configure some apps for better performance and improve battery life. It is particularly useful on devices with integrated and dedicated graphics chips, because you can restrict undemanding apps to low-power integrated processor.

Change Graphics Settings in Windows 10

Step 1: Right-click Start and choose Settings from menu.

Step 2: Choose System from Settings. Then in Display, scroll to find Multiple displays section.

Step 3: Under Multiple displays, click Graphics settings link.

click graphics settings

Tip: List of all the app-specific performance configurations you’ve assigned will be displayed in Graphics settings. The list will be empty if you’ve never used these options before.

Step 4: Select the correct type from the drop-down menu.

Choose Classic app if the app you want to run with a graphics processor is a traditional Windows desktop program.
Choose Universal app if the app you are trying to run with a graphics processor is installed from the Microsoft Store.

Note: If you want to modify Classic app, keep reading and leave alone with step 6. If you want to modify a Universal app, ignore step 5 and jump to step 6.

Step 5: For classic apps, you need to manually browse to the program’s executable file. Click Browse and you may find the program in the location “C:Program Files” or “C:Program Files (x86)”.

click Browse

Step 6: For universal apps, you can choose one from the list of all the Microsoft Store apps on your system in the second drop-down menu. Select an app and click Add to put it into the list of Graphics performance preference.

click Add

Step 7: Change performance setting. By default, all apps are configured to “System default”. To change this, you can click Options and choose “Power saving” or “High performance”. Then click Save to confirm changes.

click Save

Tip: Generally, simple apps will run without issues on the power saving mode. High performance should be used with more demanding, graphically complex apps such as games and video streamers.

Exceptions

While you would like control over the graphics preference that an app uses, some apps can’t always run as you wish. For example, some simple apps like Paint 3D cannot use the dedicated GPU and there is no way to force them to use it. Even if you do, it may not work with higher performance.

Likewise, some apps such as games will always use the dedicated GPU and you can find it in Graphics specifications.

If you find that when you change graphics settings in Windows 10 for an app, it gets poor performance, or a slow or glitching app, or app crashes appears, you need to return it to its default settings or remove it from the graphics preference all together.

About The Author

Sherry

Position: Columnist

Sherry has been a staff editor of MiniTool for a year. She has received rigorous training about computer and digital data in company. Her articles focus on solutions to various problems that many Windows users might encounter and she is excellent at disk partitioning. She has a wide range of hobbies, including listening to music, playing video games, roller skating, reading, and so on. By the way, she is patient and serious.