Should you turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling?
By Austin Copeland, founder of Hypertune. Austin to confirm: one line on why he knows
Last updated 27 October 2026.
Turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling if your graphics card supports it. Keep it on when games feel the same or smoother; turn it off if one game stutters. Expect little or no FPS gain in most titles. The hard requirement is NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation on GeForce RTX 40 series and newer, which needs this setting on.
The short version:
- Confirm your graphics card and driver support the feature (table below).
- Open Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings.
- Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and restart.
- Play one familiar spot. Keep the setting if FPS and smoothness hold; switch it off if that game stutters.
What is hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling?
Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS) moves most graphics-work scheduling from your CPU onto a dedicated processor on the graphics card. Microsoft shipped the setting in the Windows 10 May 2020 Update (Microsoft DirectX blog, 30 June 2020).
That cut reduces CPU time spent queuing GPU work. Games already batch draws to hide that cost, so Microsoft expected most players to see little change (Microsoft DirectX blog, 30 June 2020).
Does hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling increase FPS?
Benchmarks show small FPS moves either way. Tom's Hardware found gaming performance virtually identical on or off, with occasional drops (Tom's Hardware, 6 December 2023). PCWorld's summary of Gamers Nexus and BabelTechReview tests reported small gains at most (PCWorld, 28 May 2024).
Where the setting matters is feature unlock, not raw FPS. NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation on GeForce RTX 40 series and newer cards requires hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling on (CD PROJEKT RED support; Tom's Hardware, 6 December 2023).
Before you start: does your PC support it?
You need a supported graphics card, a current driver, and one restart.
| Graphics card | Supported | Windows version |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA | GeForce GTX 10-series or newer (Tom's Hardware, 6 December 2023; How-To Geek, 23 September 2025) | Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, or Windows 11 |
| AMD | Radeon RX 7000 series or newer (AMD driver release notes, December 2023 and January 2024) to confirm: RX 9000 series, and that no driver adds RX 5000 or RX 6000 | Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer |
| Intel | Arc B-Series graphics cards (Intel support, reviewed 24 July 2025) | Windows 11 version 22H2 or newer |
Update the driver first (step 1 in how to optimize your PC for gaming). If the switch is still missing, your card or driver does not support HAGS, and Windows keeps scheduling on the CPU.
How to turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows 11
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to System > Display > Graphics.
- Select Change default graphics settings. On some Windows 11 versions this link is labelled Advanced graphics settings.
- Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, and select Yes if Windows asks for permission.
- Restart your PC.
Many Windows 11 PCs already have the setting on, so this may only be a check. to confirm: on by default for new Windows 11 installs
Screenshot still needed: the Windows 11 Graphics page, and the switch turned on.
How to turn on hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows 10
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Go to System > Display > Graphics settings.
- Turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
- Restart your PC.
Windows 10 needs version 2004 (the May 2020 Update) or newer. The setting usually starts off.
Screenshot still needed: the Windows 10 Graphics settings page with the switch.
Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling on or off: test it in your games
Your PC decides the right answer, so run a short A/B check. Press Windows + G, open the Performance widget, and note FPS in one spot of a game you know well. Flip the setting, restart, and recheck the same spot with the same in-game settings.
| Your situation | Setting |
|---|---|
| You use DLSS Frame Generation | On |
| Games run the same or smoother with it on | On |
| A game stutters, crashes or loses frames after you turn it on | Off, then retest that game |
How to turn off hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling
Use the same Settings path for your Windows version, turn the switch off, and restart. Windows then schedules graphics work on the CPU again.
Let Hypertune do it
This Windows switch is free and takes one restart. Hypertune covers the slower PC tuning steps that sit next to it: reading your CPU, GPU, memory and storage once, then applying only the features you turn on, such as CPU Overclocking, GPU Overclocking and Windows Debloating.
Austin to confirm (C11-9): whether Hypertune changes this setting, and the exact line
Hypertune creates a Windows restore point automatically. To undo a change, open the Restore tab, select the most recent restore point, and select Restore.
Hypertune is an Intel and AMD partner and supports NVIDIA graphics cards.
Users see up to 60% higher FPS.
See how Hypertune works. For the other free steps, read how to optimize your PC for gaming. Is Hypertune free?
Questions
Why can't I find the hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling switch?
Windows shows the switch only when both the graphics card and its driver support HAGS. Common causes of a missing switch: an older card, an AMD card older than the RX 7000 series, an Intel Arc A-Series card, or an out-of-date driver.
Can hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling cause stuttering?
Yes, on some games and drivers. If a game stutters with the setting on, turn it off, restart, and retest that title. Try again after your next driver update; driver fixes can change the result.
Is this the same as hardware acceleration in Chrome or Discord?
No. Hardware acceleration in Chrome or Discord lets that one app draw its window with the graphics card. Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling is a Windows-wide queueing change for all graphics work on the PC.