If you are running the new Windows 10 2004 feature update on your computer, you may have come across a new feature called Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling.
The name of the feature is enough to make any Windows enthusiast curious. You might want to ask questions like, what is GPU scheduling in the first place? Well, this unique option does a lot of work under the hood and helps the GPU handle assigned tasks and resources appropriately.
What is Windows 10 GPU Schedule?
Microsoft first added GPU scheduling to the Windows operating system 14 years ago with the release of the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM). As a result of this change, processors have more of a say over GPUs when it comes to what goes inside your computer. For reference, before WDDM, apps simply assigned tasks directly to the GPU.
In the current configuration, a high priority thread is running on the processor that "coordinates, prioritizes, and schedules work submitted by different applications," Microsoft Explain. Therefore, the existing Windows GPU Scheduler needs the CPU and GPU to run in sync.
The process has become much more advanced over time and the harmony between CPU and GPU is maintained by creating a buffer. This helps compensate for the scheduling overhead created when transferring tasks between the CPU and GPU.
However, Microsoft recognizes that there is a fundamental downside to how the GPU Scheduler works. For example, the buffer is responsible for increasing latency or creating an input lag.
That's why, with the addition of the new hardware-based GPU scheduler in WDDM 2.7, Microsoft has put the work directly into the hands of the GPU. Now a dedicated GPU-based scheduling processor handles high-frequency tasks while Windows always takes care of the priority application.
How to activate Windows 10 GPU Scheduler?
Enabling the new hardware-based GPU scheduler in the Windows 10 May 2020 Update is nothing more than clicking a toggle button. You can follow the steps mentioned below:
- Go to Settings> System> Devices> Display.
- Here, scroll down and click on the Graphics Settings option.
- Next, click on the toggle button that shows Hardware Based GPU Schedule.
- Restart your PC.
Again, as mentioned above, here Microsoft wrote that the feature reduces latency and improves device performance. However, you won't see the changes happening in real time in the foreground once the feature is enabled.
Microsoft is also analyzing telemetry data from devices using the old and new GPU Scheduler for performance differences and issues. For example, it looks for signs of system freezes, BSOD, GPU crashes, etc.
The new GPU scheduler is currently in development, so it's disabled by default in the May 2020 update.
Download the latest Nvidia and AMD drivers
Now, simply activating the feature will not allow you to take full advantage of its benefits. You need to upgrade your GPU drivers to the latest version that supports the new GPU scheduling feature.
If you are using an Nvidia graphics card, you must install the Game Ready driver version 451.48 (or later).
That's all you need to know about the new GPU Scheduler. If you have anything to add, drop your thoughts in the comments.
The post How to use the new GPU scheduling feature in Windows 10? first appeared on Fossbytes.