There are three graphics cards that a computer user can use today: NVIDIA cards, AMD cards, and Intel cards. If you are wondering how to update your Intel GPU drivers, or if you want to know if you’re using one, this article should help.

How to check what GPU you’re using?

NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards are separate hardware components that are usually added to a computer to boost graphics-processing power. They can work whether or not the PC is powered by an Intel processor. 

Many laptops and low-end computers that have Intel processors usually use the attached Intel GPU. Also called Integrated Graphics Card, this built-in GPU is automatically superseded by an NVIDIA or AMD card if you are using one. This means that it will not be used by the system once it detects that there’s an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card you have connected to the motherboard.

An Intel graphics card is usually sufficient if you only do the following:

• web browsing, 
• music streaming
• video streaming
• playing some games.

Yes, you’ve read that right! Some games that do not require graphics-intensive tasks can run fine with an integrated Intel Graphics Card.

Unless you choose to play games like the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or do video editing, the integrated Intel card is for you.

By “integrated” we mean that the GPU is part of the processor or Central Processing Unit. Affordable laptops and computers usually don’t come with a dedicated or discrete NVIDIA or AMD cards to keep costs down. 

Disadvantages of using an integrated GPU

There are a number of downsides to using an integrated Intel card.

The first one is the fact that Intel GPUs are usually less powerful than dedicated or discrete NVIDIA or AMD cards. This means that graphics-heavy games may not run in highest settings at all. 

The other disadvantage of an integrated GPU is its utilization of the system’s memory. Unlike dedicated GPUs that have built-in memory, an Intel GPU will use your computer’s RAM when doing tasks. If your laptop or PC has low RAM to begin with, this can result to significant degradation of performance.

How to know your Intel Graphics Card?

There are two methods that you can use if you want to know which Intel Graphics card is in your PC.

Know your Intel Graphics Card via Device Manager.

You can open the Device Manager and check the Display Adapter option. Here’s how:

1. Click the Start button at the lower left.
2. Type in “Device Manager.”
3. Select Device Manager.
4. Once Device Manager is opened, navigate to Display adapters.
5. Click the arrow beside Display adapter to know your Intel GPU.

Know your Intel Graphics Card using System Information.

The other way to check your Intel GPU is by opening the the System Information box. Here’s how:

1. Press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run command.
2. Type “msinfo32” in the Run window and press Enter.
3. From the left-hand side, expand the Components section and click Display.
4. You should see the driver version of your integrated graphics controller.

How to update your Intel GPU drivers?

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