How to check if your browser uses GPU acceleration

Browser animations feel choppy, a page uses a lot of CPU, or a graphics test seems unusually slow. You may be wondering whether your browser is using your computer’s graphics processor, or GPU, to draw pages.

Check the browser’s graphics status, then compare it with the Graphics Test. The test measures browser-based shading and fill rate at 1080p, but its score alone cannot confirm whether hardware acceleration is on.

Check whether the browser uses your GPU

1. Open the Graphics Test and run it. Note the score out of 100, along with any slowdowns or visual problems.
2. In Chrome, open a new tab and enter chrome://gpu. In Edge, enter edge://gpu. Find Graphics Feature Status and check entries such as Compositing and WebGL. A status of Hardware accelerated means that feature is using hardware acceleration. A status of Software only or Hardware acceleration unavailable means it is not.
3. In Firefox, enter about:support in the address bar and find the Graphics section. Check Compositing. WebRender means Firefox is using its WebRender compositor, but does not by itself guarantee that the GPU is doing the work. A value that says WebRender (Software) indicates software rendering.
4. If you change a setting, restart the browser and check the status and Graphics Test again. Use the same browser, computer, and test conditions to make a useful comparison.

Safari does not provide the same simple acceleration status page or a general on/off switch. Safari and macOS manage graphics use automatically, so update macOS and compare the test before and after restarting Safari.

What the result means

The browser reports hardware acceleration

The feature you checked can use the GPU. This does not mean every webpage or browser task uses it. A slow page may be limited by its scripts, network connection, or CPU rather than graphics processing.

The browser reports software rendering

The browser is drawing that feature with the CPU instead of the GPU. This can make animations and graphics-heavy pages slower, especially at high screen resolutions. The setting may be off, or the browser may have disabled acceleration because of a driver or compatibility problem.

The setting is on, but a feature is not accelerated

Acceleration can work for one browser feature and not another. A browser may disable a particular feature if the graphics driver is outdated, unstable, or on the browser’s blocklist. Check more than one entry in the graphics status page.

The Graphics Test score is low, but acceleration is enabled

The score measures graphics performance in that browser, not a universal GPU rating. It can vary with the graphics chip, screen resolution, power mode, heat, and other work running at the same time. A low score does not prove that acceleration is off or that the GPU is broken.

How to fix software rendering

1. Turn on hardware acceleration in the browser. In Chrome on Windows 11 or macOS, open Menu › Settings › System and turn on Use graphics acceleration when available. In Edge, open Menu › Settings › System and performance and turn on the same setting. In Firefox, open Menu › Settings › General › Performance, clear Use recommended performance settings if needed, then turn on Use hardware acceleration when available. Restart the browser after changing the setting.
2. Choose the faster GPU in Windows, if your computer has more than one. Open Settings › System › Display › Graphics, select your browser, choose Options, then select High performance if it is available. The wording and available choices can depend on your computer. macOS generally manages GPU selection automatically.
3. Update the browser and graphics software. Install browser updates, then restart the computer. On Windows 11, check Settings › Windows Update and install relevant updates; a graphics driver may also be available from your computer or graphics-card manufacturer. On macOS, open System Settings › General › Software Update.
4. Close other graphics-heavy apps and try again. Games, video editors, and many open browser tabs can compete for graphics resources. Close them, restart the browser, and rerun the test.
5. Check whether an extension or browser profile is involved. Try a private window or a fresh browser profile. If acceleration works there, disable extensions one at a time in your regular profile and recheck.

When the problem may be hardware

If several browsers report software rendering, update the graphics driver or macOS first. Then check whether the computer’s graphics chip appears in the operating system’s device information. If the GPU is missing, the computer shows graphics errors outside the browser, or the screen has artifacts in multiple apps, the issue may be with the graphics hardware. A laptop under warranty should be checked by the manufacturer; otherwise, ask a repair shop to diagnose it before replacing parts.

Why a browser graphics test is not a full GPU test

A browser test runs through graphics features that the browser exposes to webpages. The browser may route that work to a physical GPU or a software renderer, and browser security limits what a webpage can inspect about the computer. That is why the Graphics Test score and the browser’s graphics status are useful together, but neither is a complete diagnosis of the GPU.