This article explains how to find information about the video card installed on a Windows, Mac, and Linux computer.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Windows
Step 1. Access the "Start" menu by clicking on the icon
It features the Windows logo and is located in the lower left corner of the desktop.
You can also click on the "Start" menu icon with the right mouse button to display the context menu with advanced options
Step 2. Open the "Device Manager" window
Type the device manager keywords in the "Start" menu, then click on the item Device management appeared at the top of the results list.
If you have chosen to select the "Start" menu icon with the right mouse button, click on the option Device management listed in the context menu that appeared.
Step 3. Locate the "Display Adapters" section
Scroll down the list in the "Device Manager" window until you find the "Display adapters" section.
- The items listed in the "Device Manager" window are displayed in alphabetical order, then the "Display Cards" section will be displayed at the bottom, within the portion dedicated to the letter "S" of the list.
- If there is a list of options under the heading "Display adapters" that is indented from the main list, you can skip the next step.
Step 4. Double-click the "Display Adapters" item in the list
This will expand the section to reveal the list of graphics cards installed in your computer.
Step 5. Check your computer's graphics card information
The list will contain the names of all graphics cards installed in the system. If there is more than one entry, it means that the computer has the integrated video card on the motherboard and an additional graphics card.
For more information about the video card on your computer, search the web using the name found (which usually includes the make and model)
Method 2 of 3: Mac
Step 1. Access the "Apple" menu by clicking on the icon
It features the Apple logo and is located in the upper left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
Step 2. Click on the About This Mac item
It is displayed at the top of the "Apple" menu.
Step 3. Click the System Report… button
It is located at the bottom of the "About This Mac" window.
Step 4. Click the ▼ icon on the left of the item Hardware.
It is listed in the left pane of the "System Report" window.
Step 5. Click on the Graphic / Monitor item
It is located approximately in the middle of the tab's list of options Hardware, on the left side of the window.
Step 6. Find the name of the graphics card installed in your Mac
It is displayed at the top of the right pane of the window.
At this point, you can also consult the detailed information of the video card listed under its name
Method 3 of 3: Linux
Step 1. Open a "Terminal" window
Click on the "Terminal" icon characterized by a black rectangle. Alternatively, press the key combination Alt + Ctrl + T.
Step 2. Refresh the list of PCI cards present in the computer
Type the following command into the "Terminal" window and press the Enter key.
sudo update-pciids
Step 3. Enter your user account password
Type the password you normally use to log into your computer, then press the Enter key. In this way, the command will be executed and the list of PCI devices present in the system will be updated.
When you type the security password in the "Terminal" window you will not see any characters appear on the screen
Step 4. View the list of PCI cards installed in your computer
Type the password you normally use to log into your computer, then press the Enter key. You will see a list of all PCI devices present in the system, which will also include the video cards:
lspci -v | less
Step 5. Locate the video card
Scroll the list that appeared in the "Terminal" window upwards, until you find "Video controller", "VGA compatible", "3D" or "Integrated graphics" in the list. This section will display the name of the graphics cards installed in the computer.
Step 6. Make a note of the ID of the cards
The identification number is shown on the left of the video card name and normally respects the following format: "00: 00.0".
Step 7. Open a new "Terminal" window
Press the key combination Alt + Ctrl + T or select the "Terminal" app icon with the right mouse button, then click on the "New Terminal window" option (or a similar item) in the context menu that appeared.
Step 8. Find the detailed information of the video card
Type the following command, replacing the parameter "00: 02.0" with the ID of the video card you want to get information for, then press the Enter key:
sudo lspci -v -s 00: 02.0
Advice
- Computer graphics cards are also known as "video" cards.
- Most computers, if possible, choose to automatically use the graphics card that is faster or better quality than the one integrated on the motherboard.
