Force an app to use the integrated or dedicated GPU on Windows
If you have a laptop with both an Intel or AMD integrated GPU and an NVIDIA or AMD dedicated GPU, Windows decides which one each app uses — and it guesses wrong often enough to matter. A background app running on the dGPU burns extra watts and fan noise for nothing; a renderer Windows misjudges as "light" gets stuck on the iGPU and runs slow. Here's the actual setting, where it lives in the registry, and how to set it for the apps you're running right from a single screen.
Quick answer: Settings → System → Display → Graphics → add the app → in GPU preference, choose "Power saving" to force the integrated GPU, or "High performance" to force the dedicated GPU (on Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows 11, click Options first). This writes to the registry key HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX\UserGpuPreferences — the same key PowerDoze's process manager writes to when you set it from there instead.
Set it from Windows Settings (Graphics)
This setting only makes a difference if your PC has two GPUs — a laptop with an iGPU + dGPU, or a desktop using both onboard graphics and a discrete card. A PC with a single GPU still shows these options, but Power saving and High performance point to the same card, so it doesn't matter which you pick.
On current Windows 11:
- Go to Settings → System → Display → Graphics.
- Under Custom settings for applications, click Add desktop app and pick the app's
.exe(use this for games and portable tools that didn't come from the Microsoft Store), or click Add Microsoft Store app and pick it from the list. - Click the app in the list to expand it, then choose Power saving (forces the integrated GPU) or High performance (forces the dedicated GPU) from the GPU preference drop-down. Each option shows the name of the GPU it maps to. The default is Let Windows decide.
- There's no Save button on this page — picking an option is enough. Then fully close and relaunch the app: a GPU preference change doesn't apply to a program that's already running. To undo it, pick Let Windows decide again.
On Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows 11, the page looks different (on Windows 10 it's called Graphics settings): choose the app type, click Browse to find the .exe or pick a Microsoft Store app from the list, then click the app, click Options, choose Let Windows decide, Power saving, or High performance, and click Save.
Apps you've added stay listed on the same page, but you have to open each one to see what it's set to — fine for two or three apps, tedious for a longer list.
What's actually happening: the registry key
The Graphics settings page is a front end for one registry value per app. It lives at:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX\UserGpuPreferences
Each entry is named after the app's full .exe path, and its data is a short string: GpuPreference=N;
| Value of N | Settings label | What it does |
|---|---|---|
0 | Let Windows decide | Auto — no forced preference, default behavior |
1 | Power saving | Forces the integrated GPU (Intel/AMD iGPU) |
2 | High performance | Forces the dedicated GPU (NVIDIA/AMD dGPU) |
Why this matters: Since it's a plain registry value, anything that can write to HKCU can set it — which is exactly the mechanism PowerDoze uses instead of reimplementing GPU switching itself.
When forcing the GPU actually helps
This setting is worth touching in two specific situations — outside of them, "Let Windows decide" is usually fine:
| Situation | Set to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Background/utility app (browser, chat, notes) idling on the dGPU | Power saving | Frees the dGPU to idle down; saves battery and reduces fan noise |
| Game or renderer that Windows misclassifies as "light" and puts on the iGPU by default | High performance | Forces it onto the faster dedicated GPU |
| Full-screen AAA game already auto-detected on the dGPU | Let Windows decide | It's already running on the right GPU — nothing to fix |
A common tell for "wrong GPU by default": a laptop's fan spins up and the battery drains faster than expected while only a browser or a lightweight app is open. Checking Task Manager's Performance tab (per-GPU engine usage, added in recent Windows builds) or a hardware monitor will show which GPU is actually doing the work.
Setting it from the process manager — PowerDoze
Windows' Graphics settings page makes you find each app and dig for its .exe. Apps you've already set stay listed on the same page, but you still add them one at a time and open each one to see its setting. PowerDoze's process manager puts a GPU preference control (and an EcoQoS toggle) directly on each running app's row — next to CPU priority in the same list — so you can set it for the apps you're actually running, one at a time, without hunting for each .exe path. Setting GPU preference and EcoQoS this way is a Pro feature: on the free version you can see the controls, and a Pro upgrade unlocks them. It writes the exact same UserGpuPreferences registry key Windows itself uses, so nothing about the underlying mechanism changes.
Honest note: Windows' own Settings → System → Display → Graphics page can already set the GPU preference per app for free — PowerDoze doesn't add a new capability here, it just puts the control on the same screen where you manage running processes, so you don't have to leave that view or look up each .exe by hand.
Frequently asked questions
How do I force an app to use the integrated GPU instead of the dedicated one?
Settings → System → Display → Graphics, add the app, and choose "Power saving" from its GPU preference drop-down. That forces it onto the integrated GPU (Intel or AMD iGPU). Choose "High performance" instead to force the dedicated GPU. On Windows 10 and earlier versions of Windows 11, click the app's Options button, choose the setting, then click Save.
Where does Windows store the per-app GPU preference?
In the registry, at HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DirectX\UserGpuPreferences. Each app gets a value named after its full .exe path, formatted as GpuPreference=N; where N is 0 (auto), 1 (power saving / integrated GPU), or 2 (high performance / dedicated GPU).
What do GPU preference values 0, 1, and 2 mean?
0 is Auto — Windows and the app decide, usually defaulting to whichever GPU the app requests. 1 is Power saving, which forces the integrated GPU. 2 is High performance, which forces the dedicated GPU. These are the same three options you can pick for each app in Settings → System → Display → Graphics.
Why would I force an app onto the integrated GPU?
Some background or lightweight apps — browsers, chat clients, note-taking tools — get launched on the dedicated GPU by default, which keeps it powered up, drawing power and making fan noise for no benefit. Forcing them to the integrated GPU frees the dedicated GPU to idle down, which matters most on battery.
Does forcing a game onto the dedicated GPU actually improve performance?
Only if it wasn't already using the dedicated GPU. Most full-screen games are auto-detected and already run on the dGPU. This setting matters more for games or renderers that Windows misclassifies as a utility app and quietly launches on the integrated GPU instead.
Is this the same thing as PowerDoze's GPU power limit feature?
No, they're different settings. GPU power limit caps how many watts one GPU is allowed to draw (via nvidia-smi -pl, NVIDIA only). GPU preference decides which GPU — integrated or dedicated — a given app runs on in the first place. You can use both together.
Want to set GPU preference for a running app from the same screen where you manage EcoQoS and CPU priority? That's in PowerDoze's process manager. PowerDoze is free to download; setting GPU preference and EcoQoS from the process list is a Pro feature (free users can see it, Pro unlocks it).
See also: How to cap GPU power draw on Windows · Limit CPU power on Windows · All features