Forcing Chief Architect Programs to Use a Specific Graphics Card in Windows 10/11

Reference Number: KB-03140
Last Modified: May 28, 2024

The information in this article applies to:

Chief Architect Premier or Chief Architect InteriorsHome Designer Professional or Home Designer Architectural or Home Designer Suite



QUESTION

Chief Architect doesn't display my dedicated graphics card when I select the Video Card Status panel located in Preferences; instead, the program appears to be utilizing the integrated graphics chip.

How can I force the Chief Architect program to use the more powerful graphics card that's in my computer?  


ANSWER

In Windows 10/11, the ability to specify which graphics card is used for each application can be specified in the Display settings.

Please follow the directions in this article to learn how to access the Display settings on your PC, and how to assign a dedicated graphics card to be used with a Chief Architect program.

If you're unsure if your computer has more than one graphics card, please see KB-03129: Locating your Computer's Specifications.


To configure a program to use a specific graphics card

  1. Close the Chief Architect program.


  2. From the Desktop, right-click in an empty area and select Display settings from the contextual menu.

    Selecting Display Settings from the contextual menu

    You can also navigate to Settings> System> Display.


  3. In Windows 10, scroll down and select the Graphics settings link.

    In Windows 11, select the Graphics category under the Related settings heading.

    Select Graphics settings under the Scale and layout section


  4. In Windows 10, under the Choose an app to set preference heading, select Desktop app from the drop-down menu. 

    In Windows 11, under the Add an app heading, select Desktop app from the drop-down menu.

    Select Desktop app from the drop-down menu

    Note: If the Desktop app option is not available, you may be running an older version of Windows 10. Select Classic App from the menu instead.

  5. Click the Browse button to open File Explorer. Browse to the Chief Architect or Home Designer executable file, select it, then click Add.

    By default, executable files for all Chief Architect programs are found in the following location: C:\Program Files\Chief Architect\ [PROGRAM TITLE AND VERSION].

    For example, the executable for Chief Architect Premier X16 is located in: C:\Program Files\Chief Architect\Chief Architect Premier X16.

    Selecting the Chief Architect executable file

    If you have installed a Chief Architect program to a different drive or location, refer to the location you have installed it to instead.


  6. With the desired Chief Architect program now listed, select it, then click the Options button.

    Select the program and click Options


  7. Select the High performance option, then click Save.

    Select the High performance option, then click Save.

    Note: If you have verified that your computer has more than one graphics card, but you only see a single graphics option listed during this step, it's possible that your monitor's display cables are not plugged into the correct ports on your PC. Verify that the monitors are plugged directly into the video card, if applicable. 

  8. The high performance graphics card will now be utilized the next time you launch the Chief Architect program.


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