How to Fix God of War Ragnarok Not Using Your Dedicated GPU

God of War Ragnarok is finally out on PC. While that brings the benefits of the platform’s capabilities, it also exposes the game to all the potential vulnerabilities that come with it. One of those issues is the game’s use your integrated GPU instead of the dedicated one.

The PC version of the God of War (2018) sequel brings a bunch of new features, like Ultra Widescreen (21:9) and Super Ultra Widescreen (32:9) support, unlocked framerates at 1440p and 4k resolutions, and modding support. However, reviews on Steam have been “mixed” since release, largely due to the game requiring a PSN account.

However, many players are now reporting that the game is not using their dedicated or main graphics card when they play, but instead the integrated GPU built into their processor. Here is how to solve this problem.

God of War Ragnarok PC: What to do when the game isn’t using your dedicated GPU

Make sure your dedicated GPU is enabled

First of all, Make sure your dedicated GPU is enabled. If not, games and applications that require it will have no choice but to use your CPU’s integrated graphics. Here’s how to enable your dedicated GPU for God of War Ragnarok:

• Go to the Settings window on your PC.
• Click “View” in the column on the left.
• Scroll down in the Display window and select ‘Graphics Settings’.
• Under the Graphics Performance preferences, you will see ‘Choose an app to set preferences’. Click the drop-down menu and make sure it is set to ‘Desktop app’.
• Click on ‘Browse’.
• Search for God of War Ragnarok.
• Add the game’s executable file (.exe) to the list.
• Click on ‘Options’.
• Select ‘High Performance’ and make sure your dedicated or main GPU is listed under this option.
• Click “Save” and you’re done.

If you’re using Windows 11, you’ll need to look for the “Gaming” tab instead of the “Display” tab, select “Gaming Mode” and then “Graphics.” This will take you to a page where all of your apps will be listed. If God of War Ragnarok If it is not listed, add it and proceed in the same way as with the Windows 10 settings above.

Disable your integrated GPU

You can avoid conflicts between your dedicated and integrated GPUs by Disabling the IGPU. This can free up some resources and force your PC to run only on your primary graphics card. There are two ways to do this:

Using Device Manager

• Go to ‘Device Manager’.
• Click on ‘Display adapters’.
• Right-click on your integrated GPU.
• Select “Turn off device”.
• Click “Yes”.
• Restart your PC and you’re good to go.

Using BIOS

• Access your BIOS settings by restarting your PC or laptop and pressing the BIOS key. This may be Delete or F2, and for some HP systems Escape.
• Go to the ‘Advanced’ tab.
• Look for “internal” or “integrated graphics” and disable that option.

The layout and access to the BIOS often varies by manufacturer, but these steps should be similar to the steps you would follow to disable your IGPU.

Update your GPU drivers

Graphics card driver updates are often made to support the latest games, and running outdated drivers can result in errors like this. So don’t forget to check for updates for your GPU. You can use Radeon Software if you have an AMD graphics card, while Geforce Experience is your friend if you’re an Nvidia user.

Download the ‘VRAM Requirement Bypass’ mod

The main reason behind God of War Ragnarok not using your dedicated GPU is that it has a minimum VRAM requirement of 6GB or, to be precise, 5888MB. This causes it to ignore any GPU with less than 6GB of VRAM, so the integrated GPU takes over.

The reasons mentioned above are great for solving this issue if your GPU meets or exceeds the VRAM requirement. But if your GPU has less than 6GB of VRAM, you can use a mod to bypass the limitation. The mod will also remove the “Insufficient VRAM” error that crashes the game.

The mod is aptly named “VRAM Requirement Bypass” and you can find it over on popular modding website nexusmods.

Disclaimer: While Nexusmods is used by PC gamers all over the world, it is still a third-party website. So anything you download from there is at the cost of your hardware and privacy. Make sure to scan any downloaded file to be safe by right-clicking on it and selecting ‘Scan with Microsoft Defender’. If you feel like something is wrong, run a full scan of your system.

After enjoying PlayStation exclusive status for nearly two years, God of War Ragnarok has officially released for Windows. This brings in a large group of players, including seasoned veterans who beat the game on a PS4 or PS5, and fans on PC who have never had the chance to play the game before. Whether you’re a long-time player or a new one, definitely try these steps if your copy of the game isn’t detecting your dedicated GPU.