Apparently, a lot of users of modern computers have heard of such a thing as “hardware acceleration”. But not everyone knows what it is and why it is needed. Even fewer people understand how to enable hardware acceleration on Windows 7, for example. The solutions proposed below will allow you to use the settings not only in the seventh version of Windows, but also in any other.
Why do I need hardware acceleration (Windows 7)
To begin with, some users mistakenly believe that the use of hardware acceleration refers exclusively to video cards in order to use the capabilities of the GPU, which reduces the load on the central one. Partly the way it is.
If you look at this question somewhat more broadly, you can confidently say that all this applies to both the video and audio systems of the computer (for example, the DirectX platform includes support for multi-channel audio). In any case, hardware acceleration is a reduction in the load on the CPU and RAM due to the fact that it is partially (or completely) taken over by other "iron" components.
But many do not understand how appropriate it is to use it. Judge for yourselves, because with a redistributed load upward for a graphic or sound chip, they can become quite worn out over time and even fail. Therefore, in the matter of how to enable hardware acceleration on Windows 7, do not go into extremes. It is necessary to use balanced parameters with a reasonable use of all devices and even distribution of the load between them. In the case of setting peak values for guarantees of the durability of a component, no one can give.
How to enable hardware acceleration on Windows 7
So, let's start with the simplest. The first thing to deal with graphics. Enable hardware acceleration (we take Windows 7 as an example, although this solution can be used in all other versions) through the settings of the graphics chip. But first, you need to check if user intervention is required.
Using the PCM menu in the free zone of the “Desktop”, go to the screen resolution and use the hyperlink of additional parameters. In the properties window that appears, look at the diagnostics tab. At the top there is a button for changing parameters. If it is inactive, then hardware acceleration is already on.
Otherwise, click on it, after which a redirection to the settings of the graphics adapter occurs. There is a special slider, moving it to the right and left, you can change the level of the set parameters. The most extreme right position corresponds to the maximum acceleration involved.
Note: in Windows 10, there is no diagnostics section in the settings of the graphics adapter, and hardware acceleration (in fact, like the seventh modification) is enabled by default.
DirectX Questions
Now a few words on how to enable DirectX hardware acceleration. As in the case with the general settings of the system, it is turned on for both the video and sound adapters initially, so you do not need to change anything. But to make sure that it is active does not hurt.
For viewing and diagnostics, the DirectX dialog is used, called by the dxdiag command entered in the Run console. Here, on the monitor tab, you need to check the DirectDraw, Direct3D and AGP texture settings (sometimes the ffdshow parameter can be included in the list). By default, each line will have the value “On”, and in the window below there will be a message that no problems have been found. If for some reason they were discovered, we proceed to eliminate them.
Possible causes of malfunctions
Most often, the inability to enable hardware acceleration at the system level or in the settings of the DirectX platform is associated with incorrectly installed, missing or outdated drivers of the above devices.
We check them in the "Task Manager" (devmgmt.msc). If there is a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark (or the device is not defined) in front of the sound or video card, this is a clear sign that there are problems with the driver. It must be reinstalled using its own system database, the original disk, or downloaded distributions from the Internet.
But it also happens that with the devices everything is in order. Nevertheless, through the PCM menu, select the property bar, and in a new window on the driver tab we look at the release date. If the driver for the current date is very outdated, click the update button and wait for the process to complete (note that Windows does not know how to update the driver on its own).
However, it is much better to use special search and update utilities like Driver Booster. Firstly, the appeal will be made directly to the manufacturer’s website; secondly, the driver that is most suitable for the operation of the device will be installed; thirdly, it will be installed in the system as correctly as possible. User involvement is minimal.
Conclusion
That, in fact, is all that concerns how to enable hardware acceleration on Windows 7. Whether it is worth it or not is a purely personal matter. But if you approach the issue wisely, it is better not to use hardware acceleration, as they say, to the full. In this case, the service life of the installed equipment can be reduced very much.