> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gingerbim.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Viewer Performance & Your GPU

> Windows laptops often run the browser on the low-power integrated GPU. Switch your browser to the dedicated graphics card for a much faster 3D viewer.

The GingerBIM 3D viewer draws your model on your computer's **GPU** (graphics card). How fast it feels — orbiting, zooming, loading a heavy model — depends almost entirely on which GPU your browser happens to be using.

Many Windows laptops and desktops have **two** GPUs: a low-power **integrated** one built into the Intel or AMD processor, and a faster **dedicated** (discrete) NVIDIA or AMD card. Windows puts apps on the power-saving integrated GPU by default — browsers included — so your dedicated card can sit completely idle while the viewer struggles.

Switching your browser to the dedicated GPU is a one-time change and makes a large difference on heavy models.

<Note>
  On a Mac there is nothing to do — macOS handles graphics switching for you.
</Note>

## Step 1 — Check which GPU your browser is using

Open a new tab, type `chrome://gpu` into the address bar and press Enter. (You have to type or paste it — browsers won't let a link take you there.)

Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>F</kbd> and search for **GL\_RENDERER**. What it says tells you where you stand:

| GL\_RENDERER contains | What it means |
| - | - |
| `ANGLE (NVIDIA ...)` or `ANGLE (AMD Radeon RX ...)` | You're already on a dedicated GPU. Nothing to change. |
| `ANGLE (Intel, Intel(R) UHD Graphics ...)` or `Iris Xe` | You're on Intel **integrated** graphics. Follow Step 2. |
| `ANGLE (AMD, AMD Radeon(TM) Graphics ...)` | You're on an AMD **integrated** GPU. Follow Step 2. |
| `SwiftShader` or `Software only` | Hardware acceleration is **off** — everything is being drawn on the CPU. See [Hardware acceleration is off](#hardware-acceleration-is-off) below. |

<Note>
  If your machine only has integrated graphics — most thin-and-light laptops, mini PCs, and office desktops — there is no dedicated card to switch to. The viewer still works; large models will just be slower.
</Note>

## Step 2 — Point your browser at the dedicated GPU

These steps are for **Windows 11**; Windows 10 is nearly identical (**Settings → System → Display → Graphics settings**).

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Windows graphics settings">
    Go to **Settings → System → Display → Graphics**. You'll see a **Custom options for apps** list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find your browser in the list">
    If Chrome is already listed, skip to the next step.

    If it isn't, click **Add desktop app** (on newer builds: **Add an app → Desktop app → Browse**) and select the browser's `.exe`:

    * **Chrome** — `C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe`
    * **Edge** — `C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe`

    <Tip>
      Not sure where your browser is installed? Find it in the Start menu, right-click it → **Open file location**, then right-click the shortcut → **Properties** and copy the path from the **Target** field.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set it to High performance">
    Click the browser's entry → **Options** → choose **High performance**. Windows names the GPU it will use next to the option — check that it's your NVIDIA or AMD card, not the Intel one. Click **Save**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fully restart the browser">
    The setting only applies the next time the browser starts — and closing every window isn't always enough, because Chrome and Edge can keep running in the background.

    Right-click the browser icon in the system tray (bottom-right, sometimes under the **^** arrow) and choose **Exit**, then relaunch. Alternatively, type `chrome://restart` in the address bar to quit and reopen in one go.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm it worked">
    Open `chrome://gpu` again and check **GL\_RENDERER**. It should now read `ANGLE (NVIDIA ...)` or `ANGLE (AMD Radeon RX ...)` instead of `ANGLE (Intel ...)`.

    Reload your model in GingerBIM — orbiting and loading should be noticeably faster.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  On Windows 10 and 11 this per-app setting **overrides** the NVIDIA Control Panel and AMD Software. If you've set a GPU preference there and it doesn't seem to stick, this Windows setting is why — change it here instead.
</Warning>

## Hardware acceleration is off

If `GL_RENDERER` shows **SwiftShader**, your browser isn't using any GPU at all — it's rendering in software on the CPU, which is dramatically slower for 3D.

Turn it back on: open `chrome://settings/system` and enable **Use graphics acceleration when available**, then restart the browser. In Edge the same switch lives at `edge://settings/system`.

If it's already on but `chrome://gpu` still reports SwiftShader, the page's **Problems Detected** section at the bottom usually explains why — most often an outdated or blocklisted graphics driver. Updating your GPU driver from the NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website normally clears it.

## Other browsers

The same Windows setting works for any Chromium-based browser — **Edge**, **Brave**, **Opera**, **Vivaldi** — just add that browser's `.exe` in Step 2. Edge uses `edge://gpu` and `edge://settings/system` in place of the `chrome://` addresses.

Firefox also honours the Windows per-app setting; check its renderer under **about:support → Graphics**.

## Still slow after switching?

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The laptop is running on battery">
    Windows and laptop vendor utilities throttle the dedicated GPU — or skip it entirely — on battery or in **Power saver** mode. Plug in, and set **Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode** to **Best performance**.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The first click on an element is slow, then it's fine">
    That's a one-off cost the first time a particular kind of object is drawn or selected, not a GPU problem. Subsequent interactions with the same objects are fast.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The model itself is very heavy">
    Loading several large models into one federated session multiplies the geometry on screen. Load only the models you need for the task, and hide what you're not working on. See [Projects, Models & Versions](/getting-started/projects-models-versions).

    If a single model is the problem, it's often one or two very heavy objects rather than the model as a whole — see [Simplifying Heavy Geometry](/connectors/simplifying-heavy-geometry).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Too many browser tabs are open">
    Browsers share a limited pool of GPU memory across tabs. Closing other heavy tabs — especially other 3D or video tabs — frees it up for the viewer.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  Still not right? Tell us what `chrome://gpu` reports for **GL\_RENDERER** in the [GingerBIM community](https://community.gingerbim.com/) or at [hello@gingerbim.com](mailto:hello@gingerbim.com) and we'll help.
</Note>


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