Problem 

Sometimes SOLIDWORKS may lag or perform poorly due to the graphics card not being fully used. This article shows how to set a computer to use the high-powered NVIDIA graphics card instead of the Intel integrated graphics for SOLIDWORKS.

Solution 1: Graphics Settings in Windows 10

1. Open the Windows Search, type "Graphics Settings" to bring up the Graphics Settings app, and then open the app

   

2. Select the Browse option and browse to the SLDWORKS file. By default, the file path is as follows.
   C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\ 

3. Then select SLDWRKS or SLDWRKS.exe

   

4. Click on the Options for SolidWorks, and select High performance
   
5. Save this setting and then restart the computer

After the computer is restarted, it should always choose the NVIDIA card for SOLIDWORKS.

Solution 2: Graphics Settings in Windows 11

1. Open the Windows Search, type "Graphics Settings" to bring up the Graphics Settings app, and then open the app

   

2. Select the Add desktop app option and browse to the SLDWORKS file. By default, the file path is as follows.
   C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\ 
3. Then select SLDWRKS or SLDWRKS.exe
   

4. Expand the dropdown menu and set the GPU preference to High Performance.

   

5. Save this setting and then restart the computer

After the computer is restarted, it should always choose the NVIDIA card for SOLIDWORKS.

For additional support, existing customers can submit a ticket or new customers can contact Hawk Ridge Systems.