Dota 2 Not Using GPU: Fix it Now!

When we fall in love with our favourite games, they become more than just games.
That’s how users like me play Dota 2. Even though this game is hard to learn and impossible to master, it is well worth the effort to learn it. In Dota 2, having a good time is like having a good life. But hearing about this kind of issue with our favourite game is very disappointing. Even though it won’t be too hard to fix, not many users know how to fix it if Dota 2 isn’t using the GPU. So, we have made this guide. So, make sure to follow the troubleshooting steps listed below.

Top Ways to Fix Dota 2 Low GPU Performace

When Dota 2 isn’t using your system’s GPU and crashes or stays on the loading screen forever, it’s easy to fix. To fix this issue, all you have to do is perform the steps below.
So, let’s talk about them first:

Fix 1: Restart Your Device

Do you know that rebooting your device will help the system clear the RAM by clearing any cached files? Well, if you didn’t know, I’ll tell you that heavy programmes like Dota 2 might not use GPU resources because the cache data for the game gets damaged.

So, the best way to fix this would be to restart the whole system. So, we suggest that you restart the device and start the game again to see if the “Dota 2 is not using the GPU” problem goes away.

Fix 2: Update Your GPU Driver

Did you check to see if your device’s GPU driver was updated? Well, this happens most of the time because the GPU driver is an older version. So, it is very important to check for GPU driver updates often. So, if you don’t know how to check for new GPU driver versions, do the following:

1. Start by going to the Device Manager (right-click on the start menu and select device manager).
2. Then, locate for and double-click the Display Adapter.
3. Then, right-click on the name of the company that made your GPU and choose “Update Driver.”

4. Hit the Search Automatically For Driver button.

All done. Now, all you have to do is wait for your system to look for an online update for the GPU driver. Once you’re done, restart your system and run the game again to see if the “not using GPU” problem is fixed.

Fix 3: Make Sure the Game is Updated

It’s just as important to update your game as it is to update the GPU driver. But, since this kind of problem is usually caused by an old version of the game, we recommend that you always use the latest version of the game.

In the meantime, many users have said that this has helped them resolve the issue where Dota 2 wasn’t using the GPU. So, you should update your game and reboot your system.
Then, check to see if the issue is resolved.

Fix 4: Verify Game Files Integrity

There’s also a chance that some of your game files are broken, so your computer can’t read them. In this case, you can either repair the files or reinstall the game.

But I think it would be a good option to try to repair the files before reinstalling the game.
So, in order to repair the game files, you should use your game launcher (Steam Client).
Well, if you don’t know how to do this, follow these steps:

1. First, open the Steam Client and go to the section called “Library.”
2. Then, right-click on your game and try to find it.
3. Then, select the Properties option.
4. Now, just go to Local Files and hit the Verify Game Files Integrity button.

Now, all you have to do is wait until the system checks the damaged files and fixes them on its own. After that, you can just run Dota 2 again to see if the problem with not using GPU is fixed.

Fix 5: Change Steam Launch Option

If you are having trouble with Dota 2 not using the GPU, you should also try changing the launch option. But not many users know about the different ways to launch the Steam Client. That’s why we’ve already listed the steps you need to take below:

1. Open the Steam client and go to the Library. Then, right-click on Dota 2 and choose Properties from the menu.
2. Under GENERAL, run the command that says SET LAUNCH OPTIONS.

-map data -high -dx11 +fps_max#

All done. Now, all you have to do is run Dota 2 to see if this trick fixed the GPU problem.
But this time, the issue is probably going to be resolved. But if you’re still facing the same error, make sure to perform the other solutions we’ve mentioned in this guide.

Fix 6: Tweak Some Graphics Settings

If you still can’t get rid of the GPU not being used issue while playing Dota 2, changing the graphics settings in-game is another good option to fix it. But if that doesn’t work for you either, try the steps below:

Nvidia GPU Settings

1. Use the search box in Windows to open the Control Panel.
2. Then, tap the Large icon, which is next to the View by option.

3. Then, choose the NVIDIA Control Panel option.

4. Now, tap Manage 3D Settings, then Program Settings, and then choose a programme to change.

5. Then, under “Settings for this programme,” make the following changes:

• UCUDA and GPUs: Dedicated GPU
• Power management mode: Maximum performance
• Filtering by texture: Performance

6. Now, just click the Apply button and run the game to see if the problem is fixed.

AMD GPU Settings

1. Use the search box in Windows to open the Control Panel.
2. Then, tap the Large icon under the option “View by.”

3. Then, select the AMD Radeon Settings button.

4. Then, just follow these steps:Gaming > Global Settings.

Fix 7: Set High Priority

If you haven’t already, we suggest setting the priority for your game (Dota 2) to high in the Task Manager. Many users have said that this helped them fix this error. Also, you should try this and tell us if it helps. In the meantime, if you don’t know how to do this, follow these steps:

1. You can start Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del or Esc.
2. Then, go to the Details tab and locate the game there.
3. Now, just right-click and choose “Set Priority.” Then, choose “High,” and click “OK” to save the changes.

That’s all you need to do to set your game’s priority to High. Now, run Dota 2 again and see if the problem with not using GPU has been fixed.

Fix 8: End Background Task

Most of the time, Dota 2 gets in the way of other programmes that are running in the background. So, it’s possible that this thing happened this time, which is why you’re having trouble with not using GPU.

So, we advise that you try clearing all the background processes that you think are using up most of your system’s resources. However, if you don’t know how to do this, perform these steps:

1. Use the Ctrl, Alt, and Esc keys together to start Task Manager.
2. After that, go to the Processes tab and select on the app. Then, click the button labelled End Task.

3. Do this one by one for all the apps except Dota 2. Then, run the game and see if the problem still happens.

Fix 9: Change Power Plan For The Game

Many users who had this issue said that changing the game’s power plan helped them fix it. So, you should also try changing the power plan on your device to see if that might check you resolve this issue. Follow the steps below to do this in the meantime:

1. First, press Win+I to open the Windows Settings order.
2. After that, tap the system button and then Power & Battery.
3. Then, locate “Power Mode” and tap the drop-down button next to it.
4. Lastly, select the Best Performance option.

All done. Now, you should find that your game runs smoothly and doesn’t give you any errors. So, you can now enjoy your game!

Fix 10: Check For OS Update

Have you checked to see if the latest version of Windows is updated on your system?
There’s a chance that your device needs an OS update, which could be the cause of the “not using GPU” error.

So, you need to make sure your device has the most recent patch update.
If you don’t know how to manually check for Windows updates, here are the steps:

1. First, press Win+I and go to Windows Update by clicking there.
2. Now, click Check for Updates.

The next step is to wait until the system looks for an update online and then instal it.
After that, restart your computer and check to run the game again to see if the issue is gone.

Fix 11: Reinstall The Game

If nothing else helps, reinstalling is the last option we can give you. So, if you are still having trouble with Dota 2 not using the GPU, you will have to try the last fix, which is to delete everything related to the game and then reinstall each file.

So, if you have an unlimited WiFi plan, you will need to reinstall the game. But before you do that, don’t forget to remove the one you already have. After that, use the Steam Client app to get the game.

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