Fortnite Running On Integrated GPU: How To Switch

Fortnite

May 12, 2025

Tarun Sayal

No one wants to play Fortnite with pesky issues, especially when it comes to annoying problems like low frame rates, laggy graphics, or stuttering. We have also gone through these errors, and we’ve observed that there is a high possibility of the computer using the integrated GPU instead of your dedicated graphics card.

If you aren’t a tech geek, it’s fine. Let’s give you a super quick overview of how these things work. Integrated GPUs, such as Intel UHD Graphics or AMD Radeon Vega, are embedded in the CPU and are much less powerful than a dedicated GPU such as an NVIDIA GeForce or AMD Radeon card. Luckily, switching Fortnite to use your dedicated graphics card is really easy.

What causes Fortnite to run on integrated GPU?

How to easily fix Fortnite running on integrated GPU

Image credit: Epic Games

First of all, it is important to know why this problem occurs. Many modern laptops and even some desktops have both an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU to achieve performance and battery life balance.

Just like the human body system, your gaming machine is trying to save power by running less intensive programs on the integrated graphics. So sometimes your system mistakenly thinks that Fortnite is a lightweight program and switches to the integrated GPU.

To solve this, you must tell your system to run Fortnite using your dedicated GPU manually.

How to easily fix Fortnite running on integrated GPU

If you have a Windows PC, the simplest way is through Windows Graphics Settings. Open the Start menu and search for “Graphics Settings”.
In the Graphics Settings window, choose “Desktop app” under the “Choose an app to set preference” dropdown, then click “Browse.” Go to your Fortnite installation folder, locate the FortniteClient-Win64-Shipping.exe file (which is usually found under Fortnite > FortniteGame > Binaries > Win64), and add it. Once installed, select it from the list.
Click on it, choose “Options”, and set it to “High performance”. This makes the game to run on your dedicated GPU instead of the integrated one.

See? The steps weren’t too hard to execute. Now you can drop in Tilted Towers with your friends and rule the entire POI with those smooth frame rates. And yes, your system should be using the external GPU that you paid for.

Alternative method: NVIDIA Control Panel/AMD Radeon

Thankfully, if you have an NVIDIA GPU, you can make the change through the NVIDIA Control Panel. Right-click your desktop and open “NVIDIA Control Panel.” Under “Manage 3D Settings,” go to the “Program Settings” tab. Select Fortnite from the list (or add it manually if it’s not there), and then set the preferred graphics processor to “High-performance NVIDIA processor.”

For AMD users, the steps are similar using AMD Radeon Settings. Open the software, go to “System” > “Switchable Graphics,” find Fortnite in the list, and set its performance mode to “High Performance.”

After setting Fortnite to use the dedicated GPU, it’s a good idea to restart your computer to ensure the changes take full effect. Then, when you launch the game, you should immediately notice smoother gameplay, faster load times and higher graphical settings available.

Download latest GPU drivers

Although it’s optional, one important thing to check after switching is whether your drivers are up to date. Using outdated graphics drivers can cause poor performance even when using the correct GPU. That’s why companies spend a lot of time crafting new drivers frequently so that their customers get the best possible performance out of their GPU.

So spare some time out of your daily life and visit NVIDIA’s or AMD’s official websites to download the latest drivers for your card. Also, make sure your Fortnite settings are optimized inside the game. Sometimes, after fixing the GPU assignment, Fortnite might default to Epic settings, which could be too demanding depending on your hardware. Adjust your in-game settings for a balance between visual quality and smooth frame rates.