Turning off hardware acceleration makes an app use the main processor (CPU) instead of the graphics card (GPU) for tasks like rendering pages and video. This can fix display glitches, flickering, and crashes caused by GPU or driver problems, but it may make scrolling, video, and animations less smooth and increase CPU use. It is a common fix for browser and app graphics issues.
Why this happens
Hardware acceleration offloads graphics work to the GPU, which is faster and more efficient at drawing images and video than the CPU.
- When it works, pages scroll smoothly, video plays efficiently, and the CPU is freed up for other tasks.
- When GPU drivers are buggy or the hardware is not fully compatible, acceleration can cause glitches, flickering, black boxes, or crashes.
- Turning it off routes that work back to the CPU, avoiding the faulty graphics path and often resolving the visual problem.
Is this normal?
Yes. Toggling hardware acceleration is a standard troubleshooting step. It is turned on by default in most browsers and apps that support it.
Does it cause any problems?
It can raise CPU use and battery drain, and video and animations may look less smooth because the GPU is no longer helping. Some accelerated features, like efficient video decoding, may run slower on the CPU.
How to fix or check it
- In Chrome or Edge, open Settings, go to System, toggle Use hardware acceleration when available, then restart the browser.
- In Firefox, open Settings, General, Performance, clear Use recommended performance settings, then toggle Use hardware acceleration when available.
- In apps like Discord or media players, the option is usually under Advanced or Appearance settings.
- Note that hardware acceleration is set per app, so you toggle it in each program separately.
- Before turning it off permanently, update your GPU drivers, since a driver fix often resolves the glitch while keeping acceleration on.
- After changing the setting, restart the app and check whether the problem is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn hardware acceleration on or off?
Leave it on for better performance. Turn it off only if you see graphics glitches, flickering, or crashes that it might be causing.
Does turning it off save battery?
Usually the opposite. Rendering on the CPU can use more power than letting the more efficient GPU handle graphics.
Will it fix video stuttering?
Sometimes, if a GPU or driver bug is the cause. Updating your graphics drivers may fix the stutter while keeping acceleration enabled.