The graphics card (or short GPU) is very important to your PC, especially if your are into gaming.
But did you ever encounter unexplainable issues with your PC, such as a random shutdown in the middle of playing a game? There could be several reasons behind some of these issues. However, it is more than likely that your GPU is causing it.
You’re probably worried that something is wrong with your GPU. If you are quite certain that there’s something icky going on with your GPU, it’s time to reset it.
Today we will explain how to reset an AMD or NVIDIA graphics cards on Windows and Mac.
Remember that this will reset your graphics cards to factory defaults, so make sure you save all your unsaved work beforehand.
Reset graphics card on Windows operating system
To reset the graphics card on a Windows, you have to uninstall the graphics driver and reinstall it.
The problem with your GPU might lie in outdated driver versions, so making sure the latest version is installed can help avoid it.
To reset an NVIDIA or AMD GPU, follow the following steps:
- Download the latest drivers from Nvidia or AMD for your GPU. Make sure to select the right model and the latest stable driver version.
- NVIDIA: www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
- AMD (ATI): support.amd.com/en-us/download
- Download Display Driver Uninstaller (Link to download -> https://www.wagnardsoft.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3915)
- Extract the files and run the “Display Driver Uninstaller.exe”
- From here follow this awesome guide by Maraksot78.
Resetting Graphics Card on MacBook Pro or iMac Computer
You will probably have to restart your graphics driver because of a pixelated screen on your MacBook or iMac. Restarting your graphics card on your Mac is simple.
You need to shut it down, restart the PC, press the power button, and hold a few keys on the keyboard:
- Shut down your Mac PC, and wait for it to shut down fully.
- Then you will press on the POWER button, and before a grey screen can appear, you have to simultaneously hold on to the OPTION, COMMAND, P, R buttons on the keyboard. This is a keyboard shortcut to reset the GPU and your system preferences.
- You can release the keyboard key combination when your iMac or MacBook Pro has begun restarting and you’ve heard the startup sound.
- You will be resetting your Mac’s PRAM alongside the graphics card and a few system preferences. You can adjust these system settings on SYSTEM PREFERENCES to restore your desired versions.
Resetting An Overclocked GPU
If you want to determine whether overclocking has caused your GPU to act out, you can reset these settings through your NVIDIA control panel or AMD control panel.
It is easier to reset your graphics drivers through the program you used to set your overclock settings.
First, you will open NVIDIA or AMD Radeon settings and open the control panel window. Next, you will look for all the settings you adjusted and reset them manually or by clicking RESET TO DEFAULT.
If you are using MSI afterburner, you can look for the reset button towards the bottom of the window.
