Microsoft is adding a GPU monitor to Task Manager in Windows 10

The latest test build (version 16226) for what will ultimately become the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 contains a new GPU monitor in the Task Manager. This allows users to see what percentage of the GPU is being utilized at any given time.

There are multiple third-party programs that already offer this ability. One of the more popular ones is TechPowerUp's GPU-Z utility. It offers up a wealth of information about your GPU, including the BIOS version, GPU die size, the number of transistors, and other vitals. GPU-Z will even tell you what graphics driver you have installed, in case you forgot.

The new GPU monitor that is being added to the Task Manager does not go into the same level of detail. However, it does show GPU utilization information for each separate GPU, as well as graphics memory usage stats. And if you hit the Details tab, the Task Manager will break down GPU utilization for each process. That is something GPU-Z doesn't do.

Microsoft said it is adding and even prioritizing this new feature based on the feedback it received. Insiders who download the latest build are also warned that it is still under construction and that it may contain bugs. This being an early inclusion suggests that Microsoft might flesh it out over time to include more of the same information that GPU-Z provides.

The newest preview build contains one other bit for gamers—a new "Xbox Networking" section under Settings > Gaming. This is to help resolve issues that might be preventing you from using voice chat and playing multiplayer games with other Xbox Live users.

Microsoft's Fall Creators Update will be the second major upgrade to Windows 10 this year. It will bring with it some significant UI changes with a new aesthetic dubbed "Fluent Design." This is intended to push Windows 10 further away from the Metro UI that was introduced with Windows 8.

There is no set release date for the Fall Creators Update just yet, though the general expectation is that it will arrive sometime in September.

Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).

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