How to find your graphics card's exact model
A graphics card has two names: the GPU on it, which NVIDIA, AMD or Intel makes, and the card itself, which a board maker like MSI, ASUS or Sapphire builds around that GPU. Here is how to find both — and which one decides what the card is worth.
Two names on every card
Take the MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio 10G. The GPU is the RTX 3080 with 10GB of memory; MSI is the board maker and Gaming X Trio its model line. The GPU and its memory size set the price — every RTX 3080 10GB gets the same offer, whoever built it — so that is the part to get right.
In Windows
- Task Manager — press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, open Performance and pick GPU. The GPU’s name is at the top right, and Dedicated GPU memory shows its memory size.
- Device Manager — right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Display adapters.
- dxdiag — press Win + R, type
dxdiagand open the Display tab.
A laptop or a desktop with graphics built into the processor lists that too; the separate card is the NVIDIA, AMD Radeon or Intel Arc entry.
The exact card, with GPU-Z
The free tool GPU-Z (from TechPowerUp) shows the GPU, the memory size and type, and a Subvendor line with the board maker’s name — the quickest way to tell an MSI card from an ASUS one without opening the case. It also shows the BIOS version, useful if you are checking a card that may have been used for mining.
On Linux
Run lspci | grep -i -E "vga|3d" for the GPU, or nvidia-smi on a machine with NVIDIA’s driver installed.
On the box and the card
The box names the card in full and usually carries the maker’s product code and a serial number. On the card itself, a sticker — on the back plate, the edge or near the PCIe connector — repeats the model name and product code. Those codes are searchable here: our tables on the MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte, EVGA, Zotac and other card makers’ pages list them where we have them.
Look yours up
Type the name from the box or the one Windows shows:
Wondering whether a premium or Founders Edition card is worth more? Founders Edition vs partner cards.