No Man’s Sky Not Using GPU

No Man’s Sky Not Using GPU: How to Fix?

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No Man’s Sky Not Using GPU: “No Man’s Sky is a survival and exploration game created by Hello Games, released in August 2016. It is accessible on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

While the game has garnered favorable feedback from PC users, some players have encountered certain technical difficulties. One notable issue we will address in this discussion is the problem of No Man’s Sky not utilizing the GPU effectively.”

No Man’s Sky Not Using GPU, How to Fix?

When a game defaults to using your PC’s integrated GPU instead of the dedicated or external graphics card, it often leads to performance issues during launch or gameplay.

This can manifest as stuttering, graphical glitches, frame rate drops, or even crashes. If you’re encountering similar problems, such as significant lag and intermittent stuttering, it’s advisable to take proactive steps to address the situation.

1. Use a Dedicated Graphics Card

To optimize your gaming experience in No Man’s Sky, it’s important to configure your computer to utilize the dedicated or external graphics card.

This adjustment can significantly decrease issues like stuttering, lag, and frame rate drops. If you’re unsure about how to make these changes, follow the instructions below based on your graphics card type.

**For Nvidia Users:

If you’re using an Nvidia graphics card, here’s how to set it up:

  • 1. Right-click on an empty area of your desktop and select **NVIDIA Control Panel** from the menu.
  • 2. Navigate to **3D Settings** and click on **Manage 3D Settings** in the left sidebar.
  • 3. Switch to the **Program Settings** tab and locate **No Man’s Sky** in the drop-down menu.
  • 4. Select **High-performance NVIDIA processor** as the preferred graphics processor.
  • 5. Click **Apply** to save your changes, then restart your computer to ensure the settings take effect.

**For AMD Users:

For those with an AMD graphics card, follow these steps:

  • 1. Right-click on an empty spot on your desktop and choose **AMD Radeon Settings** from the options.
  • 2. Go to **System** and select **Switchable Graphics**.
  • 3. Remember to save your changes and reboot your PC to apply them.

By taking these steps, you can enhance your gaming performance and enjoy a smoother experience in No Man’s Sky.

2. Update GPU Drivers

An outdated or malfunctioning graphics card driver can lead to various problems affecting both game performance and overall system functionality. To ensure optimal performance, it is advisable to check for and update your graphics driver. Here’s how you can do it:

  • 1. Press the Windows + X keys simultaneously to access the Quick Link Menu.
  • 2. Select Device Manager from the options provided, then double-click on Display adapters.
  • 3. Locate your active graphics card, right-click on it, and choose Update driver.
  • 4. Select the option to Search automatically for drivers. If a newer version is available, it will be downloaded and installed automatically.
  • 5. After the installation is complete, restart your computer to implement the changes.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest driver from the official website of your graphics card manufacturer. Ensure you select the correct driver that corresponds to your specific model and brand.

For users of Nvidia graphics cards, updates can be managed through the GeForce Experience application available on Nvidia’s official website. AMD graphics card users can find their updates on the AMD website.

3. Close Background Running Tasks

Background tasks and programs that are not essential can significantly consume system resources such as CPU and memory, which can lead to decreased performance. This often results in issues like startup crashes, lag, and failure to load applications.

To resolve these problems, it’s advisable to completely terminate any unnecessary background tasks. Here’s how you can do this:

  • 1. Press **Ctrl + Shift + Esc** to launch the Task Manager.
  • 2. Navigate to the **Processes** tab.
  • 3. Identify and select any tasks that are running unnecessarily and consuming a substantial amount of resources.
  • 4. Click on **End Task** for each selected process to close them individually.
  • 5. After you’ve finished, restart your computer.

This should help improve your system’s performance and stability.

4. Change Power Plan

To enhance your computer’s performance, it’s advisable to modify the default power plan, which is set to “Balanced” in Windows.

While this setting conserves energy, it can limit your system’s capabilities. Be aware that selecting a more performance-oriented plan may lead to increased power consumption. Here’s how to adjust your power settings:

  • 1. Press the Windows + R keys to access the Run dialog box.
  • 2. Enter “Control Panel” in the input field and hit OK to launch it.
  • 3. Locate and select “Power Options” (or “Power & battery“).
  • 4. Choose the “Best Performance” option and then restart your computer to apply the changes immediately.

5. Tweak In-Game Graphics Settings

To troubleshoot the issue, you might want to adjust the graphics settings within the game.

Start by opening the Steam client and navigating to your Library to launch No Man’s Sky. Once the game is running, locate and click on the gear icon to access the Settings menu.

In this menu, be sure to disable ‘VSync’ by selecting that option. Additionally, adjust the parameters under Advanced Settings to either low or medium to see if this resolves the problem.

6. Disable Overclocking of the GPU

Should you be utilizing MSI Afterburner or any similar GPU overclocking tools on your computer, it is advisable to disable the overclocking features and consider uninstalling the software.

While overclocking can enhance performance for graphics-heavy games and applications, it can also lead to various performance-related complications.

Therefore, it may be worth assessing whether to proceed with overclocking in order to ensure optimal system stability and performance.

7. Delete ‘SGA’ Prefix Game Files

Occasionally, certain game files on your PC may interfere with the proper launching of a game or the functionality of specific features. Reports indicate that No Man’s Sky may be experiencing issues related to files with the SGA extension, which can disrupt the game’s performance.

To resolve problems such as GPU detection or functionality, it is advisable to remove all SGA files from the game’s installation directory. Here’s how to do that:

  • 1. Press the Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
  • 2. Navigate to the Documents folder in the left sidebar, then locate and open the Rockstar Games folder.
  • 3. Find the No Man’s Sky folder and access the Settings folder within.
  • 4. In this directory, you will find three files prefixed with SGA. Select and delete these files.
  • 5. Afterward, close File Explorer, restart your computer, and attempt to launch No Man’s Sky again.

This process should help in resolving the issues you are facing.

8. Tweak Launch Options or Arguments

Command-line arguments serve as specific instructions provided to a game client or launcher, allowing you to execute a game with particular features enabled. In cases where a game or its launcher fails to utilize certain options or features, you can use these arguments to enforce their execution.

For instance, if you’re experiencing issues with No Man’s Sky, such as the game not recognizing your dedicated GPU or encountering the ERR_GFX_STATE error, you can take the following steps to potentially resolve the issue.

**For Steam Users:

  • 1. Launch your Steam client and navigate to your LIBRARY.
  • 2. Locate No Man’s Sky in the left-hand pane, right-click on it, and select Properties.
  • 3. In the Properties window, find and click on SET LAUNCH OPTIONS.
  • 4. Enter the command `-ignorepipelinecache` into the provided field and click OK.
  • 5. After completing these steps, start No Man’s Sky to see if the error persists.

**For Epic Games Launcher Users:

  • 1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and select Settings from the lower left corner.
  • 2. Scroll down until you find No Man’s Sky and check the box for Additional Command Line Arguments.
  • 3. Input `-ignorepipelinecache` in the field provided, then return to the main menu.
  • 4. Launch No Man’s Sky to check if the issue has been resolved.

Following these instructions may help alleviate the graphics-related errors you are encountering.

9. Verify and Repair Game Files

If you are experiencing issues with your installed game files, such as corruption or missing elements, you may face various problems including crashes, lagging, stuttering, GPU errors, and graphical glitches while playing on your PC.

To mitigate these issues, it is advisable to automatically verify and repair your game files using the game launcher you have. Below are the steps to verify your game files for different launchers:

**For Steam:

  • 1. Launch the Steam client on your PC and log into your account.
  • 2. Navigate to your Library.
  • 3. Locate No Man’s Sky in the list on the left and right-click on it.
  • 4. Select ‘Properties’ from the menu that appears.
  • 5. Go to the ‘Local Files‘ tab.
  • 6. Click on ‘Verify Integrity of Game Files…‘
  • 7. Allow the verification process to complete, then close the Steam client.
  • 8. Restart your PC to ensure all changes take effect.

**For Epic Games Launcher:

  • 1. Open the Epic Games Launcher and go to your Library.
  • 2. Find No Man’s Sky and click on the three-dot icon next to it.
  • 3. Select ‘Verify‘ from the options available to initiate the verification of game files.
  • 4. Wait for the process to finish, and then restart the launcher.

Following these steps can help ensure that your game files are intact and functioning properly, leading to a smoother gaming experience.

10. Reinstall No Man’s Sky

If the previous solutions did not resolve your lagging or FPS drop issues in No Man’s Sky, consider reinstalling the game on your PC. This might help address any performance problems, especially if you are not utilizing a dedicated graphics card.

Here’s how to proceed:

  • 1. Launch the Steam client on your computer.
  • 2. Navigate to your Library and locate No Man’s Sky. Right-click on the game.
  • 3. From the dropdown menu, select “Uninstall,” then confirm your choice by clicking “Delete.”
  • 4. Allow the uninstallation to finish, then close the Steam client.
  • 5. Open File Explorer and enter `C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common` in the address bar, then press Enter to access the folder.
  • 6. Find the No Man’s Sky directory and delete the entire folder.
  • 7. Restart your PC to ensure all changes take effect.
  • 8. After rebooting, return to the Steam Store and reinstall No Man’s Sky. Please note that this process may take some time, but it is worth trying.

This procedure should effectively resolve any lagging or FPS drop issues you were experiencing. We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

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