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Asked: 2024-09-24T20:40:05+05:30 In:

How can I determine the specific model of my graphics card on Ubuntu?

I’ve been trying to figure out which graphics card model I have on my Ubuntu machine, and honestly, it’s turning into quite the puzzle. I thought checking my system settings would do the trick, but I only see vague info about my graphics driver. I’ve been doing some gaming and graphic design, and I want to optimize my performance, but first, I need to know exactly what I’m working with here.

I’ve heard different methods to check the graphics card details, but nothing I found seems straightforward enough. Some people recommend using Terminal commands, while others say you can find it in the settings panel. But when I open the Terminal and type some commands, it just seems to spew a lot of technical jargon that I don’t fully understand. I’m not a total noob, but I also don’t want to accidentally mess something up by running a command that I’m not familiar with.

Does anyone have a step-by-step way to identify the specific model of your graphics card on Ubuntu? Like, what commands do I type into the Terminal? Are there any GUI options that are simple enough to get through? I remember hearing about tools like “lspci” and “glxinfo,” but I’m not sure how to interpret the output.

Also, if it’s helpful, I think I might have an NVIDIA card, but I can’t be sure. I’ve tinkered a bit with drivers and installations, but it’s all a bit fuzzy to me. If there’s a visual guide or something that walks you through this process in a detailed yet simple manner, that would be amazing.

I’d love some input from those who’ve been there and done that. Any advice that could help me pinpoint my graphics card would be super appreciated! Thanks!

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    2 Answers






    1. Find Your Graphics Card on Ubuntu


      How to Find Your Graphics Card on Ubuntu

      1. Using the Terminal

      Open your Terminal (you can find it in your applications or press Ctrl + Alt + T).

      Then type in the following command:

      lspci | grep -i vga

      This command lists all PCI devices and filters it to show only the VGA compatible controller, which is typically your graphics card.

      2. Check More Details with glxinfo

      If you want even more info, you can install mesa-utils (if you haven’t already) by typing:

      sudo apt install mesa-utils

      After that, run:

      glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

      This will give you a simple output letting you know the GPU in use.

      3. GUI Option – About This Computer

      If you’d like to avoid the terminal, you can check through the system settings:

      1. Open the “Settings” application.
      2. Scroll down and click on “About.”
      3. You should see information about your graphics card under “Graphics.”

      4. Interpreting the Output

      When you run the commands, look for brand names like “NVIDIA,” “AMD,” or “Intel.” For example:

      02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] (rev a1)

      The output will give you a clear indication of what model you have!

      5. If You Have an NVIDIA Card

      Since you think you might have an NVIDIA card, you can also check if the NVIDIA drivers are installed. Run:

      nvidia-smi

      This command provides detailed information about your NVIDIA GPU, including the model and the current usage.

      After you identify your graphics card, you can explore options for optimizing drivers for gaming and graphic design!




    2. Identifying Graphics Card on Ubuntu

      To identify the specific model of your graphics card on an Ubuntu machine, you can use both Terminal commands and GUI options. For the Terminal, an effective command to start with is lspci | grep -i vga. This will filter the output to show only the VGA compatible controllers, which should include your graphics card along with its model. If you prefer more detailed information, you can use glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer". This command will give you additional context related to your GPU and its capabilities, which can be quite useful for gaming or graphic design optimization. Make sure you have the mesa-utils package installed for glxinfo to work—you can install it using sudo apt install mesa-utils.

      If you’re looking for a graphical user interface (GUI) option, you might consider using the “Settings” application. Open “Settings”, navigate to “About”, and look for the “Graphics” section. This might provide some basic details about your graphics driver and GPU. Another option is to install the “Hardinfo” tool, which offers a more detailed breakdown of your hardware. You can install it using sudo apt install hardinfo. Launch Hardinfo and navigate to the “Devices” section, then expand “Graphic cards” to view detailed information about your GPU. This approach allows you to gather the necessary details without diving too deeply into technical jargon or risking any system instability.


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