gfxCardStatus for Mac
Keeps track of which graphics card your MacBook Pro is using.
Free
In English
Version 2.5When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission
gfxCardStatus overview
gfxCardStatus is a free menu bar application that keeps track of which graphics card your MacBook Pro is using at any given time.
Features:
- Simple, clean "i" and "n" icons that signify Intel HD Graphics, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics, respectively.
- Automatically updates when the GPU switches, in real time.
- Dependent process list: see which applications are currently using the 330M, if it's the active GPU!
- Growl support, so you know right when the GPU switches.
- Tiny footprint doesn't sit in your menu bar and hog RAM or CPU cycles.
- Automatic application updating checks for downloads and installs new versions of gfxCardStatus automatically!
Note: While the software is classified as free, it is actually donationware. Please consider making a donation to help support development.
What’s new in version 2.5
Version 2.5:
Note: Now requires OS X 10.9 or later
Fixed:
- Issue where menu bar icon was offset in Big Sur
- Some localizations displaying "Card" instead of the active GPU
- gfxCardStatus getting stuck as a dependency
- Man-in-the-middle security vulnerability in Sparkle update framework
- Notification text truncation for certain GPU names
- gfxCardStatus notifications sticking around in Notification Center forever
gfxCardStatus for Mac
Free
In English
Version 2.5
What users say about gfxCardStatus
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(32 Reviews of gfxCardStatus)
Comments
User Ratings
Dec 12 2020
Version: 2.3
New beta version was just released for better Big Sur support (and a few other things).
Apr 25 2018
Version: 2.3
If you are having compatibility and stability issues using gfxCardStatus, one alternative is gSwitch https://codyschrank.github.io/gSwitch/
Unfortunately, I have been getting kernel panics or screen freezes using gfxCardStatus and Mac OS 10.13.x together on a 2016 MBP :(
Nov 23 2016
Version: 2.3
This program was working great as a workaround for the Logic Board graphics card issue on my 2010 Macbook Pro, until I upgraded to Mac OS Sierra.
When I was still using El Capitan, it allowed me to use the Integrated Only function, which prevented crashes due to the graphics card issue.
But now, in Sierra, when I try to use Integrated Only, I get an error message that I cannot use it, because several programs plus gfxCS itself are all on a dependencies list, which precludes integrated-only mode.
Currently, I can still use Discreet Only Mode, but it still periodically crashes (although less than with Dynamic Switching). Because of this, I am looking at possibly having to roll back to El Capitan, which the fascists at Apple do not make an easy task (backup required, El Capitan installer not available, etc.).
Has a solution to this problem been found? There are many Macs with this same graphics card issue, so I can't be the only one running into this problem. Please respond.
Oct 25 2016
Version: 2.3
steveschow fork and release 2.4.3i for macOS Sierra,
https://github.com/steveschow/gfxCardStatus/releases/tag/v2.4.3i
Nov 8 2014
Version: 2.3
On Macbook pro 8.2, with OS X 10.10, app causes artifacts on screen when GPU is switching. :(
