How To Reset Macbook Graphics Card?

Undoubtedly, MacBooks are powerful computers trusted by many people around the world. But this does not mean they have no flaws. Sometimes these machines might act up abnormally for no apparent reason. Volume gets locked, lights won’t work correctly, no sound, display resolution won’t change, or perhaps your Mac just won’t startup.

Watching your MacBook display suddenly freeze, distort or refuse to turn on can be frustrating. Unlike other MacBook problems, You can’t ignore a misbehaving display; You should resolve it immediately. Supposing the problem you face is graphics-related, you may have to reset your MacBook graphics card.

Is there a way to reset MacBook graphics card? Yes. You’ve come to the right place if you are looking for solutions to your MacBook’s graphic card issues. In this article, we uncover all you need to know about resetting a MacBook’s graphics card. Keep reading to learn more.

Quick Navigation:

1. Can You Reset A Macbook Graphics Card?
2. Benefit Of Reset Macbook Graphics Card
3. How Do I Test My Graphics Card On Macbook?
4. What To Do Before You Reset Your Macbook?
5. How To Reset The Macbook Graphics Card?
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. Final Thought

Can You Reset A Macbook Graphics Card?

The answer is yes. It is possible to reset your MacBook graphics card. Resetting NVRAM/PRAM can change a few system preferences and settings, including graphics cards; this procedure is straightforward and does not need technical expertise.

Shut Down your MacBook. Press the power button and immediately press Command, Option, R and P keys on your keyboard concurrently. Keep holding down these keys until your MacBook restarts. Release them and let your machine boot as usual.

Benefit Of Reset Macbook Graphics Card

If your MacBook graphics card has a problem, resetting it might help resolve the problem. One of the significant benefits of resetting a MacBook graphics card is that it restores its default settings, meaning you get better performance than originally.

MacBook graphics card reset removes any lags, software bugs, or incorrect settings that might cause your card to act strangely.

How Do I Test My Graphics Card On Macbook?

The video graphics card is one of the primary components of your MacBook. It is an essential component that interprets input data and displays them on the screen. Usually, MacBooks have no way for users to test their graphics cards. Nonetheless, there are alternative ways, including third-party applications, to the power of your MacBook graphics card.

Before you test your MacBook graphics, you need to know it. Here is how to identify the video graphics card of your MacBook:

• Step 1: Click the Apple logo on the menu bar.
• Step 2: Click to select [About This Mac].
• Step 3: Click the [System Report] tab.
• Step 4: Navigate to the left pane of the window and select [Graphics/Displays]

Here You will find all the information about your video graphics card and display type.

Once you’ve identified your Mac’s graphics card, you can go ahead and test it. The simplest way to test your MacBook video card is by using a third-party application such as Novabench or Cinebench.

How To Test Your Macbook Graphics Card Using Novabench?

Novabench is a cross-platform application that tests your computer’s performance in minutes. For Mac, you require macOS 10.12 Sierra or later. Here is how:

• Step 1: On your browser, download Novabench from the official website.
• Step 2: Install the application file you just downloaded.
• Step 3: Close all other running applications on your computer.
• Step 4: Launch the Novabench app.
• Step 5: Click [Start Tests] on the main window
• Step 6: Wait for about 2 minutes for the test to run. Do not use your MacBook at this moment.
• Step 7: Once the test process is complete, click [View performance results].

How To Test Your Macbook Graphics Card Using Cinebench?

Cinebench is a popular cross-platform CPU and GPU benchmarking utility tool. It’s used to measure a computer’s rendering capabilities. Follow this simple procedure to use Cinebench on Mac:

• Step 1: Search Cinebench in the App Store and install.
• Step 2: Launch your Cinebench application.
• Step 3: You’ll see two [Start] buttons on the main window. If you want to do a multi-core test, click the [Start] button next to the CPU (Multi-Core). Otherwise, click on the CPU (single-core).

The test process takes about 10 minutes. Also, you can perform an advanced benchmark test which takes 30 minutes.

What To Do Before You Reset Your Macbook?

The most essential thing to do before performing any MacBook reset procedure is to back up your data. Creating a backup helps protect your valuable data if your machine fails to boot and requires a factory reset. Another best practice is to disconnect all external devices.

How To Reset The Macbook Graphics Card?

Resetting a MacBook graphics card is a relatively easy thing to do. If done correctly, it should fix most, if not all, of your display issues. The process takes about 10 minutes and involves resetting some MacBook parameters.

Follow the steps below to perform a graphics card reset for Mac:

Restart Your Macbook

Restarting your MacBook is the easiest way to reset its graphics card. It clears both the graphics and system RAM, resets the CPU and the GPU, and reboots the machine in orderly steps.

Reset Screen Resolution

If your MacBook display does not show or was previously set to unsupported screen resolution, start by resetting the screen resolution.

• Step 1: Turn off your MacBook.
• Step 2: Press and hold the power button until the startup options menu appears.
• Step 3: Select your system disk.
• Step 4: Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard and click Continue in Safe Mode.
• Step 5: Your computer is now in safe mode. Now, click the Apple logo on the menu bar.
• Step 6: Click [System Preferences] and select [Displays].
• Step 7: Choose a lower screen resolution and refresh rate supported by your MacBook.
• Step 8: Restart your computer.

Reset NVRAM/PRAM

Non-Volatile Random Access Memory is a computer memory that macOS uses to store certain MacBook settings such as graphics card settings, audio volume, time zone, startup disk selection, etc. Since it stores graphic card settings, resetting NVRAM/PRAM can help resolve display problems.

Here is how to reset the NVRAM/PRAM on your MacBook:

• Step 1: Shut down your MacBook.
• Step 2: Press the power button to boot.
• Step 3: Press and hold [Command] + [Option] + [P] +[R] keys all together for about 20 seconds.
• Step 4: Release them and let your computer boot as usual. Your NVRAM/PRAM is now restored to default. You might also need to set the time, date, and other macOS settings.

Reset Your Mac’s Smc

SMC (System Management Controller) stores Mac’s power management, display settings, audio settings, thermal management, CPU properties, etc. Resetting the SMC restores to default all low-level functions settings that you cannot adjust in the System Preferences.

Resetting your Mac’s SMC depends on the model of the Mac you have. Here is how to go about it:

Resetting SMC on MacBook (with removable batteries).

• Step 1: Turn off your MacBook.
• Step 2: Disconnect the charging cable.
• Step 3: Remove your MacBook battery.
• Step 4: Press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds, then release.
• Step 5: Put back the battery.
• Step 6: Reconnect the charging cable and turn on your MacBook.

Resetting SMC on MacBook (with non-removable batteries).

• Step 1: Turn off your computer.
• Step 2: Disconnect the charging cable
• Step 3: Press and hold the [Shift] key on the left side of your keyboard, [Control] + [Option] + power button simultaneously for 10 seconds.
• Step 4: Release all the keys and then press the power button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thought

A video graphics card is a vital component of any computer system. It is responsible for the visual presentation of what happens in the system. Sometimes, graphics card problems can make it difficult to use your MacBook, forcing you to take quick action such as resetting it.

In this guide, we have provided you with easy tips on how to reset your MacBook graphics card. We hope you found this helpful. Be sure to share with us what problem you encountered with your graphics card and which procedure worked for you in the comment section.