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Christopher Dawson, Sam Diaz and Matt Weinberger

How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7

By | August 29, 2010, 11:47am PDT

Summary: Do you want to try out GPU acceleration in Google Chrome? Here’s a step by step guide that will get GPU acceleration up and running!

Google has officially started supporting GPU acceleration in Chrome — one of the most heavily marketed features in IE9. Their implementation is still a bit slower than Microsoft’s, but this version of Chrome is way faster than previous ones.

There aren’t many websites that take full advantage of GPU acceleration yet, however, the website Microsoft uses to demo the speed of IE9 vs. everyone else is now usable on Chrome 7, and it performs incredibly well.

Do you want to try it out? Here’s a step by step guide that will get GPU acceleration up and running in Chrome:

1) If you don’t have it already, you will need the dev channel version of Google Chrome. To install this version of Chrome, click here.

2) Right click on the Chrome icon on your desktop (or wherever the installer put the Chrome shortcut), and select properties.

3) add the following to the end of the “target” text box:

——enable-accelerated-compositing

it should now look something like this:

“C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe” ——enable-accelerated-compositing

4) click “Apply” or “OK”

5) Make sure all Google Chrome windows are closed, then launch it from that shortcut you modified.

That’s all there is to it — your Chrome is now taking advantage of your GPU. To test it out, go to http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/ and try running some of the examples that were designed to show how awesome IE9 is. These tests now show how awesome Google Chrome 7 is too!

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Topics

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix.

Disclosure

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry. He has no other formal associations with any software or hardware companies.

Biography

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software designed specifically for the cellular and electronics industry.

Garett's journey into Google started with his employer asking him to "get a better rank on Google." Diving into search engine optimization sparked his curiosity for how things work and led him to create a blog dedicated to what interests him most--Google.

Talkback Most Recent of 27 Talkback(s)

  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    May be a little off-topic but I find funny how Microsoft tries to market IE9 as being better then other browsers by using standard HTML5 tests that others can easily implant and possibly do better at, prior to IE9's actual release. Like how well Firefox 4 did with the Psychedelic test.

    Gonna flamed by fanboys, I just know it...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Zc456
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @Zc456
    Really, because I don't see Microsoft marketing anything.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    day2die
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @day2die Erm, they have a whole website dedicated to marketing IE9's speed, graphics capabilities, and HTML5 support.

    http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/
    ZDNet Gravatar
    BIGELLOW
    30th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @Zc456

    I find if funny how Microsoft is always criticized, even when they are developing a version of IE that fixes the issues everybody has always criticized it for.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CobraA1
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @CobraA1

    Should we developers say "thanks" for that, or should we say "FINALLY"?!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    nanomartin
    30th Aug 2010
  • Nothing funny about it. Its to help Chrome stop sucking so much at HTML5
    and firefox and safari and opera and all the other browsers that still suck at HTML5, animation, and graphics rendering in general. Same for all their CSS incompatibilities, they still all completely suck at CSS, just added special case logic enough to pass the lame acid 3 "test". Why do you think Microsoft has donated thousands of compatibility tests to the W3C? They want browser consistency and they've done more to advance it that google and apple and mozilla and opera put together...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Johnny Vegas
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @Johnny Vegas
    Hey s---r, first investigate and try, then write posts like the above.
    I have stable Chrome 5 running CSS implementations that neither IE8 and Firefox 4 Beta 4 are capable.
    FF at least shows the buttons done via CSS3 but they didn't work, and IE8 let alone to have the shape of a button.

    Be careful of your words.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    nanomartin
    30th Aug 2010
  • To me it shows Microsoft was right
    @Zc456

    GPU acceleration is the "next big thing". Microsoft did it first, and it still works better in IE9 preview than it does in the other browsers. Who knows, maybe IE9 is further along than we all think and it'll be out early next year.

    And the fact that other browsers can just implement their GPU rendering for HTML5 and do well at Microsoft's own tests shows that Microsoft has committed to standards. I don't understand how this is a bad thing for people who have cried over Microsoft not conforming to standards. This should be something that is applauded by all, especially some of Microsoft's worst critics.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    LiquidLearner
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @LiquidLearner

    Agreed. I've been one of the critics, and unlike other it seems, I'm willing to accept the idea that yes, companies can change and do better.

    Even though I may be guilty of it a bit, I try to avoid holding long standing grudges and I do my best to accept changes when they happen. Microsoft has a history, yeah, but I think they're making an honest effort to change it, and I don't think people are giving them enough credit for the changes they've made.

    It's almost as if people *want* Microsoft to stay the company they once were just so they could continue to criticize them. So instead of accepting the changes Microsoft makes, they seem to be working to find *any* reason to criticize Microsoft.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    CobraA1
    29th Aug 2010
  • ZDNet Gravatar
    sagec
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @jacec Lmao. Google is the new Microsoft, and Microsoft is the new Apple. What a strange year this has been.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Zc456
    29th Aug 2010
  • ZDNet Gravatar
    Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
    Dude this is not for you, it's for Windows users, poor linux crap
    ZDNet Gravatar
    shellcodes_coder
    29th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    @shellcodes_coder
    Dude, you need to study hard. Bring yourself up to date on technology. Chrome runs on Linux.

    Wake up and smell the moca java.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate
    30th Aug 2010
  • RE: How to turn GPU acceleration on in Chrome 7
    it should be:
    --enable-accelerated-compositing
    ZDNet Gravatar
    bulen
    29th Aug 2010

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