‘A D3D11 compatible GPU’ Error – How to Fix?
The ‘A D3D11 compatible GPU’ error usually occurs when launching video games, both new and relatively (!) old. Valorant, Fortnite, Apex Legends – these and many other popular games are prone to the problem. Among other things you can see this error in different graphical applications, for example, Unreal Editor. So what exactly is the problem? Unfortunately the answer will not please you
What Causes the DirectX 11 Error?
The main reason is the lack of support for DirectX 11 on the used graphics card. Simply put, the player is trying to run on his clearly outdated graphics card game engine which requires DirectX 11 API.
In rarer cases the error can occur with extremely outdated video drivers or damaged/missing DirectX libraries.
How to Fix ‘A D3D11 compatible GPU’ Error?
Unfortunately, owners of older video cards will have to accept the harsh reality: your PC is OLD. To check the DirectX versions that your video card supports, you need to do the following:
- press WIN+R on your keyboard to bring up the Run window;
- type DXDIAG in the blank line and press ENTER;
- in the window that appears, go to the Screen tab;
- find the Direct3D DDI and Function Levels lines on the right side of the window.
This is where you will find all the information you need about the version of DirectX you have, and make the appropriate conclusions.
Nevertheless, if you see that you have support for DirectX 11 but the ‘A D3D11 compatible GPU’ error still occurs when running games, you can try to get rid of it. Typically, this three basic methods could fix the error:
- updating the video card drivers;
- installing a fresh set of DirectX libraries;
- complete reinstallation of the running game.
You can find up-to-date drivers for your video card on the following websites:
The latest version of DirectX can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website:
If none of the above helped in fixing the ‘A D3D11 compatible GPU’ error, you can try reinstalling the game. In fairly rare cases, such a problem occurs as a result of corrupted game files. To put it simply, the attempt is worthwhile.
The bottom line is simple: if you want to play games with DirectX 11, buy an appropriate graphics card. The harsh reality. Do you know some sophisticated workarounds for this error without DirectX 11? Please share them in the comments!
