On Windows 11, I have two identical graphics cards and cannot select GPU2 to use for games in Settings

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On Windows 11, I have two identical graphics cards and cannot select GPU2 to use for games in Settings

宇冯 0

I have two RX 7900 XTX graphics cards. Whenever I set the game to use GPU 2 in the graphics settings, the option automatically reverts back to GPU 1 once I reopen the settings window.Upon checking the registry entry UserGpuPreferences, both GPUs share the same DeviceID value: SpecificAdapter=1002&744C&79011EAE, which prevents me from assigning the second graphics card.Under the PCI registry path, both cards reside within the exact same folder with the identifier VEN_1002&DEV_744C&SUBSYS_79011EAE&REV_C8.

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BryceSor 5,345 Volunteer Moderator

Hi 宇冯,

Modern computers will not let you use two identical video cards the way you want to use them, if you want the technical reason why let me know and I will do my best to explain it.

宇冯 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T04:39:49.3533333+00:00

I only want to run my games on GPU 2. I found others who had the exact same issue, but it seems there’s no working solution. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3934761/how-to-force-windows11-to-prioritize-one-gpu-over
宇冯 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T04:45:05.5333333+00:00

I’m running two identical GPUs. Windows 11’s graphics settings can’t target the second one—any changes I make still force games to use the first card.
BryceSor 5,345 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2026-06-27T05:09:51.14+00:00

Windows 11 cannot assign games to “GPU 2” when the system contains two identical AMD graphics cards. The Graphics Settings panel only supports choosing between different GPU classes (for example: iGPU vs dGPU, AMD vs NVIDIA, or two GPUs with different architectures).

Because both of your RX 7900 XTX cards report the same Device ID, Subsystem ID, and Revision, Windows treats them as a single logical graphics adapter for 3D workloads. As a result:

Both cards appear under the same PCI registry path

Both cards share the same DeviceID in UserGpuPreferences

The GPU selection UI always snaps back to GPU 1

Windows has no way to distinguish the two cards for game assignment

This is a limitation of Windows, not a bug in your system.

Why two identical GPUs cannot be selected independently for gaming

Modern Windows no longer supports multi‑GPU gaming (CrossFire/SLI). DirectX 12 and Vulkan shifted responsibility to game developers, and almost all modern titles removed multi‑GPU support. Windows therefore only uses one GPU for rendering, even if multiple identical cards are installed.