We all know that Apple is quite “concise” to put it in some way when it comes to listing the exact hardware components that their Mac computers have, and there are times when we need to know the exact model to check compatibility with certain programs, or simply out of curiosity to know what is the graphic that mounts the Mac that you use every day. Be that as it may, in this article we are going to tell you how you can find out which GPU your Mac mounts easily and quickly.
Whether you have a Mac Mini, an iMac or a laptop from the MacBook range, your Mac has a graphics card, which can be integrated into the processor (iGPU) or even dedicated if the model is old enough or if you have a Mac Pro. Whatever type it is, next we are going to show you how to discover which model is exactly the one your team has.
How to know what graphics you have in Mac OS
Depending on the version of the Apple operating system you have, the model and the year of manufacture of the equipment, the operating system itself may show you which graphics card it mounts. To find out, click on the top menu (the bitten apple icon) and then click on the first option, About this Mac.
In the window that opens, you will see slightly different information if you have a Mac with an Intel CPU or one with a processor manufactured by Apple, such as the M1 chip found in next-generation Macs.
If your Mac has an Intel processor, you will see a summary of the specifications including the graphics card that it mounts: you will find this information in the “Graphics” section of the list. In the example below we see that it carries an Intel HD Graphics 6000 iGPU.
If your Mac is more modern and mounts a processor manufactured by Apple such as the M1 chip, you may only see the list with the chip without a special section for the graphics, and this is because although the CPU and GPU are integrated in the same chip as in the Intel processor, Apple has decided to do it like that (they are known to like to make things difficult for people) and, technically, “Apple M1” is the designation that they have given both the CPU and the Chip GPU.
In that case, you can always click on the “System report …” button. After doing so, the System Information application will appear, and on the left you must expand the Hardware section and click on “Graphics / Displays”. You will see a detailed list that will tell you exactly which GPU your Mac uses in the “Chipset Model” list. For example, here’s an Intel Mac with a single Intel HD Graphics 6000 GPU, but if you had another I would show you right there.
In the case that you have an Apple M1, you will simply see that in this section Apple M1 appears precisely as the name of the GPU, and as we have said for those from Cupertino, the GPU has the same name as the CPU.
Of course there is third-party software such as Aida64 that will also give you all the details about the graphics card you have in your Mac, but really, as you have seen with the operating system, you can discover it easily and above all quickly, since it will not cost you more than a handful of clicks.