How to Enable RTX Nvidia GPU [Ultimate Ray Tracing Guide]

Written By Farhan Max

RTX or ray tracing is the holy grail of modern graphics, which can recreate the physics of lights close to real-world even in the most visually intensive games.

You just need an RTX-enabled GPU and a ray-tracing-compatible game to be lost in an immersive gaming world. But, how can you turn on RTX?how-to-enable-rtx-nvidia-gpu

Well, in this article, I will cover all the ins and outs of ray tracing. So, let’s get started!

You may also like to read about does FreeSync work with Nvidia?

What is Nvidia GeForce RTX?

The acronym RTX stands for Ray Tracing Texel eXtreme. GeForce RTX is a visual computing platform from Nvidia which is used to design complicated large-scale models for architecture, games, video productions, complex visualization, and energy exploration.nvidia-geforce-rtx

RTX or ray tracing is a rendering procedure that can recreate realistic lighting effects by calculating the pathways of simulated light.

Using the RTX technology, GPUs can now produce more naturalistic shadows & reflections. Besides, this tech allows for generating significantly improved translucence and scattering.

The algorithm used for RTX can determine where the light hits and calculate the interaction and interplay close to the human eyes. It can generate dramatically realistic shadow, light, and reflection as you see in the real world.

You will need RTX-supported games and applications along with an RTX-supported GPU to utilize the ray-tracing effect. If you have an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU and games that support RTX technology, you can quickly enable RTX by following the procedures in the next section.

How to Enable RTX on Nvidia GPU

Enabling RTX on the Nvidia GPU needs a ray tracing-compatible game. Launch the game and navigate to Settings > Graphics Settings. Locate Ray tracing, DXR, or RTX in the settings and turn it on. After enabling RTX, you can start playing the game.

For step-by-step instructions about activating RTX in a game, consider the following instructions.

Here are the methods to turn on RTX on Nvidia GPU:

1. Update Graphics Driver

Updating the graphics card driver to the latest version is essential to ensure you are not missing out on any vital features or bug fixes. Sometimes, an outdated driver can be restricted from enabling the ray tracing option.

If you are using the GeForce Experience app for your RTX GPU, you can quickly update the driver by going through the following steps.update-graphics-driver

Check the subsequent steps to update the driver using the GeForce Experience app:

  • Launch the GeForce Experience software.
  • Set up your Nvidia account if not already added.
  • Switch to the Drivers tab and click on Check for updates.
  • Select your driver preference by clicking on the three dots next to the Check for updates button.
  • Click on Download and allow a few times to download the driver.
  • Select Install and follow the on-screen instructions.

After updating your driver, restart the computer to apply the changes made by the new driver.

2. Check Compatibility

Ray tracing is a new feature and is not supported by every game, mainly the older games. You must ensure the game supports ray tracing in order to enable RTX for that particular game.

Nvidia has a list of games that supports ray tracing; in addition, a lot of games are coming this year with ray tracing capability. I have added some of the most popular RTX-enabled games in the next section of this article.

Follow our guide to fix Nvidia Graphics Card not detected in Windows 10.

3. Launch the Game

After checking the compatibility now you know if the game supports ray tracing on your computer’s graphics card. If you are confirmed with compatibility, launch the game as usual.

4. Enable Ray Tracing

Once you launch the game, head over to the in-game Settings menu. Depending on the game, you may open the menu by pressing the Esc key.enable-ray-tracing

Now, navigate to Graphics Settings and find Ray tracing, DXR, or RTX and toggle it on. Some games have more advanced settings that let you choose the level of ray tracing. Adjust the level to find more realistic visuals.

5. Enjoy the Show

If you have done everything right, you will notice the benefits of ray tracing just after starting the game. You should tweak the level of ray tracing to balance the performance and visuals.

Which Applications and Games Support RTX?

The list of RTX-enabled applications and games is increasing expeditiously. You will find more than 250 applications and games that can utilize the RT core power and generate an incredibly realistic environment and cinematic-quality rendering, even for the most visually intense games.

Nvidia has developed some extraordinary in-house RTX GPU-rendering solutions for professionals such as OptiX, Iray, and Omniverse.

Applications

3D rendering applications are changing the gaming and film industry by producing real-time ray-traced lighting for complex models and scenes. Over 40 3D applications are currently using the NVIDIA RTX technology.

A few examples of RTX-supported rendering engines are Adobe Tools (Premiere Pro, Designer, Photoshop Lightroom), Autodesk (MAYA, FLAME, VRED), Blender’s Cycles, Unreal Engine, Unity, Pixar’s Renderman, etc.rtx-supported-rendering-engines

Games

More and more games are adopting ray racing technology to ensure a superior gaming experience along with betting lighting, realistic shadow, and accurate reflection.

You will find several RTX-featured games available to play now, and numerous ray-tracing-enabled games are on the way.

Besides, numerous games are also coming with ray tracing technology. Go through the following table to check the available and upcoming ray tracing games.

Here’s the table of all available and upcoming real-time ray-tracing games:

Available Ray Tracing GamesUpcoming Ray Tracing Games
Hogwarts LegacyAvatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Cyberpunk 2077Halo Infinite
MinecraftForza Motorsport
Watch Dogs: LegionLayers of Fear (2023)
Deliver Us the MoonThe Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Far Cry 6Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
Forza Horizon 5Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Gotham KnightsThe Day Before
Resident Evil (2,3,7, Village)Dying: 1983
Battlefield (V, 2042)Elden Ring (Post Launch)

I have only covered a few portions of the huge ray-tracing-capable games. You may find a ton of other games that support ray tracing.

How to Enable Nvidia RTX Voice

RTX Voice is used to wipe out the background noise from the microphone. Enabling the RTX Voice feature can eliminate all ambient noise from the surroundings while calling via Zoom, Skype, Discord, or Slack. Consider the following procedure to turn on Nvidia RTX Voice.

Here are the steps to enable Nvidia RTX Voice:

  • Open your browser and download the RTX Voice installer.
  • Double-click on the downloaded file to install RTX Voice.
  • Select Agree and continue to start the installation.
  • Wait until you see the “NVIDIA Installer has finished” prompts.

Using the RTX Voice, you can remove background noise from your mic, along with the noise from incoming audio.

The list of RTX Voice-supported applications is huge. A few examples of RTX Voice-supported applications are OBS Studio, Twitch Studio, Google Chrome, Battle.net Chat, WebEx, Steam Chat, XSplit Gamecaster, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RTX a good graphics card?

Yes, RTX is best for its awesome performance, graphics, and future-proofing. Lights from a ray tracing GPU look far better than the traditional rendered lighting.

Which RTX is best for gaming?

GeForce RTX 4090 is the best GPU available in the market for consumers. It can generate outstanding details such as lighting, shadows, and reflections.

How do I know if RTX is working?

You will see the most accurate reflection and pathways of simulated light when the RTX is functioning. You can also check the in-game settings to check if the RTX is working.

Wrap Up

Enabling RTX or ray tracing while playing a compatible game can change the entire gaming experience with its outstanding visual outputs.

Real-time ray tracing is changing the world dramatically and in the future, we will see more and more photorealistic images & videos.

I hope this article fulfills all your desires about the details of RTX and its usage. However, if you have any further queries, let me know in the comment below.

About The Author
Farhan Max is a tech geek with a particular interest in computer hardware. He's been fascinated by gaming since childhood and is now completing his undergraduate studies while researching and testing the latest tech innovations. Alongside his love for all things geeky, Farhan is also a skilled photographer.

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