In this article, we will explore various methods to extract GPU information using the terminal on a Linux system. Understanding your GPU’s specifications and its current state can be crucial for performance tuning, troubleshooting, and system optimization.
To get GPU information using the terminal on a Linux system, you can use commands like lshw -C display, glxinfo | grep "OpenGL", and nvidia-smi. These commands provide details about the GPU model, vendor, driver, bus information, OpenGL version, and more. Additionally, tools like screenfetch, neofetch, radeon-profile, and intel_gpu_top can also be used to obtain GPU information.
Using lshw Command
The lshw command is a small tool to extract detailed information on the hardware configuration of the machine. It can report exact memory configuration, firmware version, mainboard configuration, CPU version and speed, cache configuration, bus speed, etc.
To get GPU information, you can use the -C display option with lshw which filters the output to display only the information related to the display class (which includes GPUs).
sudo lshw -C displayThe output will include the GPU model, vendor, driver, bus information, and more. The *-display section is what you’re interested in.
Using glxinfo Command
The glxinfo command is used to display information about the OpenGL and GLX implementations running on a given X display. You can use it to get detailed information about your GPU and its capabilities.
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL"This command will return information about the OpenGL vendor, renderer (which includes the GPU name), version, and supported extensions.
Using nvidia-smi Command
If you have an NVIDIA GPU, you can use the nvidia-smi command. nvidia-smi stands for NVIDIA System Management Interface, and it’s a tool that reports NVIDIA GPU’s state and configuration.
nvidia-smiThis command will return information about the GPU name, memory usage, temperature, driver version, and more. For more detailed information, you can use the -q option.
nvidia-smi -qUsing screenfetch or neofetch Commands
screenfetch and neofetch are system information tools that display information about your system next to an image, generally your OS logo. They can also display GPU information.
To use these tools, first, you need to install them using your package manager. After that, you can simply run screenfetch or neofetch in the terminal.
screenfetchor
neofetchUsing radeon-profile Tool
If you have an AMD Radeon card, you can use the radeon-profile tool. This tool provides real-time information about the GPU, including temperature, clock speed, VRAM usage, and more.
To install radeon-profile, you can use your package manager. After that, you can simply run radeon-profile in the terminal.
Using intel_gpu_top Tool
For Intel GPUs, you can use the intel_gpu_top tool. This tool provides real-time information about GPU usage, memory usage, and more.
To use intel_gpu_top, you need to install it using your package manager. After that, you can simply run intel_gpu_top in the terminal.
Conclusion
There are various ways to get GPU information using the terminal on a Linux system. The method you choose depends on your specific needs and the type of GPU you have. Whether you are troubleshooting, optimizing, or just curious, these commands and tools provide a wealth of information about your GPU.
A GPU, or Graphics Processing Unit, is a specialized electronic circuit that is designed to quickly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device.
Knowing GPU information can be crucial for performance tuning, troubleshooting, and system optimization. It helps in understanding the capabilities and limitations of your GPU, identifying driver issues, monitoring GPU usage, and ensuring compatibility with software or games that require specific GPU specifications.
You can check GPU information using commands like lshw -C display, glxinfo | grep "OpenGL", nvidia-smi, screenfetch, neofetch, radeon-profile, or intel_gpu_top, depending on your GPU type and the specific information you are looking for.
The commands mentioned in this article are specific to Linux systems. However, on Windows, you can use tools like GPU-Z, Speccy, or the Windows Device Manager to check GPU information.
You can install the necessary tools using your Linux distribution’s package manager. For example, on Ubuntu, you can use the apt package manager to install lshw, glxinfo, and neofetch. For NVIDIA-specific tools like nvidia-smi, you may need to install the NVIDIA driver package.
Yes, there are other tools and commands available to check GPU information. Some additional options include hwinfo, inxi, lspci, and cat /proc/cpuinfo. These commands may provide different levels of detail and may require additional installation on your system.
Yes, you can check GPU information on a MacOS system using commands like system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType, system_profiler SPHardwareDataType, or by navigating to "About This Mac" in the Apple menu and clicking on "System Report". These methods provide detailed information about the GPU and other hardware components.
