Unable to initialize GPU in DaVinci Studio [Fix]

DaVinci Resolve Studio is arguably one of the best video editing utilities. However, we have noticed that sometimes, the application crashes into oblivion throwing the following error message.

Unable to Intialize GPU

Please ensure that the system power profile is set to user the discrete GPU for DaVinci Resolve and that the displays are not connected to the integrated GPU.

In this post, we will review this issue and discuss what to do if your system is unable to initialize the GPU in DaVinci Studio.

Unable to initialize GPU in DaVinci Studio

If you are unable to initialize GPU in DaVinci Studio, you should first check and ensure that you have enough system resources to run the program. The two major requirements are an Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD processor and a GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM and supports OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 11 and the Latest driver Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 10.4.

If you meet the stated requirements but encounter the same issue, follow the solutions mentioned below.

1. Check the GPU Configuration
2. Check your HDMI Cable
3. Force DaVinci Resolve to run with the dedicated GPU
4. Use High or Ultimate Performance Power Options
5. Update your Graphics Drivers

Let us talk about them in detail.

1] Check the GPU Configuration

Our first step is to check and make sure that the GPU is configured in DaVinci Resolve. To do so, you need to click on the Update Configuration button from the error message box. Then, go to the Memory and GPU tab and check the GPU Configuration section. The GPU processing mode should be checked and set to Auto, and your dedicated GPU should be enabled. After making the changes, quit the settings panel, and restart the app to check if the issue persists.

2] Check your HDMI cable

If you are running the integrated GPU as your main Graphics, you will most probably not be able to run DaVinci because it is extremely demanding. An integrated GPU has its own memory, called virtual memory, which is usually not enough. So, in this case, your first step should be to move the HDMI cable from the integrated GPU port to that of your external or discrete GPU. This will allow the DaVinci Resolve Studio to leverage the full capability of your more powerful external graphics and will run nonchalantly.

3] Force DaVinci Resolve to run with the dedicated GPU

Swapping the HDMI cable from integrated to discrete GPU might work in some instances; however, we have to go the extra mile and force the app to always run with the dedicated GPU. To do so, you can follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Open Settings. 
2. Go to System > Display.
3. Then, go to Graphics from the Related Settings section.
4. Now, look for DaVinci Resolve Studio.  If you can’t find it there, click Browse, navigate to its location, and select its EXE file.
5. Then, click on Options, from the Graphics Preferences window, you need to select High performance, and finally, click on Save.

Now, try running DaVinci Resolve and see if the issue is resolved.

4] Use High or Ultimate Performance Power Option

If switching to a dedicated GPU doesn’t work, we need to aim to extract as much processing power as possible from our computer. So, we will try shooting for High-Performance mode. In case that doesn’t work, we will switch to Ultimate Performance mode.

To do so, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Then, go to Hardware & sound > Power Options.
3. Now, select High performance.
4. If it is not available, click on Create a power plan, and select High performance.
5. Click on Next, and finally, set to High performance.

Once you have configured and enabled High-performance mode, check to see if the issue is resolved. If that does not help, go ahead and enable Ultimate Performance Power Plan.

Read: GPU failed to perform image processing with Error DaVinci Resolve

5] Update your Graphics Drivers

If you are still encountering the same issue, your GPU drivers may not be updated and, hence, are incompatible. Therefore, we need to go to the manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of the driver. Once done, go ahead and install it on your computer. After updating the driver, reboot the device and open DaVinci Resolve.

Hopefully, your issue will be resolved.

Read: DaVinci Resolve not opening or keeps crashing on startup

Why isn’t DaVinci Resolve using my GPU?

DaVinci Resolve uses your default GPU, so it will use it if the integrated GPU is the default. In case you have a dedicated GPU, you need to make sure that it is the default, or you can configure DaVinci to use the discrete GPU from its settings and then force it to always open in the High-Performance mode, which will make sure that every time DaVinci launches with the dedicated GPU.

Read: DaVinci Resolve Error Code 59

What is the minimum GPU requirements for DaVinci Resolve?

You can run DaVinci with an integrated or dedicated GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM. The GPU should also support OpenCL 1.2 or CUDA 11 and the latest driver, Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 10.4. However, since it is a hassle to find an integrated GPU with all these features, most users prefer using a dedicated one.

Also Read: Your GPU memory is full in DaVinci Resolve.