As an avid PC gamer, you may have encountered the error message ‘A D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’ when trying to launch games such as Fortnite and Valorant.
This error means that there is a problem with your graphics card. Usually, graphics card supports DirectX 11, but sometimes it may not do so due to some bug or technical glitch. This, in turn, affects the gaming performance as DirextX11 support is the least requirement for any game.
DirectX 11 is a set of APIs that help gaming developers create games with advanced features. In this article, we will explain how to fix this error in a few simple steps.
Install Windows update
Usually, when you install Windows update, DirectX will automatically be updated on your device.
When DirectX 11 is installed, it will fix ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’ error can be solved.

To check for Windows updates, head to Settings> Windows Update > Check for updates. If you have any updates available, click on Download and Install.
Run SFC scan
SFC or System File Checker is an in-built Windows utility tool designed to repair corrupt and damaged Windows system files.
Running this scan can fix ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’ error.
Step 1: Open Terminal by pressing the Windows key + X and selecting Terminal.

Step 2: Type sfc/scannow
and press Enter.

Step 3: In case the scan finds any problem, type the following command to fix it:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
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Configure games to utilise the graphics card
You can configure your games to utilise the dedicated graphics card by selecting the high-performance settings in the in-game menu.
You can also disable the integrated graphics card, so your game automatically utilises the dedicated graphics card. To disable the integrated graphics card, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Open Device Manager and then double-click on Display adapters.

Step 2: Right-click on the integrated graphics card and then click Disable device.

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Update your graphics card
Updating your graphics card can solve the ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’ problem.
Follow the instructions given below to update your graphics card:
Step 1: Right-click on the Start menu and then select Device Manager.

Step 2: Next, double-click on Display adapters to see the graphics card. Next, right-click on the integrated graphics card and then click on Update driver.

Step 3: Next, click on the Search automatically for drivers button to allow Windows to locate and install the driver update from the web.

Update Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
Another way to handle the ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’ error is to update or reinstall the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable.

To install it, navigate to the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable page and select your version. After that, run the software installer.
Install DirectX Runtime Libraries
DirectX Runtime Libraries are essential for managing and running graphics-intensive software like games or multimedia.

Head to the DirectX Runtime Libraries page to install these and click Download.
Opt for DirectX 11 for games
If a particular game or a set of games is affected by the ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU is required to run the engine’, then you should manually set the games to use DirectX 11.

For Steam, head to Libraries and then select General. In the General settings, activate the Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game and Use Desktop Game Theatre while SteamVR is active options.
Thus, using the steps we have mentioned, you can easily resolve the ‘a D3D11 compatible GPU required to run the engine’ error and resume gaming.
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