Acer Nitro 5 AMD GPU Not Detected on Windows 11: Radeon Driver Fix

Acer Nitro 5 AMD GPU not detected on Windows 11? The AMD Radeon RX graphics card is not showing in Device Manager, games are running on the Intel integrated graphics instead of the AMD Radeon, or AMD Adrenalin software shows no GPU detected. Acer Nitro 5 models AN515-45, AN515-46, AN515-57, and AN517-54 with AMD Ryzen and Radeon RX discrete graphics use AMD’s hybrid graphics technology — the AMD Radeon RX card handles gaming while AMD Ryzen’s integrated Radeon handles desktop work. A driver conflict between the integrated and discrete AMD drivers frequently causes the Radeon RX to disappear.

Why Acer Nitro 5 AMD Radeon GPU Goes Missing on Windows 11

AMD Nitro 5 discrete GPU detection failure has AMD-specific causes that differ from Nvidia hybrid graphics issues:

• AMD driver installer installed integrated-only package — AMD sometimes releases separate driver packages for integrated Radeon (Ryzen) and discrete Radeon RX; installing the wrong one hides the RX card
• Windows 11 changed hybrid graphics handling — Windows 11 23H2 changed how it manages AMD hybrid graphics; older AMD Adrenalin versions fail to expose the discrete GPU after this update
• AMD Radeon RX power state issue — the discrete GPU enters a low-power state on battery and does not wake correctly; symptoms appear only on battery use
• Acer NitroSense software conflict — NitroSense controls power mode and GPU activation; an outdated version can prevent the Radeon RX from being activated

Verify Which GPU Is Rendering

Open Task Manager → Performance → GPU. If you see only one GPU entry (AMD Radeon Graphics, not AMD Radeon RX), the discrete card is not active. Also open AMD Adrenalin Software → Home — it should show two GPU entries for the system. A single entry means the discrete GPU is either off or not detected by the driver.

Fix Acer Nitro 5 AMD Radeon GPU Not Detected on Windows 11

Step 1: Enable GPU via Acer NitroSense

Open Acer NitroSense (search in Start menu). Go to the GPU section and check if iGPU Mode is enabled — this mode disables the discrete Radeon RX to save battery. Switch to Standard Mode or Performance Mode. Restart. After restart, check Task Manager → GPU again to see if the Radeon RX appears as a second GPU entry.

Step 2: Clean Install AMD Radeon Driver

Download AMD Cleanup Utility from AMD Support. Boot into Safe Mode (Settings → Recovery → Advanced startup → Troubleshoot → Advanced → Startup Settings → Restart → F4). Run AMD Cleanup Utility in Safe Mode to remove all AMD driver components. Restart back to normal Windows. Then download and install the latest AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition for Radeon RX 5500M, 5600M, 6600M, or whichever model your Nitro 5 has. The clean install prevents component version conflicts between integrated and discrete drivers.

Step 3: Update Acer Nitro 5 BIOS and NitroSense

Go to Acer Support, enter your Nitro 5 model, and download the latest BIOS update and NitroSense software. BIOS updates for Nitro 5 often include fixes for AMD hybrid graphics initialization. Run the BIOS update while plugged in. Also update NitroSense to the latest version — older versions use deprecated AMD power management APIs that do not work correctly with Windows 11 23H2 and newer.

Per Alex M., who is a Software Engineer using an Acer Nitro 5 AN515-45: “Games were showing only 6% GPU usage and running terribly. Task Manager showed no Radeon RX — just the integrated AMD Radeon Graphics. NitroSense had iGPU Mode enabled, which completely disables the Radeon RX 5600M. Switching to Performance Mode and restarting brought the RX back immediately. GPU usage jumped to 90% in games and FPS was back to normal.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Acer Nitro 5 AMD Radeon RX not showing in Device Manager — fix?

Check Acer NitroSense for iGPU Mode — if enabled, it disables the discrete Radeon RX. Switch to Standard or Performance mode and restart. If the GPU still does not appear, perform a clean AMD driver install using AMD Cleanup Utility in Safe Mode followed by a fresh Adrenalin driver install.

Acer Nitro 5 games running on integrated graphics instead of Radeon RX — why?

The discrete Radeon RX may be in iGPU mode or the game is not set to use high-performance GPU. Open AMD Adrenalin Software, go to Gaming, find the game, and set GPU preference to High Performance. Also check NitroSense power mode — battery saver or iGPU mode routes rendering to integrated graphics.

AMD Adrenalin showing only one GPU on Acer Nitro 5 — normal?

No. Acer Nitro 5 with AMD discrete graphics should show two GPU entries in both AMD Adrenalin and Task Manager Performance, GPU section. Only one GPU means iGPU mode is active or the discrete driver is not loaded. Check NitroSense and perform a clean AMD driver install if needed.

Acer Nitro 5 AMD GPU missing only on battery — why?

AMD hybrid graphics on Nitro 5 can automatically switch to integrated-only on battery to save power. This is normal behavior in battery-saver profiles. Go to Power Options and set the power plan to Balanced or High Performance, or use NitroSense to force Standard mode which keeps the discrete GPU accessible on battery.

Conclusion

Acer Nitro 5 AMD Radeon GPU not detected on Windows 11 is fixed by checking Acer NitroSense for iGPU Mode and switching to Standard or Performance mode, then performing a clean AMD driver reinstall using AMD Cleanup Utility in Safe Mode followed by the latest AMD Adrenalin installation. Update the Nitro 5 BIOS and NitroSense software from Acer Support for full compatibility with Windows 11.