---
title: Troubleshooting NVIDIA GPU
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description: A step-by-step guide to enable Jan to properly leverage NVIDIA GPU resources, avoiding performance issues.
keywords: [
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  ]
---

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import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';


This guide provides steps to troubleshoot and resolve issues when the Jan app does not utilize the NVIDIA GPU on Windows and Linux systems.

### 1. Ensure GPU Mode Requirements

<Tabs>
  <TabItem value="windows" label="Windows">
    
    #### NVIDIA Driver

    - Install an [NVIDIA Driver](https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx) supporting CUDA 11.7 or higher.
      - Use the following command to verify the installation:

    ```sh
    nvidia-smi
    ```

    #### CUDA Toolkit

    - Install a [CUDA toolkit](https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-downloads) compatible with your NVIDIA driver.
      - Use the following command to verify the installation:

    ```sh
    nvcc --version
    ```

  </TabItem>
  <TabItem value="linux" label="Linux">
    
    #### NVIDIA Driver

    - Install an [NVIDIA Driver](https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx) supporting CUDA 11.7 or higher.
      - Use the following command to verify the installation:

    ```sh
    nvidia-smi
    ```

    #### CUDA Toolkit

    - Install a [CUDA toolkit](https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-downloads) compatible with your NVIDIA driver.
      - Use the following command to verify the installation:

    ```sh
    nvcc --version
    ```
    #### Linux Specifics

    - Ensure that `gcc-11`, `g++-11`, `cpp-11`, or higher is installed.
      - See [instructions](https://gcc.gnu.org/projects/cxx-status.html#cxx17) for Ubuntu installation.

    - **Post-Installation Actions**: Add CUDA libraries to `LD_LIBRARY_PATH`.
    - Follow the [Post-installation Actions](https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-linux/index.html#post-installation-actions) instructions.

  </TabItem>
</Tabs>

### 2. Switch to GPU Mode

Jan defaults to CPU mode but automatically switches to GPU mode if your system supports it, selecting the GPU with the highest VRAM. Check this setting in `Settings` > `Advanced Settings`.

#### Troubleshooting Tips

If GPU mode isn't enabled by default:

1. Confirm that you have installed an NVIDIA driver supporting CUDA 11.7 or higher. Refer to [CUDA compatibility](https://docs.nvidia.com/deploy/cuda-compatibility/index.html#binary-compatibility__table-toolkit-driver).
2. Ensure compatibility of the CUDA toolkit with your NVIDIA driver. Refer to [CUDA compatibility](https://docs.nvidia.com/deploy/cuda-compatibility/index.html#binary-compatibility__table-toolkit-driver).
3. For Linux, add CUDA's `.so` libraries to the `LD_LIBRARY_PATH`. For Windows, ensure that CUDA's `.dll` libraries are in the PATH. Refer to [Windows setup](https://docs.nvidia.com/cuda/cuda-installation-guide-microsoft-windows/index.html#environment-setup).

### 3. Check GPU Settings

1. Navigate to `Settings` > `Advanced Settings` > `Jan Data Folder` to access GPU settings.
2. Open the `settings.json` file in the `settings` folder. Here's an example:

```json title="~/jan/settings/settings.json"
{
  "notify": true,
  "run_mode": "gpu",
  "nvidia_driver": {
    "exist": true,
    "version": "531.18"
  },
  "cuda": {
    "exist": true,
    "version": "12"
  },
  "gpus": [
    {
      "id": "0",
      "vram": "12282"
    },
    {
      "id": "1",
      "vram": "6144"
    },
    {
      "id": "2",
      "vram": "6144"
    }
  ],
  "gpu_highest_vram": "0"
}
```
### 4. Restart Jan
Restart Jan application to make sure it works.

#### Troubleshooting Tips

 - Ensure `nvidia_driver` and `cuda` fields indicate installed software.
 - If `gpus` field is empty or lacks your GPU, check NVIDIA driver and CUDA toolkit installations.
 - For further assistance, share the `settings.json` file.

### Tested Configurations

- **Windows 11 Pro 64-bit:**
  - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070ti
  - CUDA: 12.2
  - NVIDIA driver: 531.18 (Bare metal)

- **Ubuntu 22.04 LTS:**
  - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070ti
  - CUDA: 12.2
  - NVIDIA driver: 545 (Bare metal)

- **Ubuntu 20.04 LTS:**
  - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660ti
  - CUDA: 12.1
  - NVIDIA driver: 535 (Proxmox VM passthrough GPU)

- **Ubuntu 18.04 LTS:**
  - GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660ti
  - CUDA: 12.1
  - NVIDIA driver: 535 (Proxmox VM passthrough GPU)

### Common Issues and Solutions

1. If the issue persists, try installing the [Nightly version](https://jan.ai/install/nightly/).
2. Ensure your (V)RAM is accessible; some users with virtual RAM may require additional configuration.
3. Seek assistance in [Jan Discord](https://discord.gg/mY69SZaMaC).