---
title: "Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS): what it changes and whether to enable it"
description: "HAGS on or off: what HwSchMode 2 and 1 write to the registry, when Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling helps frame times, when it hurts, and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/hardware-accelerated-gpu-scheduling
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-08-30
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "GPU"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS): what it changes and whether to enable it

**Short answer:** HAGS writes HwSchMode to SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers (2 enables it, 1 disables it) and moves parts of frame scheduling from the driver onto the GPU. It is required for DLSS Frame Generation. Otherwise it is one of very few settings where you genuinely have to test: it improves frame-time consistency on some CPU and driver combinations and introduces stutter on others, with no way to predict which from specifications.

## In the app

- Switch: Enable HAGS (GPU, Pro, Advanced)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off sets a standard Windows value, which may not be exactly how you had it.
- Game profiles that switch it on: ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6, Call of Duty and 3 more
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1007

## What it does

Normally the graphics driver batches and schedules the work sent to your GPU. HAGS hands a portion of that scheduling to a dedicated processor on the GPU itself, shortening the path between your game submitting a frame and the GPU starting it.

The change takes effect after a reboot, which is why toggling it and immediately benchmarking shows nothing.

## When it helps

- It is a hard requirement for DLSS Frame Generation. If you use frame generation, HAGS must be on.
- On recent CPU and driver combinations it often flattens frame times slightly, which shows up in 1% lows rather than average FPS.
- It can reduce CPU overhead in games that submit a very large number of draw calls.

## When it hurts

- On some older CPUs and specific driver revisions it introduces periodic stutter. This is well documented and not rare.
- A handful of capture and overlay tools have historically misbehaved with it enabled.
- It is not a free win. Anyone telling you to always enable or always disable it has not tested it across enough machines.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers` | `HwSchMode` | `2` | Not set (the value is deleted; Windows decides) | Tells the graphics stack whether the GPU may manage its own frame queue: 2 turns it on, 1 turns it off. Without the value, Windows and the driver decide. |

Source: Tweaks/tweaks_hags.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers" /v "HwSchMode" /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg delete "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers" /v "HwSchMode" /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers" /v "HwSchMode"
```

## How to undo it

Turn the toggle off in Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Change default graphics settings, or set HwSchMode to 1, and reboot. Switching it off in Frozen Tweaks deletes HwSchMode, so Windows goes back to its standard behavior for your GPU, which may not be exactly how you had it.

## Verdict

Test it. Benchmark the same scene twice, once in each state, and keep whichever gives better 1% lows. If you use DLSS Frame Generation the decision is made for you.

## Related guides

- [Best NVIDIA Control Panel Settings for Gaming in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/nvidia-control-panel-best-settings)
- [How to Fix Stuttering and Frame Drops: Diagnose Before You Tweak](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/fix-stuttering-frame-drops)
- [How to Increase FPS on PC: The Complete 2026 Guide](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/how-to-increase-fps-on-pc)
- [Best AMD Adrenalin Settings for Gaming in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/amd-adrenalin-best-settings)

## More tweak explainers

- [MSI mode](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/msi-mode-interrupts)
- [Multiplane overlay (MPO)](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-mpo-multiplane-overlay)
- [MSI mode for USB and NVMe](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/msi-mode-usb-nvme)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/hardware-accelerated-gpu-scheduling