KiCad Not Using Nvidia GPU for Raytraced 3D Rendering

Layout 3D Models
1

Dear all,

I’m having trouble getting KiCad to utilize my dedicated Nvidia GPU (RTX 2000 ADA) when rendering 3D models in raytracing mode.

While rendering with raytracing enabled, the GPU usage remains at 0%, and my CPU runs at 100%. In contrast, the GPU is used correctly in normal (non-raytraced) 3D view.

I’ve already tried the following without success:

  • Reinstalling GPU drivers
  • Forcing KiCad to use the Nvidia GPU via the Nvidia Control Panel and Windows settings

Has anyone encountered a similar issue or found a solution?

2

Can you paste your version info here please, you can get it from KiCad > Help > About KiCad > Copy Version Info
image

3

KiCad’s raytracer is a software raytracing system. It does not use any GPU no matter what brand.

4

Application: KiCad x64 on x64

Version: 9.0.3, release build

Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.2.8
FreeType 2.13.3
HarfBuzz 10.2.0
FontConfig 2.15.0
libcurl/8.13.0-DEV Schannel zlib/1.3.1

Platform: Windows 11 (build 26100), 64-bit edition, 64 bit, Little endian, wxMSW
OpenGL: NVIDIA Corporation, NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation/PCIe/SSE2, 4.6.0 NVIDIA 572.16

Build Info:
Date: Jul 8 2025 05:19:33
wxWidgets: 3.2.8 (wchar_t,wx containers)
Boost: 1.88.0
OCC: 7.9.1
Curl: 8.13.0-DEV
ngspice: 44
Compiler: Visual C++ 1942 without C++ ABI
KICAD_IPC_API=ON

Locale:
Lang: en_DE
Enc: UTF-8
Num: 1.234,5
Encoded кΩ丈: D0BACEA9E4B888 (sys), D0BACEA9E4B888 (utf8)

5

I had this issue since KiCAD 8 already…

6

I also have a Dell laptop with RTX 2000. On that computer, the GPU is used 100% while rendering, and the image is rendered very fast, and still, I don’t know what are the settings differences between these two machines…

7

One of them is probably not using raytracing, or else one of them has a much faster CPU than the other and so it appears as though one is being accelerated. KiCad’s raytracer cannot use your GPU, and it is not a realtime renderer.

1 Like
8

Thank you for your answer, I found the main difference, and it is kind of silly… Always I thought that my laptop is using the GPU to render because the render was way faster than on my workstation, but the main differences are the screens. The laptop is a full HD packed with i7 gen-12 16 cores, and the workstation is i7 gen-12 20 cores, but with a 4k screen. I always rendered in fullscreen…now it makes sense why it was way slower.

2 Likes