How to Troubleshoot Graphics Issues in SOLIDWORKS Design

Graphics-related display issues in SOLIDWORKS Design, such as sketches not appearing, flickering geometry, or missing model edges, are most commonly caused by a mismatch between the version of SOLIDWORKS installed, the GPU, and the graphics driver currently in use. Each major release of SOLIDWORKS is certified against specific GPU models and driver versions, and running an outdated, uncertified, or gaming-optimized driver can lead to inconsistent behavior. This article explains how to identify whether your system is using a certified GPU and driver, how to adjust SOLIDWORKS’ Enhanced Graphics Performance setting for troubleshooting, and what options are available for users running non-certified hardware.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the troubleshooting, confirm the following:

You have local admin rights.
You know your computer's GPU name and model number.
- Note, you can check your GPU by going to your Windows Search bar and type 'system' and hit enter to load System Information. Then expand the 'Components' section and select Display. Keep this information handy as you work through this article.

TIP: If you are having trouble starting SOLIDWORKS Design or are experiencing a situation where you are unable to change any settings within SOLIDWORKS, you can follow the steps in this article to start in OpenGL mode and bypass your GPU altogether.

How to Troubleshoot SOLIDWORKS Crashing Issues

Toggle your 'Enhanced Graphics Mode' setting

Start SOLIDWORKS, go to Options --> Performance, and note whether Enhanced Graphics Performance is currently ON or OFF.
Change its state, restart SOLIDWORKS, and try to recreate any unwanted behavior. If this fixes your issues and the performance and appearance are acceptable, no further actions are required.

Check your GPU driver

Use the Hardware Certification page to see which driver version is recommended for your specific GPU, then compare it with the driver currently installed. If it needs to be updated, there’s a link directly to the manufacturer’s download page. For the sake of this article, you can ignore the "Vendors" and "Models" category and just make sure your GPU is listed.
- Hardware Certification | SOLIDWORKS

Tip: Sometimes GPU manufacturers release the newest drivers before SOLIDWORKS has verified them. Please check your version-year of SOLIDWORKS as well as the driver version. If your version is too-new, it may be worth it to try rolling back to the certified driver listed in the above webpage.

If your GPU is not listed as certified

If your card doesn’t appear in the certified hardware list for any given year, it’s not certified for that version-year of the software. In that case:

Update your GPU driver to the latest available.
Re-try toggling the Enhanced Graphics setting after updating.
For NVIDIA GeForce cards, check if a Studio Driver is available with your card. These are typically more stable for SOLIDWORKS than the standard Game Ready drivers.

Still experiencing issues?

If you have tried the above, are on a certified GPU, and are still experiencing issues, reach out to your Value Added Reseller (VAR) for more assistance.

Your VAR will probably ask you for a SOLIDWORKS Rx Problem capture. Gathering this in advance will help them help you in a more timely fashion
- Instructions for gathering the Rx are available here.