Fix: This Effect Requires GPU Acceleration | SoftwareKep.com

The error “This effect requires GPU acceleration” error in editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects could mean anything. Learn how to fix it.

As an artist in video editing, you always look for new ways to improve your workflow and speed up your rendering times. So when you come across a render that's taking too long, and you're not sure why, you first check the effect settings.

But what if you discover that the effect requires GPU acceleration, and your computer doesn't have it?

GPU acceleration is a process that uses the graphics processing unit (GPU) in your computer to help with faster rendering speeds. Some effects require this type of acceleration in order to function properly.

If you’re a video editor, you may have received the message that says, “This effect requires GPU acceleration” while using apps like Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects. This can be frustrating, especially if you’re working on a laptop with an integrated graphics card.

The good news is that you can do a few things to try and fix this issue. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective methods.

What Is GPU Acceleration In After Effects and Adobe Premiere?

GPU acceleration is a term used to describe the process of using the graphics processing unit (GPU) in your computer to help with faster rendering speeds.

Some effects require this type of acceleration in order to function properly. GPU acceleration can be used for a variety of tasks, including video decoding, video encoding, and 3D rendering.

In After Effects and Adobe Premiere, GPU acceleration is used for certain types of renders and previews. For example, when you’re working with 4K footage or doing color correction, you may notice that things start to slow down. This is because these processes are more demanding on your computer’s resources.

Enabling GPU acceleration will help to speed up these processes and make them more efficient. However, not all effects can be accelerated by the GPU. And in some cases, it may actually make things worse.

What Causes the “This Effect Requires GPU Acceleration” Error?

There are a few different reasons why you may see the “This effect requires GPU acceleration” error message while using After Effects or Adobe Premiere.

The most common reason is that your computer doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card. If you’re using an older computer or a laptop with an integrated graphics card, this can be a problem.

Another reason this error message may pop up is because of the way your system is configured. For example, GPU acceleration will be required if you’re using certain types of effects, like the 3D Camera Tracker, ray-traced 3D renderer, or Warp Stabilizer VFX.

This error might be caused by third-party plugins or modifying the order of effects in the editing software. This problem can occur if the effects are stacked in an incorrect order, especially when third-party effects are used in your project.

Finally, this error message can also appear if there’s an issue with your graphics card drivers. If your drivers are out of date, or if they’re not compatible with the version of After Effects or Premiere you’re using, then you may see this error message.

How To Fix This Effect Requires GPU Acceleration

You can do a few things to try and fix the “This effect requires GPU acceleration” error message. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective methods.

Note: If you don’t have a dedicated graphics card, you may be unable to fix this issue. In this case, you’ll need to render your project without GPU acceleration or find another way to speed up the rendering process.

Method 1. Change Mercury GPU Acceleration in Your Project Settings

You can first try changing the Mercury GPU Acceleration setting in your project settings. This setting is located in the “Video Rendering and Playback” section of the settings menu.

By changing to a different GPU acceleration, you can try to use GPU acceleration technology for any effects that may require it.

This method works both in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. We'll use the latest version to demonstrate how you can change Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration in Premiere Pro.

First and foremost, click on the File drop-down menu in your After Effects or Premiere Pro program. Go to Project Settings > General at the bottom of the File menu.
This will open a new window on your computer screen. Click on the Mercury GPU Acceleration option from the drop-down menu in the Renderer section and select one of the following options:
- Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (OpenCL) if you have an AMD graphics card in your system
- Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (CUDA) if you have an Nvidia graphics card in your system
After you've made the necessary changes, click OK. Then try applying your effects again to see if the problem still exists.

Method 2. Change the Order of Effects on Your Clip(s)

Another reason you might be having this problem is because of the order of effects on the Effects Control window, as we mentioned earlier. If one or more effects require GPU hardware acceleration, try changing the order of the effects you've applied in the Effects Control Window.

You can easily rearrange the order of the effects in the list by dragging and dropping each one. To fix the problem, move the effect that is actually causing the problem to the top of the list and see if that fixes it. If that doesn't work, try switching the effects' general order and seeing what happens.

Furthermore, instead of putting the effect that is causing the problem in the Effects Control panel, some users have reported that putting the effect directly on the clip solved the problem for them. If you are unable to resolve the issue by simply changing the order, try that as well to see if the error message is resolved.

Method 3. Uninstall Any Third-Party Plugins

If you’re using any third-party plugins, try uninstalling them and see if that fixes the issue. In some cases, certain plugins can cause problems with GPU accelerated effects.

One of Premiere Pro's best features is that it allows you to install third-party plugins on your application, giving users access to additional functionality. While plugins can be extremely useful in a variety of situations, they can also cause problems with your application, such as the one you're experiencing right now.

This is especially likely to happen if you have an older plugin installed and then update Premiere Pro. So, if you're still dealing with an error regarding an effect that requires GPU acceleration in Premiere Pro or After Effects, try uninstalling your plugins.

The method you used to install the plugin may affect how you uninstall it. Plugins can be installed through the Adobe app or through a third-party installer. Follow the publisher's instructions to remove the plugin and work with Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration without errors.

Method 4. Update Your Graphics Card Driver

In some cases, the problem may be with your graphics card driver. Try updating your driver to see if that fixes the issue. You can usually find the latest drivers on your graphics card manufacturer’s website.

Here are the instructions to update your driver on a few of the most popular graphics cards:

How To Automatically Update Display Drivers on Windows

Windows update has a feature that allows you to automatically update outdated drivers. This can help you quickly find and get some of your components up-to-date without having to individually check for new versions.

To access the Start menu, click the Windows symbol in the lower-left corner of your screen, and then choose Settings. Alternatively, press Windows + I to bring up the menu.
Select the Update & Security tile from the drop-down menu. The majority of your Windows Update settings can be found here.
Go to the Windows Update section, and then click on the View optional updates link if it’s available.
Expand the Driver Updates section to see which components need to be updated right now. Simply check the boxes next to the drivers you want to update, then click the Download and Install button.
Allow Windows to download and update your outdated drivers before restarting your machine.

How To Manually Update Drivers on Windows

Use the steps below to manually update a driver that may be out of date. Keep in mind that only legitimate sites should be used to download drivers! Some fraudulent websites may try to trick you into downloading malware-infected files.

To access the needed utility, press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard and choose Device Manager from the context menu.
Select Update driver from the context menu after right-clicking on the graphics card you wish to update.
Choose how you want to update. You may either let Windows find a driver for you automatically or manually seek a fresh driver file on your machine.

Method 5. Reinstall Your Adobe Application

If you’re still seeing the “This effect requires GPU acceleration” error message, then you may need to reinstall your Adobe application. This will delete any preferences or settings that may be causing the problem.

When you reinstall, make sure you download the latest version of the software. This will ensure you have the most up-to-date drivers and software. Here's how to update Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and other Adobe apps like Media Encoder.

Launch the Adobe Creative Cloud application. Stay on the Apps page and wait for your applications to load.
Locate Adobe Premiere Pro or After Effects from your installed apps, and then click on the three dots on the right.
Select Uninstall from the options in the drop-down menu.
Click the Remove button to make sure all third-party plugins and potentially damaged settings are removed from your computer.
After the uninstallation progress is complete, restart your computer and relaunch the Adobe Creative Cloud app. Find Premiere Pro or After Effects and install it again by clicking on the Install button.

That's it. We believe you've got help.

Adobe Premiere Pro users have been reporting a specific error when they apply effects on the video they’re working on. The error message says “This effect requires GPU acceleration“, and users have been getting it regardless they have enabled GPU acceleration or not. If you’re in the same boat, no worries. We believe you got a few working fixes you can try.

TL;DR

GPU acceleration is a powerful feature that allows your video editing software to render effects more efficiently by using the power of your graphics card.
If your graphics card doesn't let you enable GPU acceleration, you may run into the “This effect requires GPU acceleration” error when video rendering.
To fix this problem, enable Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration in your editing software.
If the problem persists, try removing any third-party plugins or reorganizing the effects on your clips.
Make sure your graphics card driver and editing software are always up to date to ensure this error doesn't pop up again in the future.
Try a clean install of your editing software.

FAQ

How do I enable GPU acceleration in Premiere 2021?

Set the Renderer to Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (OpenCL/CUDA/Metal) in Adobe Premiere Pro by going to File > Project Settings > General > Video Rendering and Playback.

How do I turn on GPU acceleration in After Effects?

Select File > Project Settings, click the Video Rendering and Effects tab, and set the Use option to Mercury GPU Acceleration to enable GPU acceleration in After Effects. You may see multiple such options depending on your computer and GPU.

What does it mean when Premiere says this effect requires GPU acceleration?

When you select Mercury Software Only instead of GPU acceleration in the Video Rendering and Effects settings, the error message appears. This can be found in the application's Project Settings window. As a result, to get around the problem, you'll need to enable GPU acceleration.

Conclusion

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This Effect Requires GPU Acceleration? Here’s How To Fix It

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