You can find the Windows Display Driver Model version for each graphics adapter with the built-in DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Open DxDiag, select every Display tab, and read Driver Model in the Drivers panel. A value such as WDDM 3.1 describes the display driver's WDDM level for that adapter; it is not the DirectX runtime version, the graphics-driver package version, or a Direct3D feature level.
I reproduced the check on Windows 11 Home Single Language version 25H2, build 26220.7872. The tested hybrid-graphics laptop exposed two DxDiag tabs: Display 1 for integrated AMD Radeon Graphics reported WDDM 3.1, while Display 2 for an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 reported WDDM 3.2. The method required no administrator rights and did not update, reinstall, enable, disable, or configure either driver. DxDiag's optional report export and online signature check were not needed.
What does the WDDM version tell you?
WDDM stands for Windows Display Driver Model, the graphics-driver architecture Windows uses for display, memory management, GPU scheduling, recovery, and DirectX integration. Microsoft introduced WDDM 1.0 with Windows Vista and has extended the model through later Windows releases. Windows 11 began with WDDM 3.0, version 22H2 introduced WDDM 3.1 capabilities, and version 24H2 introduced WDDM 3.2 capabilities.
The number shown by DxDiag belongs to a particular graphics adapter and its installed driver. It is not simply copied from the Windows version. A current Windows installation can run an adapter whose compatible driver exposes an older WDDM level. On a laptop with integrated and discrete graphics, the two Display tabs can also report different driver models if the adapters use different driver generations.
Use the value when an app, game, graphics feature, virtualized workload, or troubleshooting guide specifies a minimum WDDM version. Treat it as one compatibility fact, not a performance score. A higher WDDM number does not state how fast the GPU is, how much video memory it has, or whether every optional feature in that model is enabled.
Table of contents
How can you open DxDiag without changing the graphics configuration?
- Press Windows + R to open Run.
- Type
dxdiag, then press Enter. - If Windows asks whether to check for digitally signed drivers, make your normal privacy and network choice. That optional check is not required to read Driver Model.
- Wait for the progress indicator to finish if DxDiag is still collecting local device information.
- Do not select Save All Information for this focused check. A saved report contains much more system inventory than the WDDM result requires.
Microsoft's DxDiag guidance confirms that the tool collects device information for DirectX sound and video troubleshooting. The separate WinSides guide to opening and using DxDiag in Windows 11 explains its broader tabs and troubleshooting role.
How can you read WDDM on the first Display tab?
- Select Display 1. Some PCs label the tab Display when only one graphics device is exposed.
- Confirm the adapter under Device > Name.
- In the Drivers panel, read Driver Model.
- Record the WDDM value together with the adapter name so you do not attach one GPU's result to another GPU.
The nearby Version field is the vendor driver's file/package version, not WDDM. The Date field is the driver date. Direct3D DDI and Feature Levels describe other interfaces or hardware capability tiers. Read the row explicitly labeled Driver Model when a requirement says WDDM.
Why should you check every Display tab?
A hybrid laptop can have an integrated GPU for efficient desktop/display work and a discrete GPU for demanding apps. DxDiag normally gives each exposed adapter a separate Display tab. Checking only Display 1 can therefore miss the adapter an app actually uses.
- Select Display 2, or the next numbered Display tab.
- Read Device > Name and Drivers > Driver Model again.
- Repeat for every additional Display tab.
- Close DxDiag with Exit after recording the focused results.
The tested adapters did not match: the integrated GPU reported WDDM 3.1 and the discrete GPU reported WDDM 3.2. A remote desktop session, virtual machine, USB display adapter, indirect display driver, or vendor-specific hybrid design can expose still other display devices and driver models.
Which WDDM versions are associated with Windows 11?
Microsoft's current display-driver documentation associates WDDM 3.0 with Windows 11 version 21H2, WDDM 3.1 with version 22H2 capabilities, and WDDM 3.2 with version 24H2 capabilities. Those mappings identify when a driver-model generation was introduced; they do not promise that every adapter on a newer Windows build will expose the newest number.
Microsoft's Windows 11 graphics-driver history also notes that Windows 11 version 23H2 did not change the WDDM version. That is a useful reminder not to invent a one-to-one mapping for every annual Windows label.
If a program requires WDDM 3.0 or later, compare the requirement with the specific adapter it will use. The operating system, hardware, installed signed driver, and application path all matter. Do not edit the registry or rename driver files to make DxDiag display a different value.
How is WDDM different from DirectX version and feature levels?
DirectX version on DxDiag's System tab describes the DirectX runtime available in Windows. Feature Levels on a Display tab describe sets of GPU functionality exposed through the driver. Driver Model is the WDDM architecture level. These numbers can coexist without matching.
Microsoft explains that a Direct3D feature level states functionality, not performance, and that feature levels are not the same as API versions. Likewise, WDDM 3.1 does not mean “DirectX 3.1,” and a Feature Level 12_1 entry does not mean the adapter uses WDDM 12.1. Read the label as well as the number.
The ordinary four-part vendor driver version is another separate identifier. It is useful when comparing an installed package with the PC or GPU manufacturer's supported release, but you cannot reliably translate that version into a WDDM value by looking at its digits. DxDiag already presents the explicit Driver Model result.
What should you do if DxDiag shows an older WDDM version?
First verify every Display tab and confirm which adapter the requirement concerns. Then install normal Windows updates and check the computer or graphics-adapter manufacturer's support channel for a compatible signed driver. On many laptops, the PC manufacturer customizes hybrid-graphics drivers, power behavior, and switching, so its validated package can be safer than an unrelated generic package.
Do not force a driver intended for different hardware, change firmware settings, uninstall a working adapter, or use a third-party driver downloader merely to chase a larger WDDM number. The hardware itself may not support a newer driver model, and the newest WDDM generation may not be necessary for the app you want to run.
If DxDiag shows Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, the vendor driver may be absent or not loaded. If a Display tab is missing in a remote or virtual session, repeat the check locally because the session can expose a virtual display driver instead of the physical GPU. After a legitimate driver update, restart when instructed and run DxDiag again.
What should you hide before sharing DxDiag evidence?
A Display tab can reveal the GPU model, manufacturer, chip type, memory values, driver files, version, date, feature levels, and notes. The System tab and a complete saved text report can expose the computer name, operating-system build, BIOS, page-file details, device identifiers, and other inventory.
For a WDDM question, share a focused crop containing the Display tab, adapter name, and Driver Model line. Review the image for unintended windows or overlays. The two published images here are article-specific derivatives of ledger-verified raw frames from the identical Windows build and read-only DxDiag state; no saved report was created.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the WDDM version shown in DxDiag?
Select a Display tab, look in the Drivers panel, and read the Driver Model row. Repeat the check on every numbered Display tab.
Is WDDM 3.1 the same as DirectX 12?
No. WDDM is the Windows display-driver model. DirectX runtime versions and Direct3D hardware feature levels are separate compatibility facts.
Can two GPUs in one PC have different WDDM versions?
Yes. Each adapter uses its own installed display driver, so check every DxDiag Display tab and record the adapter name with its result.
Do you need administrator rights to check WDDM?
No. DxDiag opened and reported both tested adapters in a standard user session without changing a driver or graphics setting.
Read Driver Model on every DxDiag Display tab
Open DxDiag, select each Display tab, and pair the Device Name with the Drivers panel's Driver Model value. Keep WDDM separate from the vendor driver version, DirectX runtime, Direct3D DDI, and feature levels. If an adapter reports an older model, use only a compatible signed update path and remember that the hardware can set the practical limit.
For more interesting articles, stay tuned to WinSides.com!
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