> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://compresto.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hardware acceleration

> Use your Mac's GPU to speed up video compression

## Overview

Hardware acceleration uses your Mac's GPU to speed up video encoding and decoding. When enabled, Compresto leverages Apple's VideoToolbox framework to significantly reduce compression time.

## Benefits

* **Faster compression**: GPU encoding is typically 2-5x faster than CPU-only encoding
* **Lower CPU usage**: Frees up your CPU for other tasks during compression
* **Reduced heat**: Less CPU load means less heat generation

## How It Works

When enabled, Compresto automatically detects available hardware acceleration capabilities on your Mac and uses them for video processing. This works with:

* Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 series)
* Intel Macs with integrated or discrete GPUs

## How to Configure

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Open Compresto
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Go to **Settings** > **Advanced**
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Toggle **Automatic hardware acceleration** on or off

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/compresto/OeBIOIpDZVd45LNV/images/hardware_acceleration.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=OeBIOIpDZVd45LNV&q=85&s=cf7fccd708e68764c049a35b5f8d2b8d" alt="hardware acceleration" width="1732" height="1300" data-path="images/hardware_acceleration.png" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

## When to Disable

In most cases, hardware acceleration should be left enabled. However, you might want to disable it if:

* You experience video quality issues with specific files
* You encounter compatibility problems with certain video formats
* You prefer maximum quality over speed (software encoding can sometimes produce slightly better quality at the same bitrate)

<Note>
  Hardware acceleration is enabled by default. Most users should leave this setting on for the best performance.
</Note>