In the first part of our deep-dive into settings, we looked at how SOLIDWORKS behaves: how models are rebuilt, how data is loaded and how large assemblies are handled.
Now it is time to take control.
Taking control of SOLIDWORKS
Performance is not just about how models are opened. It is about what happens while you work, how your system responds and how much unnecessary work SOLIDWORKS is doing in the background.
The difference between a slow system and a responsive one is often not the model itself, but how it is managed.
In this article, we will look at the settings and tools that allow you to take control of SOLIDWORKS. We will also finish by looking at two tools that help you analyze performance, so you can stop guessing and start working with actual data.
Because once you understand what SOLIDWORKS is doing, you can decide what it should stop doing.
Once your models are under control, the next step is making SOLIDWORKS work with you — not against you.
6. Enhanced Graphics Performance: Let your hardware do the work.
Found under: System Options → Performance.
What It Does
Enhanced Graphics Performance allows SOLIDWORKS to use your graphics card more effectively for rendering and displaying models.
Instead of relying heavily on the CPU for graphical calculations, more of the workload is shifted to the GPU. This improves how models are displayed on screen, especially when working with complex geometry or large assemblies.
Why It Matters
For many years, SOLIDWORKS was primarily CPU-driven, even when handling graphics. This meant that powerful graphics cards were often underutilized, and performance depended heavily on single-core CPU speed.
“Enhanced Graphics Performance” marked a shift in that approach.
Introduced as a beta feature in SOLIDWORKS 2019 and enabled by default in 2021, it reflects a broader move toward better GPU utilization. When enabled, operations such as rotating, zooming and panning large models become noticeably smoother. The graphics card does more of the work, and the overall experience becomes more responsive.
If the setting is disabled, SOLIDWORKS falls back to older behavior. The result is often lower frame rates and a system that feels slower than it should.
How to Use It
This setting should generally be enabled, but only if your hardware supports it.
With a certified graphics card and up-to-date drivers (see later in this article), it will improve visual performance without affecting model accuracy. In most modern systems, there is no reason to leave it turned off.
If you experience graphical glitches, instability or unexpected display behavior, temporarily disabling it can help identify whether the issue is related to the graphics pipeline.
Common Mistake
Ignoring the setting completely.
Many users never check whether Enhanced Graphics Performance is enabled, even though it can have a noticeable impact on how responsive SOLIDWORKS feels.
Another common issue is enabling it on unsupported hardware, which can lead to graphical artifacts or instability.
7. Graphics Card and Drivers: Your hardware defines your experience.
Found under: SOLIDWORKS Rx → Diagnostics → SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification (online).
What It Does
Your graphics card and its driver determine how SOLIDWORKS handles everything you see on screen.
This includes model display, navigation, visual stability and overall responsiveness. Modern versions of SOLIDWORKS rely more on the GPU than before, but only when the hardware and drivers are properly supported.
Why It Matters
Two systems can run the same version of SOLIDWORKS on similar hardware and still feel completely different. In many cases, the difference is not the CPU or the amount of RAM. It is the graphics card, or more importantly, the driver.
At a glance, a high-end gaming GPU and a professional graphics card may seem comparable. Both are powerful, but they are built for different purposes. Gaming GPUs are optimized for frame rates and visual effects. Professional GPUs are optimized for stability, accuracy and certified CAD performance.
In SOLIDWORKS, that difference matters.
Uncertified hardware or drivers can lead to graphical glitches, crashes during navigation and inconsistent performance. These issues often appear to be software problems — but they are not.
How to Use It
Start by verifying your system using SOLIDWORKS Rx. This will show whether your graphics card and driver are certified.
If your system is not certified, updating to a supported driver version is often the simplest improvement. In many cases, this alone resolves instability and improves performance.
If problems persist, testing with a certified driver helps isolate whether the issue is hardware-related.
Common Mistake
Assuming that any powerful graphics card will perform well in SOLIDWORKS.
High-end gaming GPUs are not optimized for CAD workflows, and the newest driver is not always the most stable choice. Certification matters more than raw specifications.
Takeaway
SOLIDWORKS performance is not just about how powerful your hardware is; it’s about how well it is supported. To ensure good graphics performance, always follow these two rules:
1) Use a supported graphics card.
2) Make sure your driver is supported and tested.
When the graphics pipeline is stable, everything else becomes easier.
8. Detailing Mode: Open fast — detail when it matters.
Found under: Open Drawing → Detailing Mode.
What It Does
Detailing Mode allows you to open drawings without loading the full model data behind them.
Instead of resolving every referenced part and assembly, SOLIDWORKS loads only the information needed to display and work with the drawing itself.
Dimensions, annotations and views are available, while the underlying model data remains unloaded until explicitly needed. These annotations and dimensions are editable, and it is also possible to add more .
Why It Matters
Drawings are often one of the slowest parts of the workflow. Not because of what you see, but because of what is loaded in the background.
A single drawing can reference large assemblies with hundreds or thousands of components. Opening that drawing traditionally means loading all of that data, even if you only need to review or adjust a few dimensions.
Detailing Mode changes that.
By skipping the full model load, drawings open significantly faster and become more responsive to work in. For many tasks, the full model is simply not required. This follows the same principle as lightweight components in assemblies: load only what you need.
How to Use It
When opening a drawing, choose Detailing Mode instead of the default fully resolved option.
This is especially useful when reviewing drawings, making minor annotation changes or working with large assemblies where load time becomes a bottleneck.
If full model access is required, the drawing can be resolved later. This allows you to start working immediately and only load additional data when needed. Furthermore, it is possible to create standard views from the view palette, and each year the number of options increases
Common Mistake
Opening every drawing fully resolved by default.
This forces SOLIDWORKS to load large amounts of data unnecessarily, even when the task does not require it. Over time, this leads to longer wait times and a slower workflow.
Takeaway
Detailing Mode is not about limiting your access — it is about controlling when you need it. Open fast. Work efficiently. Load detail only when it matters.
9. Assembly Visualization: Stop guessing – start measuring.
Found under: Evaluate tab → Assembly Visualization.
What It Does
Assembly Visualization is a tool that analyzes components in an assembly based on selected criteria.
This can include rebuild time, file size, number of components or other performance-related data. The results are displayed in a sortable list, making it easy to compare components and identify patterns.
Instead of looking at the assembly as a whole, you can break it down and see what actually contributes to performance issues.
Why It Matters
When an assembly becomes slow, the natural reaction is to assume that the entire model is the problem. In reality, that is rarely the case.
Most assemblies are not slow, and the problem is only a few components.
These components often contain complex features, inefficient geometry or unnecessary detail. Without a tool like Assembly Visualization, they are difficult to identify. Everything looks the same in the Feature Manager, and the problem remains hidden.
Assembly Visualization changes that.
It gives you measurable data, making it possible to focus your efforts where they actually matter.
How to Use It
Open Assembly Visualization from the Evaluate tab and sort the components based on rebuild time or file size.
This quickly reveals which parts have the biggest impact on performance.
Once identified, you can investigate those components and decide whether they need to be simplified, rebuilt or replaced with a more efficient version.
The goal is not to optimize everything but to optimize what matters.
Common Mistake
Trying to improve performance by making small changes across the entire assembly.
This often results in a lot of work with very little impact. In most cases, improving a few heavy components will have a much greater effect than adjusting many smaller ones.
Takeaway
Assembly performance is not guesswork. You can measure it, you can understand it and most importantly, you can improve it where it matters. With assembly visualization you can wee which components are heavy, the next step is understanding why
10. Performance evaluation: Finding the culprit.
Found under: Evaluate tab → Performance Evaluation.
What It Does
Performance Evaluation analyzes your model and provides detailed information about how it is built and how it performs.
It highlights factors such as rebuild time, number of components, graphics triangles and other elements that impact performance.
Instead of relying on assumptions, it gives you measurable data about your model.
Why It Matters
When a model feels slow, the natural reaction is to guess what might be causing it. In most cases, that guess is wrong.
Performance issues are often caused by specific features, patterns or levels of detail that are not obvious just by looking at the model.
Performance Evaluation makes these issues visible.
It allows you to see where time is spent during rebuilds and how complexity affects performance. This turns performance from a feeling into something you can actually understand.
How to Use It
Run Performance Evaluation on your model and review the results.
Look for:
- Long rebuild times.
- High graphics triangle counts.
- Complex patterns or features.
Use this information to identify where optimization will have the biggest impact. The goal is not to simplify everything, but to focus on what actually slows the model down.
Common Mistake
Trying to improve performance without measuring it first.
This often leads to unnecessary changes in areas that have little or no impact. Without data, optimization becomes guesswork.
Takeaway
Performance is not something you estimate. It is something you measure; because once you understand where the time goes, you know where to improve.
Final Thoughts
SOLIDWORKS performance and stability are not defined by hardware alone. They are defined by control.
Most users accept the default setup and adapt their workflow around it. Over time, this leads to slow models, unstable behavior, and unnecessary frustration. A more effective approach is to treat SOLIDWORKS as a system that can be tuned. When you adjust settings intentionally, you reduce rebuild time, improve stability and remove unnecessary work. The result is not just a faster system, but a more predictable one.
Because performance is not about doing more, it is about making SOLIDWORKS do less.