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HitFilm 2024 Not Recognizing GPU for Acceleration and the Config Profile Patch That Enabled Full Hardware Support

David Turner

In early 2024, many video editors and digital creatives experienced a frustrating problem with HitFilm 2024 — a powerful and widely used video editing and VFX software. The issue? HitFilm was failing to detect users’ dedicated GPUs for hardware acceleration, instead relying solely on integrated graphics or basic CPU rendering. For software that relies heavily on GPU acceleration to deliver smooth performance and faster exports, this became a critical issue for creators and professionals alike.

TL;DR

HitFilm 2024 launched with a bug that caused it to ignore most dedicated GPUs, forcing the software to run on less powerful integrated graphics. This caused significant slowdowns in rendering and playback. Fortunately, a crafty community-discovered config profile patch has surfaced, fully enabling hardware acceleration on most modern NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. Applying the patch restores full GPU performance and drastically improves usability.

The GPU Acceleration Problem in HitFilm 2024

HitFilm has long advertised GPU acceleration as one of its major features, particularly for real-time video playback, transitions, and fast rendering. However, with the 2024 update, users on forums, Reddit, and support communities began reporting sluggish editing experiences. Upon deeper inspection, it became clear that HitFilm 2024 was not recognizing dedicated GPUs, instead defaulting to lower-performing hardware configurations.

This was not limited to any one type or brand of GPU. Reports came in from users with:

The common thread? HitFilm simply didn’t see the hardware or failed to initialize it properly, even when other software like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or Blender used GPU acceleration without issue.

Initial Workarounds That Didn’t Work

As more and more users encountered this bug, they tried various workarounds. Some of the most common suggestions included:

None of these actually solved the problem long term. Even when system-level tweaks forced HitFilm to launch with a high-performance GPU, the software’s internal monitoring tools still reported that it was not using the GPU effectively. Render times remained high, and users continued to report laggy timelines, glitchy previews, and extended export times.

Discovery of the Config Profile Patch

In March 2024, a breakthrough came — not from the official developers, but from the community. A user going by the handle “VisualFlick” on the FXhome forums investigated deeply into the configuration files of HitFilm and discovered that the software was using a set of default hardware profiles that excluded many newer GPU models.

Digging into logs and JSON-based configuration files located in:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\FXhome\HitFilm\Config

They found that a file named hardwareProfiles.config was using outdated ID references for supported cards, resulting in anything newer — like RTX 4070 or RX 7900 XT — being ignored or treated as low-priority. These IDs were hardcoded and not dynamically recognized by the software.

To fix this, VisualFlick created a custom config patch that included updated GPU information, manually overriding HitFilm’s detection system.

How the Patch Works

The patch works by injecting an updated list of GPU profiles into the configuration system used by HitFilm at runtime. These new entries include correct support flags for:

Once applied, HitFilm immediately began recognizing supported GPUs on launch, as confirmed by the software’s diagnostics and real-world performance improvements. The playback became nearly instantaneous for 4K footage, and high-complexity effects like keying and motion tracking showed GPU usage spiking correctly in system monitors.

How to Apply the Config Patch

The patch isn’t officially supported yet — so use at your own risk — but it has proven to be effective for hundreds of users. Here is a simplified version of how to apply it:

  1. Navigate to your HitFilm config directory:

    C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local\FXhome\HitFilm\Config
  2. Backup hardwareProfiles.config
  3. Download the patch file from the user-maintained GitHub repository (search for “HitFilm GPU Config Patch”)
  4. Replace the existing config file with the patched version
  5. Restart HitFilm and monitor performance

Advanced users can edit the JSON config manually to include entries like:

{
  "gpuWhitelist": [
    "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070",
    "NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070",
    "AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT",
    "AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX"
  ],
  "forceGpuAcceleration": true
}

Be sure to match your actual GPU’s name exactly as seen in your system.

Performance After the Fix

Users who successfully implemented this patch reported dramatic improvements. Here are some real metrics from user benchmarks:

These changes not only made HitFilm 2024 usable once again but actually better aligned with the hardware performance that users expected in the first place.

Developer Response and Future Fix

FXhome, the developer of HitFilm, acknowledged the issue in a community update posted in April 2024. They cited an issue with how hardware profiles were being migrated from HitFilm Pro to the unified 2024 platform and promised a future hotfix to repair detection issues.

Until that official patch is released, the config profile workaround remains the go-to fix for users looking to recover GPU acceleration functionality. It has spurred some in the community to build user-friendly tools for easily switching and managing hardware profiles for HitFilm — further demonstrating the strength of a proactive user base.

Conclusion

While it’s always disappointing when a major software release carries such a critical flaw, the HitFilm 2024 GPU detection bug also highlights the value of a passionate and technical user community. The discovery of the configuration profile patch not only saved workflows and deadlines but may ultimately guide FXhome to improve their hardware support infrastructure.

If you’re a HitFilm user struggling with slow performance, take the time to apply the patch — it could be the difference between frustration and flawless editing.

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