# Discord Application: Discord Inc. Also called discord app Discord Inc., Games A chat, voice, and community app. On Windows the main process is Discord.exe. ## What you need to know Discord is a chat app that can stay in the tray. The desktop client uses Discord.exe. Overlay and hardware acceleration can show GPU time during a game. Quit from the tray if you meant to stop it. - **What is it?**: Chat and voice for groups **Overlay?**: Optional. Can affect games **Tray quit?**: Close to tray is a setting Feex says If a game stutters only when Discord is open, I would turn the overlay off as a test before I replace a GPU. ## What is Discord? Discord is a desktop and web chat product. The Windows install is an Electron-style app that lives under AppData. ## If you have never used it If someone sent you a discord.gg link, Discord is a chat app for servers (group spaces) plus DMs. You can use it in a browser. The Windows app is optional and likes to sit in the tray. It is not a game, not Steam, and not a Windows component. ## What is it used for? **Text chat** Servers, channels, and DMs. Files and stickers live here too. **Voice and video** A voice channel or a call. This is why a headset shows up in Discord settings. **Game overlay** An in-game overlay you can turn off. It is a Discord feature, not a GPU driver. ## Who is it for? - Friends and communities that live in servers - Players who want voice next to a game - Study and work groups that chose Discord over Teams ## Current status Actively developed. The Windows installer updates itself from AppData. ## How old is it? Discord launched as a gamer voice app in 2015 and grew into a general community chat product. It is recent next to IRC and old Skype, and it is not a 2024 startup. The desktop client still updates itself from the user profile folder. ## Versions Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here. Stable Canary PTB ## System requirements Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need. ### Minimum | CPU | A 64-bit processor that current Windows supports | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | RAM | 4 GB class machines run it. Voice plus a game wants more | | Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per Discord | ## Resource profile - **CPU demand**: Voice and screen share raise it **RAM demand**: Moderate to high for a desktop chat app **GPU demand**: Overlay and hardware acceleration ## Installed processes These executables belong to this product when it is installed. | Discord.exe | Main app and helpers | | ----------- | -------------------- | ## Startup components Discord can start with Windows from its own settings. Turn that off in Discord if you do not want it at sign-in. ## File locations | Typical install | C:\Users\\\\AppData\Local\Discord\\ | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ## File formats PNG, JPEG, GIF, MP4 ## Common problems ### Stays after close Quit from the tray icon. Close to tray is the default on many installs. ### Game stutter Disable overlay and hardware acceleration as separate tests. ## Getting unstuck ### Quit from the tray Closing the window is not a quit. Right-click the Discord tray icon and quit if you want Discord.exe gone. ### Reinstall from discord.com/download The official client lives under AppData\Local\Discord. A Discord.exe on the Desktop from a friend is the wrong file. ### Turn overlay off in Discord settings User Settings > Game Overlay. Test that before you change a GPU control panel. ## Alternatives Teams, Slack, and in-game voice cover overlapping jobs. They are not drop-in Discord servers. ## Official help and downloads Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel. | Download | [discord.com/download ](https://discord.com/download)Official Windows installer | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Help Center | [support.discord.com ](https://support.discord.com/)Login, voice, and desktop issues | | Status | [discordstatus.com/ ](https://discordstatus.com/)When Discord itself is down | | Safety | [discord.com/safety ](https://discord.com/safety)Account and community safety | ## Related hardware A modest CPU is enough for chat. The GPU and overlay matter more when a game is also running. ## Technical details Technical details Per-version file hashes and volume-license paths are not verified in this preview. ## Related These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link. [Discord.exe: Application Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/discord.exe)[Steam: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/steam) ## Sources and verification Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research). - [Discord support ](https://support.discord.com/)· Official Discord help - [Discord download ](https://discord.com/download)· Official Windows client - [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark. ## Was this article useful? A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note. Quick facts The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article. - **Developer**: Discord Inc. **Category**: Chat and voice **Process**: [Discord.exe](https://feex.it/wiki/process/discord.exe) **License**: Free to install **First released**: 2015 **Official site**: [discord.com](https://discord.com/) Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026 --- Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/discord/) [Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)