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Citrix Graphics & Application Performance Guide
Recommended Citrix HDX, public-internet session, AV1, browser, Windows, NVIDIA and application settings for general GPU-backed workloads, Google Earth and Google Maps.
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Purpose and General Workload Profile
Scope: GPU-backed Citrix / XDESK VDAs
Use this guide as the general baseline for GPU-backed Citrix desktops. It covers public-internet transport and encryption validation, AV1 codec validation, Citrix HDX policies, browser GPU acceleration, Windows desktop behaviour, NVIDIA GPU settings and general application-level graphics settings.
Google Maps, Google Earth, browser-based applications and multimedia workloads should be tuned for smooth motion, strong visual quality, responsive interaction and efficient use of the endpoint and VDA GPUs.
Google Maps, Google Earth, browser-based applications and multimedia workloads should be tuned for smooth motion, strong visual quality, responsive interaction and efficient use of the endpoint and VDA GPUs.
Citrix HDX Policy Profile
Public Internet Citrix Session — Transport, Encryption & Performance Validation
Target: EDT / UDP through NetScaler Gateway
Use this procedure to prove that a Citrix Workspace session established by a remote endpoint across the public internet is using the preferred XSTRA data path, strong end-to-end encryption, Session Reliability, and healthy HDX performance. For this design, the required path is:
Remote Endpoint → Public Internet → NetScaler Gateway → VDA
The NetScaler remains in the HDX data path. External HDX Direct is not the target configuration for this profile.
1. Run the validation command inside the active Citrix desktop
Open PowerShell or Command Prompt inside the VDA session and run:
ctxsession.exe -v
To display the results and simultaneously save technician evidence:
ctxsession.exe -v | Tee-Object -FilePath "$env:TEMP\Citrix-Session-Validation.txt"2. Expected best-practice result
Addresses, ports and performance values will vary. The important findings are the transport sequence, Secure HDX encryption, Gateway-proxied state and healthy EDT statistics.
Transport Protocols: UDP -> CGP -> ICA
Local Address: <VDA-IP>:2598
Remote Address: <NetScaler-SNIP>:<ephemeral-port>
Client Address: <client-public-IP>:<ephemeral-port>
ICA Encryption: SecureHDX AES-256 GCM
Rendezvous Version: None
HDX Direct State: None
EDT Reliable Statistics:
Bandwidth <measured value>, RTT <measured value>, EDT MTU: <discovered value>
ICA Statistics:
HDX Latency = <measured value>
3. Confirm the public transport from the remote endpoint
On the remote endpoint, right-click the Citrix Workspace system-tray icon, open Connection Center, select the active session, and open Properties / Client Connection Status. Capture a screenshot showing the following:
Click View Certificate and confirm the certificate name matches the Gateway FQDN, the issuing certificate authority is trusted, the certificate is within its validity period, and Windows reports a valid certificate chain.
Compliance Mode: OPEN does not mean the session is open or unencrypted
OPEN means Citrix Workspace is not enforcing a special compliance profile such as FIPS or NIST SP 800-52. The actual security of the session is proven separately by Secure HDX AES-256-GCM, DTLSv1.2, the negotiated cipher suite, and successful certificate validation.
4. Interpret EDT and ICA performance
Example of an excellent validated session
UDP → CGP → ICA | SecureHDX AES-256 GCM | DTLSv1.2 | EDT RTT 9 ms | HDX latency 31 ms | EDT MTU 1500 | frame errors 0.
5. Troubleshoot results that do not meet the target
Technician evidence required before closing validation
Record the date and time, user, VDA name, endpoint public IP, Gateway FQDN and Citrix Workspace version. Attach the complete ctxsession.exe -v output and the endpoint Client Connection Status screenshot. Confirm in the ticket that the result shows UDP → CGP → ICA, SecureHDX AES-256 GCM, DTLSv1.2, Session Reliability enabled, the approved Gateway, a valid certificate, acceptable RTT / HDX latency, and no increasing frame errors.
AV1 Graphics Codec — XSTRA High-Water Mark
Target: Hardware AV1 encode + hardware AV1 decode
AV1 is the preferred Citrix graphics codec where the VDA, endpoint and applied graphics policy all support it. It provides excellent image quality and compression efficiency at lower bitrates than older codecs, which is particularly valuable for Google Earth, Google Maps, video, rapid screen movement, high-resolution displays and public-internet sessions. Citrix automatically evaluates codecs in the order AV1 → H.265 → H.264.
Public-session high-water mark: UDP → CGP → ICA | SecureHDX AES-256 GCM | DTLSv1.2 | AV1 hardware encoding and decoding
The transport and codec are separate checks: ctxsession.exe -v proves transport and encryption; the Graphics Status Indicator or Citrix HDX Monitor proves the active codec.
Important NVIDIA model-name distinction
The XSTRA VDA target is the NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation (20 GB), which includes AV1 hardware encoding. Do not confuse it with the older NVIDIA RTX A4000 (16 GB Ampere): that model supports AV1 decoding but not AV1 hardware encoding. Technicians must record the exact GPU name reported by Windows or nvidia-smi.
1. Confirm the VDA can hardware-encode AV1
Run the following inside the VDA. The expected XSTRA result is NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation and a current NVIDIA driver.
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController |
Select-Object Name, DriverVersion
if (Get-Command nvidia-smi.exe -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
nvidia-smi.exe —query-gpu=name,driver_version —format=csv,noheader
}
2. Confirm the endpoint can hardware-decode AV1
Run this on the local endpoint, not inside the Citrix session. Record the GPU and Citrix Workspace app version. The registry values should normally be Not configured / absent so that Citrix automatic codec selection remains active; DisableDecoderCaps must not be 1.
Get-CimInstance Win32_VideoController |
Select-Object Name, DriverVersion
$CitrixInstallKeys = @(
‘HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Install\ICA Client’,
‘HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Citrix\Install\ICA Client’
)
$CitrixInstallKeys | ForEach-Object {
if (Test-Path $_) {
Get-ItemProperty $_ | Select-Object PSPath, Version
}
}
$GraphicsPolicyKeys = @(
‘HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Policies\Citrix\ICA Client\Graphics Engine’,
‘HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Citrix\ICA Client\Graphics Engine’
)
$GraphicsPolicyKeys | ForEach-Object {
if (Test-Path $_) {
Get-ItemProperty $_ |
Select-Object PSPath, EnableAV1, DisableDecoderCaps
}
}
Do not routinely force EnableAV1. From Workspace app 2311.1 onward, automatic selection is preferred because it selects AV1 when both ends support it and retains orderly fallback. Setting EnableAV1 = 1 overrides automatic detection; setting it to 0 disables AV1.
3. Prove that AV1 is actually being used in the live session
AV1 policy compatibility and deliberate exceptions
Citrix automatic AV1 selection applies to YUV 4:2:0 video-codec modes. If Visual Quality = Build to Lossless or Always Lossless and Allow Visually Lossless Compression = Enabled, automatic codec selection is disabled and Citrix uses a 4:4:4 H.264 or H.265 path instead. This can be an intentional choice for pixel-accurate workflows and is not automatically a fault. For multimedia, map, globe and motion-heavy profiles where AV1 is the goal, use a compatible policy and retest.
4. Troubleshoot a session that falls back from AV1
Technician evidence required for the AV1 high-water mark
Attach: (1) VDA GPU name and driver output, (2) endpoint GPU name and Workspace version, (3) Graphics Status Indicator or HDX Monitor screenshot showing AV1 during active motion, and (4) the existing transport evidence showing UDP → CGP → ICA, SecureHDX AES-256 GCM and DTLSv1.2. Only this combined evidence proves the complete XSTRA public-session high-water mark.
Technical references: Citrix Workspace graphics and AV1 requirements | Citrix Thinwire codec selection | NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation
Browser GPU Settings — Chrome / Edge
Browser GPU validation
Check chrome://gpu or edge://gpu. WebGL, WebGL2, Rasterization, Video Decode, and Video Encode should show as Hardware Accelerated.
Windows Desktop Settings — Citrix VDA
NVIDIA GPU Settings — VDA Host / VM
Application-Level Graphics Settings
General Graphics Workload Profile
Final Validation Checklist
Confirm the Citrix session is using UDP / EDT where available, hardware encoding is active, the NVIDIA GPU is visible inside the VDA, browser GPU acceleration is active, and the application itself is using hardware acceleration.
For compatible public-internet multimedia and motion-heavy sessions, also confirm the full XSTRA high-water mark: UDP → CGP → ICA, SecureHDX AES-256 GCM, DTLSv1.2, NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation VDA encoding, endpoint hardware decoding, and the live graphics codec shown as AV1 in the Graphics Status Indicator or Citrix HDX Monitor.
For compatible public-internet multimedia and motion-heavy sessions, also confirm the full XSTRA high-water mark: UDP → CGP → ICA, SecureHDX AES-256 GCM, DTLSv1.2, NVIDIA RTX 4000 Ada Generation VDA encoding, endpoint hardware decoding, and the live graphics codec shown as AV1 in the Graphics Status Indicator or Citrix HDX Monitor.
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