NVIDIA Driver Issue Triggers FPS Decline

The newly released Nvidia app is causing frame rate (FPS) drops in some games and PC configurations. This article explores this performance issue stemming from Nvidia's latest game optimization software.

Nvidia App Performance Impact

Unstable Framerates on Specific Games and Systems

PC Gamer's December 18th testing revealed performance inconsistencies with the Nvidia app. Some users reported stuttering. An Nvidia staff member suggested temporarily disabling the "Game Filters and Photo Mode" overlay as a workaround.

Testing Black Myth: Wukong on a high-end system (Ryzen 7 7800X3D and RTX 4070 Super) showed a slight FPS increase (59 fps to 63 fps at 1080p Very High settings) with the overlay off. At 1440p, the difference was negligible. However, enabling the overlay and lowering graphics to Medium resulted in a significant 12% FPS drop.

Cyberpunk 2077 testing on a Core Ultra 9 285K and RTX 4080 Super showed stable framerates regardless of overlay status, suggesting the issue is game and system-specific.

PC Gamer's investigation followed user reports on Twitter (X), utilizing the Nvidia-suggested workaround. Despite disabling the overlay, many users still experienced unstable performance. Some Twitter users suggested reverting graphics drivers, while others questioned which games are affected. Currently, Nvidia's only official solution is overlay deactivation.

Nvidia App Official Launch

The Nvidia app, launched in beta on February 22, 2024, replaced GeForce Experience. Both cater to Nvidia GPU users, offering GPU optimization, game recording, and more.

Following beta testing, the app officially launched in November 2024, replacing GeForce Experience completely. This coincided with a driver update in preparation for new game releases. The new app features a streamlined overlay and account login system.

Despite its enhanced features, Nvidia needs to address the performance impact on specific games and PC configurations.