Nvidia's newly released application is causing frame rate drops in some games and on specific PC configurations. This article explores this performance issue affecting Nvidia's latest game optimization software.
Nvidia App Performance Impact
Frame Rate Instability Across Games and Systems
As reported by PC Gamer on December 18th, the Nvidia App is negatively impacting performance in certain games and PC builds. Several users have reported stuttering. An Nvidia employee suggested a temporary workaround: disabling the "Game Filters and Photo Mode" overlay.
Tests conducted by PC Gamer using a high-end system (Ryzen 7 7800X3D and RTX 4070 Super) playing Black Myth: Wukong at 1080p (Very High settings) showed a slight framerate increase (59 fps to 63 fps) with the overlay off. At 1440p, the difference was negligible. However, enabling the overlay and reducing graphics to Medium resulted in a significant 12% frame rate drop. Testing Cyberpunk 2077 on a Core Ultra 9 285K and RTX 4080 Super showed no noticeable difference with the overlay enabled or disabled. This suggests the problem is game and hardware specific.
PC Gamer's testing followed reports on Twitter (X), where users discussed the issue and the temporary fix. Despite disabling the overlay, many players still experience instability. Some users suggested reverting to older graphics drivers, highlighting the ongoing uncertainty about which games are affected. Nvidia hasn't yet released a full fix beyond the overlay disablement.
Nvidia App Official Launch
Initially launched in beta on February 22, 2024, the Nvidia App replaced GeForce Experience, providing GPU optimization, game recording, and more for Nvidia GPU users. Following beta testing, the official launch in November 2024 coincided with a graphics driver update. The new app features a redesigned overlay and eliminates the need for account login.
Despite offering improved features, Nvidia needs to investigate the performance issues affecting specific games and PC configurations.
