Nvidia App Causes FPS Drops in Some Games and PCs

Nvidia's New App Causes FPS Drops in Some Games

Nvidia's recently released application is causing frame rate drops in several games and on specific PC configurations. This article explores this performance issue stemming from Nvidia's latest game optimization software.

Performance Issues Across Games and Systems

Testing by PC Gamer revealed inconsistent frame rates in various games and PC builds. Some users reported stuttering while using the app. As a temporary solution, an Nvidia employee suggested disabling the "Game Filters and Photo Mode" overlay.

In tests with Black Myth: Wukong (Ryzen 7 7800X3D and RTX 4070 Super), disabling the overlay resulted in a slight FPS increase (59 fps to 63 fps at 1080p, Very High settings). However, enabling the overlay with Medium settings caused a significant 12% frame rate drop. Cyberpunk 2077 testing (Core Ultra 9 285K and RTX 4080 Super) showed no noticeable difference with the overlay enabled or disabled. This suggests the problem affects specific game titles and hardware combinations.

PC Gamer's findings, corroborated by user reports on Twitter (X), highlight the instability. While disabling the overlay offers a partial fix, many players still experience performance issues. Some users suggested reverting to older graphics drivers as a workaround. Currently, Nvidia hasn't released an official patch beyond recommending the overlay disable.

Nvidia App's Official Launch and Ongoing Concerns

Initially launched in beta in February 2024 as a GeForce Experience replacement, the Nvidia app officially launched in November 2024, coinciding with a graphics driver update. The new app boasts improved features and a streamlined overlay, eliminating the need for account logins. Despite these advancements, Nvidia needs to address the negative performance impact on certain games and PCs. Further investigation and a dedicated update are necessary to resolve this widespread issue.