Nvidia App Causes FPS Drops in Some Games and PCs

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

Nvidia App Impacts Game Performance

Frame Rate Instability Affects Certain Games and PC Builds

PC Gamer's December 18th testing revealed performance issues with the Nvidia app on some PCs and games. Several users reported stuttering. An Nvidia staff member suggested a temporary workaround: disabling the "Game Filters and Photo Mode" overlay.

Testing Black Myth: Wukong on a high-end system (Ryzen 7 7800X3D and RTX 4070 Super) at 1080p Very High settings showed a slight fps increase (59 fps to 63 fps) with the overlay off. The 1440p test showed no significant difference. However, enabling the overlay and reducing graphics to Medium resulted in a substantial 12% fps drop.

Cyberpunk 2077 testing on a Core Ultra 9 285K and RTX 4080 Super system showed stable frame rates regardless of overlay status. This suggests the problem is game and/or hardware specific.

PC Gamer's investigation, prompted by user concerns on Twitter (X), confirmed the temporary fix (disabling the overlay). However, many users reported persistent instability. Some Twitter (X) users suggested reverting to older drivers, while others questioned which games are affected. Nvidia hasn't yet released an official fix beyond disabling the overlay.

Official Launch of the Nvidia App

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

Following beta testing, the official launch occurred in November 2024, coinciding with a driver update for upcoming games. The new app features a redesigned overlay and eliminates the need for account login.

Despite its improved features, Nvidia needs to address the performance issues affecting some games and PCs.