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 specific games and on certain PC configurations. This article explores this performance issue affecting Nvidia's latest game optimization software.

Performance Instability Across Games and Systems

PC Gamer's December 18th testing revealed performance inconsistencies. Some users reported stuttering while using the app. 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 (59fps to 63fps at 1080p Very High settings) with the overlay off. However, enabling the overlay and lowering graphics to Medium resulted in a 12% frame rate drop. Cyberpunk 2077 testing on a Core Ultra 9 285K and RTX 4080 Super showed no significant difference with the overlay on or off, suggesting the problem is game and system-specific.

PC Gamer's testing followed reports on Twitter (X), where users discussed the issue and the temporary fix. Despite the workaround, many reported ongoing instability. Some users suggested reverting graphics drivers, but as of now, Nvidia hasn't released an official fix beyond disabling the overlay.

Nvidia App's Official Launch and Subsequent Issues

Launched in February 2024 as a beta replacement for GeForce Experience, the Nvidia App officially launched in November 2024. This coincided with a driver update in preparation for new game releases. The new app offers enhanced features and a redesigned overlay system without requiring account login.

While the new app boasts improvements, Nvidia needs to address the performance impact on specific games and PC configurations. Further investigation is needed to pinpoint the cause and deliver a comprehensive solution.