NVIDIA App Causes Up to 15% Decrease in Gaming Performance for Some Users

NVIDIA’s recent software update, dubbed the “NVIDIA App,”appears to be causing performance issues for some internet users. Fortunately, a solution is on the horizon.

Performance Issues Linked to NVIDIA App’s Game Filters: A Temporary Fix Available

Following the phased-out GeForce Experience software, NVIDIA introduced the NVIDIA App. This new tool aims to streamline software adjustments for GPUs across the board. However, reports from users on social media, particularly from Sebastian Castellanos, indicate significant performance drops when the NVIDIA App runs in the background. Users have noted a staggering 15% decrease in in-game performance, a substantial decline that has raised concerns.

Yikes, looks like having the NVIDIA app installed was destroying perf in some of my games (mainly UE5 ones) like Black Myth Wukong and The Talos Principle 2. Uninstalling the NVIDIA app fixed some horrendous frametime issues and gave me an extra 15%+ of performance! pic.twitter.com/KimvcahJ1P

— Sebastian Castellanos (@Sebasti66855537) December 15, 2024

While uninstalling the NVIDIA App appears to temporarily resolve the performance problems, it is not an ideal or permanent fix. Testing conducted by Hardware Unboxed revealed varying degrees of average FPS declines among different systems. Interestingly, the underlying issue does not stem directly from the NVIDIA App itself but from the NVIDIA overlay feature, specifically the “Game Filters and Photo Mode,”which seems to be to blame for the performance drops.

NVIDIA App Performance Testing — Image Credits: Hardware Unboxed

NVIDIA has promptly acknowledged the issue, stating that they are working on a solution. As a temporary measure, users experiencing these performance dips are urged to disable the “Game Filters and Photo Mode”option within the app settings until a more robust fix is available. Rather than uninstalling the NVIDIA App, this adjustment may help alleviate performance issues.

We are aware of a reported performance issue related to Game Filters and are actively looking into it. You can turn off Game Filters from the NVIDIA App Settings > Features > Overlay > Game Filters and Photo Mode, and then relaunch your game.

– Tom’s Hardware

As the NVIDIA App marks a new chapter for Team Green, it is not uncommon for emerging software to exhibit such inconsistencies. Even though extensive beta testing has occurred, these performance challenges highlight the need for continuous improvement within the application.

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