Windows 11 bug that caused havoc with Nvidia GPUs is fixed
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Windows 11 22H2, the first major feature update to the operating system, unfortunately brought some problems for gamers, especially those with Nvidia graphics cards.
As we explained in a previous report, some folks with Nvidia GPUs found that their games didn’t run nearly as smoothly, and there’s nothing worse than applying an update to see the magic frames per second (fps) drop. falls, making for choppy gameplay.
We heard that both Microsoft and Nvidia were investigating the cause of these issues and Team Green suggested a solution.
neowin (opens in new tab) drew our attention to Nvidia pinpointing the cause, which was new graphical debugging tools in the major Windows 11 update that were accidentally activated, slowing everything down.
And the remedy Nvidia has offered is to install a new beta of its GeForce Experience software, specifically version 3.26 as described here (opens in new tab). Follow Nvidia’s instructions there, but to summarize the easiest way is to open GeForce Experience, go to Settings, then select “Enable experimental features” (in other words beta features).
After that, close the app – apparently wait 30 seconds – then launch GeForce Experience again and it will update. You should then be good to go, and the framerate gremlins will (hopefully) be banned.
Analysis: Don’t want that beta? Fortunately, a release driver is imminent
Of course, not everyone wants to install beta software, as it can be problematic by nature – after all, the features provided are still being tested. That means the solution may not work for some, and there is also a chance that another new problem will be introduced somewhere. It wouldn’t be the first time a beta patch has given with one hand and taken with the other.
There’s also the fact that some gamers don’t have a GeForce Experience truck at all, preferring to avoid it and just use Nvidia’s bare-bones graphics driver. In any case, if you’re not keen on installing what’s available right now, the good news is that a new GeForce Game Ready Driver is coming sometime this week – and with that you can pack the solution. With a bit of luck it will only be a few days now.
Note that some have raised the possibility that GeForce Experience was at least partially responsible for the stuttering and frame rate drops here, but those who didn’t install it also experienced fps issues after upgrading to Windows 11 22H2, so this one rules out that theory.
As a final note, GeForce Experience v3.26 ushers in 8K recording with 60fps HDR for ShadowPlay, Nvidia’s screen recording tool – although this is for the next generation of Lovelace GPUs, which are just around the corner.