The 531.29 version of NVIDIA’s GeForce Game Ready Driver has been released after its initial February launch. The initial update caused systems to experience high CPU usage, and users immediately noted the issue on the first day of its release.
Although NVIDIA released a hotfix to fix the problem, they recommended users wait for the complete release. However, the new driver has known issues, including toggling HDR on and off while playing games.
To fix a common driver issue in the latest WHQL-certified download, Nvidia has released a hotfix version 531.26 of their GeForce driver. This bug caused an Nvidia software component to remain active and consume a considerable portion of CPU resources (10-15%) even after exiting a game, causing considerable frustration for users. The hotfix update is intended to rectify this problem and provide a solution for those impacted by it.
Earlier this week, some users who had installed the NVIDIA GeForce driver version 531.18 reported experiencing abnormally high CPU usage, while others did not.
The issue caused CPU usage rates to rise to double digits, but it was unclear why this was happening, and even experienced users could not replicate the bug. Nvidia was contacted about the problem and revealed that it usually occurred after launching more than a dozen games.
The cause of the issue was identified as the GeForce Display Container Service, which was visible in the Windows Task Manager. However, Nvidia quickly released a hotfix driver to resolve the problem. It demonstrates their commitment to promptly resolving problems that affect their users.
Sean Pelletier, the Senior Product Manager for GeForce Game Ready Drivers, announced on Twitter that a hotfix for version 531.18 is now available to address the problem of high CPU utilization caused by the previous update.
FYI – we’ll be posting a hotfix driver tomorrow with a fix
— Sean Pelletier (@PellyNV) March 6, 2023
While this hotfix resolves the issue, Pelletier cautioned that it had not undergone the full testing process of Game Ready and has not yet been certified by WHQL. Version 531.18 was a popular update due to its new features, including support for RTX Video Super-Resolution and optimizations for Atomic Heart DLSS 3 and The Finals closed beta, as well as bug fixes. It’s important to note that although the hotfix may fix some problems, it could introduce new issues not identified during the standard certification process.
The most recent version of the GeForce Hotfix Driver, version 531.26, includes a new feature specifically for owners of laptops with GeForce GPUs.
The update addresses a bug that caused random system crashes on certain laptops equipped with GeForce GTX 10/MX250/350 series GPUs and has fixed the issue. Therefore, this update has addressed the issue, and users will no longer experience the problem.
If you have experienced CPU issues caused by the bug in version 531.18, you can get the hotfix 531.26 driver by following the link provided in the Nvidia support post.
However, if you are unaware of this problem, it is recommended that you wait for the next WHQL game-ready driver release instead of downloading the hotfix driver.
The NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready driver has been updated to version 531.29 WHQL, addressing several issues, such as higher CPU usage from NVIDIA Container after exiting a game and Adobe application stability problems when using version 531.18.
However, some known issues remain, including game stability issues when toggling HDR on and off in-game with a non-native resolution, momentary monitor flickering when waking from display sleep with DSR/DLDSR enabled, and flashing in Watch Dogs 2 when looking at the sky with GeForce RTX 4090. Additionally, applying GeForce Experience Freestyle filters may cause games to crash, and there may be stability issues with Assassin’s Creed Origins when using driver version 531.18.
If you’re looking for the latest NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready driver, you can find it by following the direct links to the EXE files provided for desktop and mobile systems. It’s crucial to remember that updating your computer comes with certain risks, such as the chance of making your system inoperable. To minimize these risks, it’s recommended that you proceed with caution and back up your system before initiating any updates. It will help safeguard your data and enable you to revert to previous states in case of any issues.