NVIDIA released the GeForce 581.08 WHQL driver, bringing support for features in the latest NVIDIA App beta and a host of bug fixes that matter for stability and capture workflows. Gamers chasing fewer crashes and better encoding performance will want to read the notes before they update.
Update fixes several high-profile crashes and quirks. Cyberpunk 2077 had been crashing when using Photo Mode with path tracing; that should stop now. Marvel Rivals had a slowdown after the 580.88 driver; that negative performance hit will be addressed. Forza Motorsport will no longer crash when Smooth Motion is used while the NVIDIA App overlay is shown, and Grey Zone Warfare and ARK: Survival Ascended will see improved stability, or at least fewer hard stops…
Yikes! If you are playing Mafia: The Old Country, avoid 581.08. Same visual artifacts and crashes cropped up in the older 580.97 driver, and 580.88 stays the only driver that works without problems. I already reported the issue to NVIDIA, and they are working on a fix. Want to avoid headaches?
Grab the driver from NVIDIA’s website. Install cautiously. Who likes crashes?
NVIDIA Game Ready 581.08 WHQL Driver Release Notes
Game Ready for Latest NVIDIA App Features
This new Game Ready Driver provides the best gaming experience and supports the introduction of new features within the latest NVIDIA App beta release.
Gaming Technology
- Support for Global DLSS Overrides and NVIDIA Smooth Motion support for GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs
Fixed Gaming Bugs
- Cyberpunk 2077: Crash when using Photo Mode to take a screenshot with path tracing enabled [5076545]
- Marvel Rivals: Negative performance impact when using 580.88 driver [5444816]
- Forza Motorsport: Game crashes if using Smooth Motion while bringing up NVIDIA App overlay statistics [5412757]
- Gray Zone Warfare: Game stability issues [5371781]
- ARK: Survival Ascended: Game stability issues [5441616]
Fixed General Bugs
- Potential memory leak when using NVENC hardware encoding [5442678]
- Power cycling monitor can result in monitor flickering when NVIDIA App is installed [5434811]
- NVIDIA App game filter issues after driver update [5429651]
A quick aside: NVENC memory leaks will hurt streamers and capture folks more than casual players, and if you record a lot, you might want to test before switching mid-session.
Discuss below if you installed the driver and ran into trouble, or if it fixed things for you.
