A Windows update may have slowed game performance – and NVIDIA has the fix
It is far from uncommon for Microsoft to release an update for Windows that causes problems with the operating system itself. It is also not unknown for Windows updates to cause issues in other software – and this is what some gamers have experienced.
In releasing a new GeForce Hotfix Display Driver, NVIDIA has pointed the finger of blame at a recent update for Windows 11 for slowing down the performance of some titles. Despite NVIDIA’s claims, Microsoft is yet to say anything about the issue.
Version 581.94 of the driver is a critical update, and while the release notes make reference to only the KB5066835 update for Windows 11, How-To Geek points out that the optional KB5065789 may also have played its part.
The problems experienced by affected users are significant, with framerates slashed in half in some instances. While both Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 were impacted, the linking factor – aside from having installed the aforementioned updates – was the presence of NVIDIA graphics cards.
The precise cause of the issue has not been revealed, but the release notes for the driver update state:
GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94
Updated 11/19/2025 05:10 PM
GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94
GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 581.94 is based on our latest Game Ready Driver 581.80.
This Hotfix addresses the following:
- Lower performance may be observed in some games after updating to Windows 11 October 2025 KB5066835 [5561605]
A GeForce driver is an incredibly complex piece of software, We have an army of software engineers constantly adding features and fixing bugs. These changes are checked into the main driver branches, which are eventually run through a massive QA process and released. Since we have so many changes being checked in, we usually try to align driver releases with significant game or product releases. This process has served us pretty well over the years but it has one significant weakness. Sometimes a change that is important to many users might end up sitting and waiting until we are able to release the driver. The GeForce Hotfix driver is our way to trying to get some of these fixes out to you more quickly. These drivers are basically the same as the previous released version, with a small number of additional targeted fixes. The fixes that make it in are based in part on your feedback in the Driver Feedback threads and partly on how realistic it is for us to quickly address them. These fixes (and many more) will be incorporated into the next official driver release, at which time the Hotfix driver will be taken down. To be sure, these Hotfix drivers are beta, optional and provided as-is. They are run through a much abbreviated QA process. The sole reason they exist is to get fixes out to you more quickly. The safest option is to wait for the next WHQL certified driver. But we know that many of you are willing to try these out. As a result, we only provide NVIDIA Hotfix drivers through our NVIDIA Customer Care support site.
The GeForce Hotfix display driver version 581.94 for Windows 10 x64 / Windows 11 x64 is available to download here.
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