How To Clear Nvidia Shader Cache To Stop Stuttering

Micro-stutters, sudden FPS drops, and frame time spikes after a driver update usually mean your Nvidia shader cache is corrupted or stale. Your GPU is choking on old data instead of rendering your game, but clearing these cached files forces the driver to rebuild them fresh.

Why this happens

Nvidia stores pre-compiled shaders on your drive to speed up loading. When games update or you install a new driver, these files can conflict with new game assets, causing the stuttering you feel.

What you'll need

You do not need extra software for the manual steps, but if you prefer an automated clean, have the Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) downloaded and ready.

Steps

1. 01
   Right-click your desktop, select Nvidia Control Panel, and navigate to Manage 3D Settings.
2. 02
   Scroll down to Shader Cache Size, set it to Off (or Driver Default if Off is missing), and click Apply to stop the GPU from writing new cache files while you work.
3. 03
   Restart your computer to ensure all background processes have released the cache files.
4. 04
   Press Win + R, type %userprofile%/AppData/Local, and press Enter to open the local application data folder.
5. 05
   Navigate to the NVIDIA folder and delete all files inside the DXCache and GLCache subfolders.
6. 06
   Check the NVIDIA Corporation folder in the same directory and delete any files found inside the NV_Cache folder.
7. 07
   Run Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), select GPU from the device type dropdown, and click the Clean Shader Cache button to ensure no lingering data remains.
8. 08
   Return to the Nvidia Control Panel, set Shader Cache Size back to Driver Default, or select Unlimited if you play high-end titles to prevent the 16 GB cache limit from overflowing.

Still not working?

If stuttering persists, your issue may be a corrupted driver installation rather than just a cache problem. Perform a clean wipe of your GPU drivers using DDU in Safe Mode, then reinstall the latest version from the Nvidia website. If the problem is specific to only one game, verify your game files through Steam or the Epic Games Launcher to rule out corrupted game assets.

Frequently asked questions

Will deleting these files delete my game save data?

No, these folders only contain temporary shader files that your GPU generates. Your game saves and personal settings are stored in different locations and will not be affected.

Why does my game feel stuttery immediately after clearing the cache?

This is normal. Since you deleted the pre-compiled files, the game has to recompile them while you play. Stuttering should stop after a few minutes once the new cache is built.

Should I always set Shader Cache to Unlimited?

For most users, Driver Default is sufficient. Set it to Unlimited only if you play modern, shader-heavy games that experience frame drops due to the 16 GB default cache limit.