NVIDIA Control Panel has finally been updated to the 21st century.
NVIDIA is transitioning from its traditional dual software interfaces, the GeForce Experience app and the NVIDIA Control Panel, to a new unified application called the “NVIDIA App.”
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/nvidia-app-beta-download/
This change aims to streamline the user experience by consolidating the features of the two previous applications into a single efficient platform. Currently in beta, the NVIDIA App offers several enhancements, including a more intuitive design, faster installation, and a more responsive interface that consumes less disk space.
More importantly, the key distinction between the new NVIDIA App and their previous solutions is that it eliminates the need for end users to create an account or sign in with a third-party account like Google to access the driver utility program.
Oh yeah, and the NVIDIA control panel has remained the same since the days of Windows XP.
Then again, there’s the old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, except for NVIDIA GeForce owners who must navigate the prehistoric control panel to adjust their display’s RGB color depth from 16-235 to full RGB 0-255.
I’m grateful that NVIDIA has finally taken a cue from AMD’s Crimson and Adrenalin Radeon driver overhauls and provided its customers with a simplified, modernized, and unified driver solution.
The new NVIDIA App retains key features from GeForce Experience, such as game setting optimization and content recording, while also introducing new elements like “Freestyle RTX Filters” that utilize AI to enhance game visuals across over 1,200 titles.
Additional features encompass FrameView for in-game performance monitoring and compatibility with add-ons like GeForce Now and Nvidia Broadcast. A significant enhancement is the inclusion of comprehensive driver update details, aimed at elucidating the effects of updates on individual games.
I’ve noticed that the OSD telemetry is missing a rather fundamental feature: there’s no readout for VRAM consumption.
I find this particularly amusing given the criticism NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards often receive for having insufficient memory, especially with the RTX 2000 and 3000 series GPUs, which either maintained the same 11GB VRAM as the GTX 1080 Ti or, in the case of the RTX 3080, regressed to just 10GB.
It’s worth noting that lower-end components for RTX Turing and RTX Ampere were equipped with a lackluster 8GB of VRAM which is no longer sufficient for even 1440p gaming.
Is it any wonder why NVIDIA is so aggressive with their DLSS marketing?
NVIDIA aims to incorporate the best features from its previous applications into the new NVIDIA App, with a few exceptions being phased out.
“Not all features will be making the transition, though. We’ve made the decision to discontinue a few features that were underutilized, especially where good alternatives exist. This discontinuation encompasses Broadcast to Twitch and YouTube, Share Images and Video to Facebook and YouTube, and Photo Mode 360 & Stereo captures. Streamlining features helps the NVIDIA app install in half the time, deliver a 50% more responsive UI, and occupy 17% less disk space than GeForce Experience,” said NVIDIA.
Updates are on the horizon, and NVIDIA assures users that more functionality from the Control Panel will be integrated into the NVIDIA App. Additionally, NVIDIA hints at forthcoming features such as in-driver overclocking options, much akin to what AMD provides alongside additional DLSS controls, and AV1 support, though specific release dates are yet to be disclosed.
I’m genuinely surprised that AMD’s drivers and software have motivated NVIDIA to make improvements, especially considering NVIDIA’s longstanding neglect of overhauling its driver utility stack.
