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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Clearing a shader cache can help if its files are damaged or a problem began after a graphics-driver update, but it is not a guaranteed fix for lag, crashes, or visual glitches. Expect possible stutter the next time a game runs: it must rebuild the compiled shaders you removed.
What clearing the shader cache does—and when to try it
A shader cache stores compiled shaders so a game or graphics application can reuse them instead of compiling them again. NVIDIA says damaged cache files may contribute to launch crashes, reduced performance, or visual artifacts. That makes clearing the cache a reasonable troubleshooting step when symptoms appeared after a driver update or seem consistent with corrupted cache data; it does not establish that the cache caused a particular problem. NVIDIA’s cache-clearing guidance describes the possible symptoms.
There is a trade-off. Once cached shaders are deleted, they have to be compiled again. NVIDIA notes that the first run after a driver installation can stutter when the cache has been deleted. If the issue began immediately after an update, some first-run hitching may therefore be temporary rather than evidence of a new fault. NVIDIA’s 3D settings reference explains the cache’s purpose and the stutter and cache-size considerations.
Identify which cache you need to clear
There is no single Windows procedure that clears every shader cache. The graphics vendor, Windows, and individual games or applications may manage different cache data. Use the procedure for your graphics software rather than assuming that removing one vendor’s files clears every cache.
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- NVIDIA: NVIDIA’s support procedure uses NVIDIA App settings and specific folders in your Windows user profile.
- AMD Radeon: AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition includes a Reset Shader Cache control.
- Windows or game-managed: Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery is a separate Windows 11 Direct3D 12 feature for supported configurations, not a general-purpose cache-clearing control.
Clear the NVIDIA shader cache
NVIDIA’s support instructions, updated May 25, 2026, use NVIDIA App and call for deleting the contents of specified folders—not the folders themselves. Save work before restarting.
- Open NVIDIA App, select Graphics, then Global Settings.
- Set Shader Cache Size to Off, select Apply, and restart Windows.
- After Windows starts, open the Run dialog with Windows key + R, enter
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocal, and press Enter. - Open the NVIDIA folder and delete the contents of DXCache and GLCache. Then open NVIDIA Corporation and delete the contents of NV_Cache. Leave the folders in place.
- Reopen NVIDIA App and return to Graphics > Global Settings. Set Shader Cache Size to Driver Default, select Apply, and restart Windows again.
These steps follow NVIDIA’s published shader-cache deletion procedure. If a listed folder is absent, do not create a replacement or delete unrelated folders; the source specifies the named cache locations.
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Reset the AMD Radeon shader cache
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition provides a Reset Shader Cache control that deletes stored shader-cache files. Find that control in the installed Adrenalin interface; menu placement and labels can vary between software versions, so an exact navigation path is not established here. AMD describes shader caching as a way to speed game loading and reduce CPU use, and recommends leaving it enabled for the optimal gaming experience. AMD’s Adrenalin graphics-settings documentation covers the reset control and recommendation.
What to expect after the reset
- First launch: A game may stutter while it recompiles shaders. Give it time to rebuild the cache and check whether later runs behave differently.
- Persistent symptoms: If crashes, lag, or artifacts continue, clearing the cache has not resolved the underlying issue. Continue troubleshooting the specific game, application, or driver. For crashes, NVIDIA separately documents how to provide crash-dump evidence in its support guidance.
- Cache capacity: NVIDIA says a cache limit that is too small can evict shaders still in use and cause stutter. The appropriate capacity depends on your games and available disk space; there is no universal size established by the cited guidance.
Do not leave shader caching disabled as a routine performance fix. NVIDIA describes the cache as a way to avoid recompilation, and AMD recommends keeping it enabled for gaming.
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Windows 11 Advanced Shader Delivery is different
Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery is a Windows 11 Direct3D 12 technology that can precompile shaders and deliver them with a game download. It depends on a supported Windows version, capable GPU and driver, and storefront integration. It is a conditional feature for compatible games and devices—not a universal cache-clearing method or a setting every Windows PC can use. See Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery overview for its prerequisites.
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