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Short answer: NVIDIA Shader Cache Size controls how much disk space the graphics driver may use to retain compiled shaders. SCSKiller is a separate Windows utility that tries to compile supported games’ shader pipelines before you play, placing the results in that driver cache. The setting manages storage and reuse; SCSKiller attempts to do compilation ahead of gameplay.
They are not competing replacements. If a supported DirectX game repeatedly pauses while compiling shaders, you can use an adequate NVIDIA cache limit and then use SCSKiller to prebuild pipelines. Neither tool fixes every kind of stutter, and SCSKiller cannot prepare shaders it does not find or record.
What NVIDIA Shader Cache does
Modern games ship shader programs that must be compiled for a particular game, graphics API, driver and GPU. NVIDIA’s driver stores those compiled results on disk so later runs can reuse them instead of compiling the same shaders again. NVIDIA describes the feature as a cache in which “subsequent runs of the same game do not need to perform the shader compilation.” Read the official explanation in NVIDIA’s Manage 3D Settings reference.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The Shader Cache Size control is therefore a capacity limit. It does not open a special precompilation mode, inspect your game, or force a game to render every possible scene. It tells the driver how much disk space it may devote to cached shader compiles.
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What happens when the limit is too small
When the cache reaches its limit, older entries can be evicted to make room. If a game still needs an evicted shader, the driver must compile it again, potentially producing a hitch. NVIDIA recommends choosing a limit large enough for the games you normally play while staying within the free space on the drive that holds the cache.
What happens after a driver installation
NVIDIA states that installing a new driver deletes the shader cache. The first launch of a game after that installation can therefore stutter while shaders are rebuilt. A larger limit does not prevent this deletion; it only provides more room once the new cache starts filling.
What SCSKiller does
SCSKiller is a Windows utility that scans supported games, plans their pipelines and attempts to compile those pipelines while the game is closed. The compiled data is written to the NVIDIA or AMD driver cache. When the game later requests a shader that SCSKiller successfully prepared, the driver can reuse the cached result instead of compiling it during play.
The project describes this as a way to address shader-compilation stutter. It does not claim to remove traversal stutter, streaming stutter or every pause caused by asset loading. A shader that the utility cannot find or record may still compile in the game.
Supported graphics APIs and hardware
The project README lists DirectX 12 games on NVIDIA and AMD hardware, plus DirectX 11 games on NVIDIA hardware. Compatibility is version-sensitive: a game, driver or launcher update can change whether a title is detected or whether its pipelines can be recorded.
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The README names game libraries including Steam, Epic Games, the EA app, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, Xbox PC, Battle.net, PURPLE, HoYoPlay and Gaijin. Manual game addition is also available. A listed launcher does not guarantee that every game in that library is supported.
NVIDIA Shader Cache vs. SCSKiller at a glance
| Question | NVIDIA Shader Cache Size | SCSKiller |
|---|---|---|
| What it changes | The maximum disk space available for cached shader compiles. | Attempts to build supported game pipelines before play and place them in the driver cache. |
| Primary workflow | Choose a cache limit in NVIDIA’s 3D settings. | Scan games, select a title, compile with the game closed, then launch the game. |
| Main benefit | Retains compiled shaders for reuse on later runs. | Moves some compilation work from gameplay to a preparation step. |
| Compatibility | Provided by the NVIDIA driver for games using that driver. | DirectX 12 on NVIDIA and AMD; DirectX 11 on NVIDIA, according to the project README. |
| After a driver update | NVIDIA says a new driver installation deletes the cache. | The project says it detects driver updates and compiles again. |
| What it cannot solve | A larger limit does not fix traversal, streaming or other non-shader stalls. | It fixes shader-compilation stutter only; unsupported, missed or unrecorded shaders can still compile during play. |
How to choose an NVIDIA Shader Cache Size
NVIDIA’s current Control Panel reference lists these choices: Disabled, Unlimited, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB and 100 GB. The visible choices can change with a driver release, so check the current panel rather than treating this list as permanent.
Set the limit
- Right-click the Windows desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Manage 3D settings in the left navigation.
- In the global settings list, find Shader Cache Size.
- Choose a capacity, then select Apply.
The setting is a storage budget, not a quality or frame-rate preset. Increasing it does not make the GPU render faster and does not guarantee that a game’s first run will be hitch-free.
Use the games you actually play to size it
- Keep it enabled: Disabling the cache removes the driver’s normal reuse mechanism and can make repeated launches perform compilation again.
- Use a finite value when disk space is constrained: Pick a limit that leaves room for Windows, game updates and other applications.
- Use a larger value for a broad library: If you rotate through many large games, a small limit can cause frequent eviction.
- Use Unlimited only with sufficient free space: NVIDIA provides the option, but its practical suitability depends on the available drive capacity and how many games you keep installed.
There is no universal “best” number. The correct choice is the smallest limit that avoids constant eviction for your normal library without putting the drive under space pressure.
How to use SCSKiller safely
Before you start
- Use a supported Windows game and a compatible DirectX/API and GPU combination.
- Close the game before asking SCSKiller to compile its pipelines.
- Leave enough free disk space for the driver cache and the temporary work involved in scanning and compiling.
- Download only from the project’s official GitHub Releases, as directed by the SCSKiller README.
Scan, plan and compile
- Install or extract the release from the project’s official release page.
- Start SCSKiller and allow it to scan the supported game libraries it can detect.
- Review the discovered titles. Use the manual-add function when a supported installation was not found automatically.
- Select a game and let the utility plan the pipelines it can identify.
- Start compilation while the game and its launcher process are closed, following any on-screen prompts.
- Wait for the compilation pass to finish, then launch the game normally.
The preparation pass is not a guarantee that every possible shader has been generated. New areas, patches, optional content and unusual rendering paths can still expose work that was not present in the recorded data.
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Anti-cheat games require extra caution
SCSKiller says it leaves anti-cheat games alone beyond reading their files, and that its optional recorder is not used for those games. Do not enable the recorder for an anti-cheat title. If a game’s anti-cheat behavior or support status is unclear, skip recording and consult the project’s current documentation before proceeding.
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How the two tools work together
A practical sequence is:
- Set NVIDIA Shader Cache Size to a limit that accommodates your normal games and available disk space.
- Install a current graphics driver and allow the initial cache to be rebuilt after the installation.
- For a supported game with shader-compilation hitches, close the game and run SCSKiller’s scan and compilation process.
- Launch the game and test the same areas that previously caused shader stalls.
SCSKiller does not replace the driver cache-size setting. Its output is stored in that cache, so an overly small limit can evict prepared entries. Conversely, increasing the limit does not create the prepared pipelines that SCSKiller attempts to generate.
Does SCSKiller increase FPS?
Neither the NVIDIA cache setting nor SCSKiller is an FPS overclock. Their intended effect is reducing compilation work and the pauses associated with it. Average frame rate may remain essentially unchanged while frame-time spikes become less frequent or shorter.
SCSKiller’s website publishes developer measurements, not independent testing. In each example, the project says the comparison involved about five minutes of play, and it warns that results vary by game, GPU and driver.
| Game and test GPU | Cold-cache shader stutters (at least 20 ms) | After SCSKiller compilation | Worst stall before / after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, NVIDIA RTX 5090 | 19 | 0 | 76 ms / 5 ms |
| Silent Hill: Townfall, NVIDIA RTX 5090 | 24 | 0 | 347 ms / 8 ms |
| Hogwarts Legacy, NVIDIA RTX 5090 | 1,014 | 87 | 2,400 ms / 100 ms |
These figures come from the project’s own 2026 materials and should be treated as illustrative developer results rather than a benchmark that predicts your system. The Hogwarts Legacy example also shows why “precompiled” does not mean “all stutter eliminated”: 87 qualifying shader stalls remained in that measurement.
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Which stutters these tools do not fix
Traversal stutter
Traversal stutter occurs when a game encounters new rendering combinations or assets as you move through the world. It can involve more than shader compilation, so a populated shader cache may not remove it.
Streaming and asset-loading stutter
Games may pause while loading textures, geometry, audio or other data from storage or memory. Neither cache capacity nor SCSKiller precompilation addresses those transfers.
Missed or newly introduced shaders
Patches, downloadable content, optional graphics settings and paths not encountered during recording can introduce shaders that are absent from the prepared cache. Those shaders can still compile during play.
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Unsigned releases and SmartScreen
The SCSKiller README says its releases are not code-signed and may trigger Windows SmartScreen. It also notes that Windows 11 Smart App Control blocks unsigned apps. The project recommends checking the SHA-256 value in the release notes. Verify the current release guidance immediately before installing, because signing and Windows policy can change.
Network activity
The project’s privacy policy describes routine downloads of public lists and an anonymous daily activity check, and says the check can be disabled. Optional uploads are opt-in. According to the policy, an upload can reveal a game’s build, GPU vendor, approximate gameplay coverage and middleware DLL names; frame times remain local.
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Read the policy and disable the activity check or decline optional sharing if that data flow does not fit your privacy requirements.
Driver updates, cache resets and troubleshooting
Stutter returns after a driver update
This is expected behavior when the driver installation deletes the cache. Let the game rebuild its cache naturally, or run SCSKiller again for a supported title after the driver is installed. Do not judge the new driver’s shader behavior from only the first launch.
SCSKiller finds no game
- Confirm that the game is installed through a supported library or add it manually.
- Check whether the title uses a supported DirectX version and GPU combination.
- Update SCSKiller and review its current README for changed launcher or game support.
- Make sure the launcher and game are closed during the scan if the utility requires exclusive file access.
Compilation completes but hitches remain
- Confirm that the remaining pauses are shader-compilation hitches rather than traversal or streaming stalls.
- Check whether the game received an update after compilation.
- Ensure the NVIDIA cache limit is not so small that prepared entries are immediately evicted.
- Expect unrecorded or newly encountered shaders to compile during play.
The cache consumes too much disk space
Lower the Shader Cache Size limit to a value that fits your available storage and normal library, then allow older entries to be evicted. Avoid disabling the cache merely to reclaim space unless you accept repeated compilation on later launches.
When to change the NVIDIA setting—and when to use SCSKiller
Change the NVIDIA setting when
- You have disabled shader caching and want the driver to retain compiled results.
- Your normal game library is large enough that the current limit appears to cause frequent eviction.
- You need to reduce disk usage and can tolerate more recompilation after entries are removed.
- You have installed a new driver and want to establish an appropriate cache budget for the rebuilt cache.
Try SCSKiller when
- A supported DirectX game produces obvious shader-compilation hitches during play.
- You are willing to perform a preparation pass while the game is closed.
- You have checked the current compatibility, release-authenticity and anti-cheat guidance.
Skip or defer SCSKiller when
- The game is outside the project’s supported API/GPU scope.
- The problem is clearly asset streaming, traversal or another non-shader issue.
- You cannot verify the release or do not accept unsigned software and its stated network behavior.
- The title uses anti-cheat and you would need to enable the optional recorder.
Bottom line
Think of NVIDIA Shader Cache Size as the size of the driver’s filing cabinet and SCSKiller as a tool that tries to put game-specific shader work into that cabinet before you play. Set the NVIDIA limit to fit your library and disk, then consider SCSKiller only for supported games where shader-compilation hitches are the actual problem. Keep expectations precise: driver updates clear the cache, prepared pipelines can be incomplete, and neither solution addresses every source of stutter.
For current compatibility, release checks and limitations, consult the SCSKiller project site and its README. NVIDIA’s cache definitions and controls are documented in its Control Panel reference.
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