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Clear and rebuild the shader cache only when the symptoms fit. A damaged or mismatched cache can contribute to launch crashes, visual artifacts and poor performance, especially after a graphics-driver change. However, the first run after a reset or driver installation may stutter while shaders compile again. Start with a reversible, vendor-specific cache reset, then verify the game files and patch before changing drivers or editing the registry.
What the shader cache does—and why it can stutter
Games use shaders to calculate lighting, materials, shadows, post-processing and other GPU effects. The driver or game usually compiles shader code into a form the graphics processor can execute. NVIDIA notes that shader compiles are normally performed each time a game runs and are a common cause of gameplay stuttering. A shader cache keeps the compiled results so later launches can reuse them instead of compiling the same work again.
This creates two apparently opposite experiences:
- A healthy cache reduces repeat stutter. Once a game has visited an area and its shaders are cached, later runs can load those results more quickly.
- A missing, newly invalidated or constantly evicted cache can stutter. A driver installation can delete the old cache, so the next launch has to compile again. If the cache limit is too small, still-used shaders can be evicted and compiled repeatedly.
AMD describes the same basic purpose: Shader Cache stores frequently used shaders to improve loading times and reduce CPU use rather than regenerating them whenever they are needed. Cache behavior differs by vendor, graphics API and game, so a folder path or reset method for one GPU brand should not be copied to another.
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When the cache is a credible cause
A cache problem is a diagnosis to test, not proof that every hitch is a cache fault. NVIDIA Support says damaged shader-cache files may cause a game or application to crash on launch, show lower performance or display visual artifacts. Those symptoms are more suggestive when they began immediately after a driver update, a rollback, a game patch or an interrupted compile.
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| Symptom or timing | What it suggests | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Stutter only on the first run after installing or changing a driver | The old cache was removed and shaders are being rebuilt | Allow the game to reach its menus or a representative area, then test a second run before deleting anything |
| Launch crash, new visual artifacts or a sudden performance drop after a driver change | A damaged or mismatched driver cache is plausible | Use the cache reset for your GPU vendor |
| Only one game fails while other games are normal | The game’s files, patch, API path or per-game cache may be involved | Verify that game’s files and check for its current patch |
| Stutter continues in every game and began without a driver or game change | A broader graphics, thermal, CPU, background-process or hardware issue is also possible | Do not assume the cache is responsible; record driver, API and crash details before escalating |
| Stutter returns after every brief play session | The cache may be too small, disabled, or unable to retain entries | Check the driver’s cache setting and avoid an unnecessarily small cache limit |
There is no universal cache-size recommendation or guaranteed success rate. NVIDIA’s driver-default value shown on its current 2026 support page is specific to that setting and date; treat it as a current default, not a rule that applies to every GPU, driver or game.
Before you reset anything
Record the conditions
Write down the game name and version, GPU model, graphics-driver version, graphics API (DirectX 11, DirectX 12 or Vulkan), exact crash text, and when the stutter started. If you later need support, this information distinguishes a driver-wide problem from a single-game failure.
Finish a pending compile when possible
Some games offer a shader-precompilation step at startup. Let it finish without repeatedly cancelling it. If the game has no such option, a short first run can be enough for the cache to repopulate; a second run is a better comparison than the first run immediately after a driver change.
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Exit the game, launcher and graphics-control application before deleting cache contents. Do not remove unrelated folders in the graphics-driver directory. Cache deletion is generally reversible because the files are recreated, but it deliberately discards compiled data and can make the next launch slower.
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NVIDIA: reset the driver shader cache safely
These steps follow NVIDIA’s documented reset sequence. They apply to the NVIDIA App and the folders used by the current Windows driver package. Use them when launch crashes, artifacts or performance problems point to a damaged cache, or when a normal rebuild has not occurred after a driver change.
- Open the NVIDIA App and open its graphics or global settings page.
- Set Shader Cache Size to Off. Apply the change if the app presents an Apply button.
- Restart Windows. This reboot is part of the reset sequence; do not skip it.
- Press Windows key + R, enter
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIA, and press Enter. - Delete the contents of the
DXCachefolder and theGLCachefolder. Delete the folders’ contents rather than unrelated files elsewhere in the NVIDIA directory. - Open
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIA CorporationNV_Cacheand delete its contents. - Open the NVIDIA App again, restore Shader Cache Size to Driver Default, apply the setting and reboot a second time.
- Launch the game and allow its shaders to compile. Expect the first run after the reset to stutter more than later runs while the cache is rebuilt.
If a file reports that it is in use, close every game, launcher and NVIDIA control process you can safely exit, then retry after a reboot. Do not force-delete operating-system files or change permissions just to remove one locked cache file; leave that file in place and test whether the rebuilt cache resolves the symptom.
Optional NVIDIA maintenance route
NVIDIA also documents a Display Driver Uninstaller route named Clean Shader Cache (Only). Use that option only when you understand that it targets shader-cache data, not a general driver replacement. A full driver removal is a higher-risk intervention and is not the first step for ordinary cache stutter.
What the NVIDIA reset can and cannot prove
If the crash or artifact disappears after the rebuild, the previous cache state was a credible contributor. That result does not prove the cache caused every earlier hitch, and it does not prevent a later game patch or driver update from invalidating the cache again. If nothing changes, move to game-file and API troubleshooting rather than repeating the deletion indefinitely.
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AMD: use Radeon controls, not NVIDIA folders
AMD’s documentation describes Shader Cache as an optimization that compiles and stores frequently used shaders. AMD-optimized behavior is enabled by default in the Radeon software described by its current documentation, and AMD provides a global control to disable it.
- Open the installed Radeon software and go to the graphics settings used for global or per-game profiles.
- Locate the Shader Cache control and note whether it is using AMD Optimized behavior or has been disabled.
- Use the reset or restore-default control exposed by your installed Radeon software and the affected game’s documentation. Radeon releases can change the exact label and location.
- Restart Windows, launch the game, and let its shaders rebuild before judging the result.
Do not copy the NVIDIA paths such as DXCache, GLCache or NV_Cache into an AMD troubleshooting procedure. The vendor, driver release and game may manage the files differently. If the current Radeon interface does not expose a reset command, use its documented restore-default behavior and then proceed to game-file verification rather than deleting arbitrary folders.
DirectX 12: understand which cache you are clearing
DirectX 12 defines controls for enabling, disabling and clearing shader caches, but it also distinguishes an application-managed cache from a working-directory cache. That distinction matters: a game can keep compiled data in a location it controls even when a driver-level cache has been cleared.
- Driver-wide cache: affects multiple games using that graphics driver and is the scope of the NVIDIA procedure above.
- Application-managed cache: created and maintained by the game or engine; its location and reset command come from the game’s documentation or support menu.
- Working-directory cache: associated with the application’s working files and may be recreated by the game after a patch or settings change.
Consequently, clearing a Windows or driver cache may not remove a game’s own compiled data. If only one DirectX 12 game is affected, look for that title’s shader-precompilation, cache-reset or safe-mode option before making a driver-wide change.
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Repair the game and launcher after the cache reset
Verify installed files in Steam
Steam documents file verification for update, launch and corruption problems. In the current desktop client, open Library, right-click the game, choose Properties, open Installed Files, and select Verify integrity of game files. Steam compares the installation with its manifest and reacquires files it considers missing or damaged.
Verification is different from shader-cache clearing: it repairs game content, not compiled driver data. A one-game crash that survives a cache reset is a good reason to perform both, in that order, and then apply the game’s current patch.
Clear Steam’s download cache only when the launcher is misbehaving
Steam’s Settings > Downloads > Clear Download Cache command clears launcher download data and may require signing in again. It can help when an update is stuck or incomplete, but it is not a substitute for a GPU shader-cache reset and should not be presented as one. Use it when the game update itself appears damaged or Steam cannot complete a download.
Use the game’s own shader-precompilation option
Some games expose a menu item or startup phase that compiles shaders before entering gameplay. Enable or complete it if available. If the game offers a cache reset in its own settings, use that control instead of guessing a folder name. After a patch, allow the process to complete again because the patch may have changed shader inputs.
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Test graphics settings without masking the diagnosis
Graphics-setting changes are reversible and can help identify whether a particular rendering path triggers the hitch. Change one item at a time and keep a note of the original value.
- Shader detail: temporarily lower it if the game exposes that setting. Improvement points to shader workload or memory pressure, but it does not prove that the cache itself is corrupt.
- Windowed mode: test a windowed presentation mode when the game or Steam troubleshooting guidance recommends it, particularly on some integrated-graphics systems.
- Graphics API: if the game offers both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, test the alternate API as a diagnostic. Keep the API that is stable while you report the failure; do not claim that one API is universally faster.
- Precompilation and background work: avoid judging frame pacing while the game is still compiling shaders, installing an update or running another heavy process.
Do not stack many setting changes at once. If you lower shader detail, switch API and change resolution simultaneously, you will not know which change mattered.
A staged decision path
- Confirm the pattern. Compare a first run and a second run, and note whether the problem affects one game or many.
- Check timing. If it started after a driver installation, expect an initial rebuild; if it includes a new launch crash or artifacts, treat cache corruption as plausible.
- Reset the correct vendor cache. Follow the NVIDIA sequence for NVIDIA hardware or the Radeon controls for AMD hardware. Do not mix paths.
- Reboot and rebuild. Give the game time to compile shaders and test again before changing additional variables.
- Repair the title. Install its current patch, verify Steam files, and use the game’s precompilation or cache-reset feature when available.
- Run a controlled graphics test. Try lower shader detail or windowed mode, and test another API only if the game supports it.
- Escalate with evidence. Provide the game name, GPU, driver version, API, crash text, exact start time of the problem and the cache path or reset action already attempted.
Common mistakes and safer alternatives
| Mistake | Why it causes trouble | Safer alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Deleting a cache and immediately judging the first launch | The reset forces compilation and can temporarily increase stutter | Complete the game’s compile phase, then compare a later run |
| Using NVIDIA folder paths on an AMD system | Vendors manage cache data differently | Use the Radeon software and AMD’s current game guidance |
| Assuming every hitch is a cache fault | CPU limits, background work, thermal throttling, patches and API issues can look similar | Use symptom timing and one-game-versus-many-game scope to choose the next test |
| Clearing Steam’s download cache as a GPU fix | It removes launcher download data, not necessarily compiled shaders | Verify game files for content corruption and reset the vendor cache for driver data |
| Jumping to driver removal or registry edits | Those actions have greater risk and can introduce new variables | Use the documented cache reset and file verification first |
| Reporting “it crashes” without technical context | Support cannot tell whether the failure is driver-, API- or title-specific | Include GPU, driver, API, crash text, game version and cache location |
How to tell whether the fix worked
Use the same save, map or benchmark scene when comparing runs, and wait until background shader compilation has stopped. Record whether the first traversal is the only stutter, whether later runs improve, and whether the launch crash or artifact is gone. A successful cache rebuild should reduce repeat compilation; it should not be expected to repair unrelated frame-time problems or a broken game patch.
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