Driver analysis
NVIDIA driver rollback: why GPU benchmark scores can change after updates
In late February and early March 2026, multiple PC hardware outlets reported that NVIDIA pulled GeForce Game Ready and Studio driver 595.59 after fan-control problems were reported, with fixed driver 595.71 following on March 2.
For a bottleneck test, this is a reminder that a GPU score is not only about the graphics card model. Driver behavior can influence clocks, fan response, power behavior, WebGL stability, video acceleration, and whether a browser uses hardware acceleration correctly.
How a driver issue can look like a bottleneck
- Lower boost clocks can make the GPU look weaker than it is.
- Fan-control problems can cause heat buildup, which can lower scores during longer tests.
- Broken HDR, display sleep, or multi-monitor behavior can affect perceived smoothness outside the benchmark.
- Browser acceleration problems can shift rendering work back toward the CPU.
If a GPU score suddenly changes after a driver update, retest after a full reboot and compare against the previous driver version before assuming the hardware itself is the bottleneck.
What to record when testing
When you compare benchmark results, write down the GPU driver version, browser name and version, power mode, monitor setup, and whether the laptop or desktop had time to cool down. That context makes a low score much easier to explain.
For browser-based testing, also check whether WebGL is available and whether WebGPU is exposed. A modern GPU can still produce a weak browser result if the browser is blocked from using the driver path it expects.