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Nvidia’s latest GPU driver brings a new way to speed up PC games
AppWizard
October 21, 2026

Nvidia’s latest GPU driver brings a new way to speed up PC games

Nvidia has released GPU driver version 621.01, which includes Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery technology to improve gaming by speeding up game launches and eliminating mid-game shader compilation issues. This technology uses cloud resources to precompile shaders for various hardware configurations, allowing developers to capture shaders into a State Object Database (SODB) using DirectX 12, Windows 11, and the Microsoft Agility SDK. Games like Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 support this feature when downloaded through the Xbox PC app, and it is compatible with games purchased on other platforms like Steam. The system achieves a near-100 percent cache hit rate, reducing CPU spikes and frame stutters. The driver update is available for download, and Advanced Shader Delivery also works with AMD GPUs (Adrenalin version 26.6.1 or higher) and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 series (driver version 2026.08.3 or higher).
silver Android smartphone
AppWizard
October 11, 2026

Squadron 42 has a Steam page

Game director Chris Roberts announced that Squadron 42, the single-player component of Star Citizen, will be released in Q2 2027 to avoid clashing with Grand Theft Auto 6. A dedicated Steam page for Squadron 42 has been created, listing the game’s system requirements and indicating an install size of 150GB. The game does not reference modern features like ray tracing or DirectX 12. High-profile actors Gillian Anderson and Henry Cavill will appear in cutscenes.
We tested gaming performance in 17-year-old Windows 7 against Windows 11 on a modern gaming PC — older operating system delivers advantages in some scenarios
Winsage
October 10, 2026

We tested gaming performance in 17-year-old Windows 7 against Windows 11 on a modern gaming PC — older operating system delivers advantages in some scenarios

Windows 7 was released in 2009 and has received positive reviews for nearly two decades. A performance evaluation was conducted by installing Windows 7 on a modern PC and testing it against Windows 11 across ten games, including eight DirectX 11 titles and two DirectX 9 titles. In the game Metro 2033 Redux, Windows 11 achieved a higher average frame rate, but Windows 7 had better handling of CPU-related performance drops, resulting in stronger 1% lows. In Batman: Arkham Origins, Windows 7 outperformed Windows 11 in both average frame rate and 1% lows at 1080p and 4K. For Batman: Arkham Knight, Windows 7 showed higher performance when CPU-limited at 1080p, while Windows 11 led in GPU-limited scenarios at 1440p and 4K. In Batman: Arkham City, Windows 11 had the advantage across all resolutions as the game was GPU-bound. In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Windows 7 outperformed Windows 11 in 1% lows at 1080p, but Windows 11 took the lead at higher resolutions. Control showed Windows 11 outperforming Windows 7 across all resolutions due to GPU optimizations. Hitman: Absolution also favored Windows 11 in GPU-limited scenarios. For DirectX 9 games, Windows 7 demonstrated significant advantages in average frame rate and 1% lows in Batman: Arkham Asylum, especially at lower resolutions, while performance in Borderlands 2 was nearly identical across both operating systems at 4K. Overall, Windows 7 excels in CPU-limited scenarios, while Windows 11 performs better in GPU-bound situations, aided by advanced graphics drivers. Microsoft’s ongoing efforts aim to improve Windows 11's performance and reliability.
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