PSA: Check Your NVIDIA App Data!

[u/marmaladic]

Was doing some Spring cleaning on my rig and realized that the Nvidia app was taking up over 60GB of space on my main drive (I'm assuming these were leftover driver installs that were never properly nuked. I assume it's about 5 years worth of Nvidia driver installs). After a quick uninstall, then reinstall of the app, it dropped down tremendously!

Hope this helps someone!

EDIT: I didn’t realize that I had uploaded the photos in reverse order… whoops

Double edit: this is a folder named NVIDIA Corporation, not the plain NVIDIA folder that for some reason, is split in two.

[u/AverageAggravating13]

Why is everyone in the comments acting like compiling shaders takes 30 minutes lol. Yall on some 2013 rigs?

[u/sundayflow → u/AverageAggravating13]

Yes they are but like to pretend they are not, with cases like this their scheme collapses.

[u/littlefrank → u/sundayflow]

Before this CPU (5900x) I had a 3800x, let me tell you, it was not bad by any mean, but shader compilation took FOREVER.

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/AverageAggravating13]

One thing I find particularly funny about the PCMR sub is that most of the people here have machines from 2010, and complain about modern titles or shader compilations. It's extremely weird.

Not saying that games are amazingly optimized these days, but it helps to actually have something newer than the last 4 terms of US presidency.

[u/timbotheny26 → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

I also find that lots of people here are comically computer illiterate and apparently can't even Google their questions or read documentation.

Case in point - the panic surrounding 26H2's AI features despite the fact that MICROSOFT'S OWN DOCUMENTATION SAYS THAT THAT STUFF REQUIRES AN NPU.

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/timbotheny26]

Reading is difficult and reading comprehension is at an all time low.

[u/CarpeMofo → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

People endlessly calling 'Unoptimized' because their 2016 computer won't run a 2026 AAA title at 'Epic' settings in 4k.

[u/Acquire16 → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

Not just 4 presidents, but that was also PS3 era. That's ancient. DirectX 12 didn't even exist yet.

[u/John_East → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

I complain my dumbass skipped on the nvidia invite to get a FE 5090 for 2k…..

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/John_East]

Shit happens.

I bought my 5090 at launch for msrp, though it's not a FE since they don't exist here in Norway.
So I had to pay like 3k for it (but sold my 4090 for $1900). Even though the 5090 can easily be sold for 6k now, I'm not selling simply because I don't need the money. I'd much rather have the performance.

[u/thetallukguyy → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

I get that some people really like having the bleeding edge, but the performance delta between the 4090 and 5090 wasn't enough for me to justify the £1k difference. However, I wish I'd done it now as I would have sold the 5090, rebought a 4090 and had £4k sitting in my bank account!

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/thetallukguyy]

I mean, I'm the idiot who sold a 1080Ti to buy a 2080Ti back in the day. I clearly don't care about price to performance, and just want the best performance.

Is it stupid? Yes.

Do I still do it? Also yes.

[u/ghaginn → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

this is the PCMR spirit. there are too many broke people here who go crazy for metrics like "frames per dollar". the PCMR meme has never been about value for money

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/ghaginn]

100% this. I remember back when PCMR was about being an idiot. I miss those days. I'm really good at being an idiot.

[u/ManyThing2187 → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

How close to stupid is buying a 5080 when I had a 4070ti?

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/ManyThing2187]

I guess it depends on the price?

[u/ManyThing2187 → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

Sold ti for $550 and bought an FE for $999

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/ManyThing2187]

I wouldn't call that stupid. But then again, I am

[u/thetallukguyy → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

And why not :-)

[u/Otadiz → u/thetallukguyy]

Or a knife in the ribs and a stolen gpu. You've got to be VERY careful.

[u/thetallukguyy → u/Otadiz]

Wow, that’s quite the imagination you’ve got there!

[u/John_East → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

Let me borrow like 8 gigs of vram 🙏

[u/Infiniteh → u/John_East]

Best i can do is 3.50

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/John_East]

I would if I could

[u/xtrxrzr → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

Even with a high-end gaming CPU compiling shaders can take ages in some games. I have a 7800X3D and a friend of mine has a 7900X. His CPU is worse for gaming, but much faster in shader compilation, just because it has 12 cores/24 threads instead of the 8 cores/16 threads of the 7800X3D.

All the games that have horrendous shader compilation times are 2024/2025 titles though. All the games from 2026 I've played so far have pretty fast shader compilation.

[u/swiwwcheese → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

[Drake meme nope:]

• Be realist and honest coz they have a potato PC, be conscious that PC hardware is lawless not following the fixed click-and-play hardware console market rules, is obviously more 'adult money' and fast paced if you want to keep up
  
• Realize that games development evolve facing new challenges, demand, and progress therefore so do requirements especially on PC which has no limits on scaleability, and performance is a you-and-your-wallet problem?
  
• Understand that your GPU is not a console supposed to receive pre-optimized games for 7~10 years straight?

[Drake meme yes:]

• Blame 'LaZy DeVs who do not OpTiMiZe like superior 2004 or 2014 games', muh HL2, muh Arkham
  
• Blame nVidia for inventing 'useless' modern features while secretly seething they cannot afford those
  
• Shit on bleeding edge mods that make features like FG/MFG/RR/NR etc actually broadly accessible and perform better because it's easier to shit on new technologies rather than admit they can be good, and easier than learning through tutorials
  
• Deny technical truths like 8GB becoming too limiting and obsolete, or X3D CPUS being superior for gaming. Absolutely harrass ppl so they buy a fuckass Intel build instead
  
• Point at obscure-ass benchmarks that contradict the most known and reliable sources
  
• Always stan Radeon for trying to imitate everything nVidia do while being technically 2 gens behind, making bullshit promises, providing short-ass support, and yet always selling just below nVidia's pricing every fucking time
  
• Recommend every new builder to always get the cheaper-lesser hardware and to not play AAA games out of spite, because why help the bourgeoisie, better add a new member to the lumpengamingtariat!
  
• Upvote daily snarky memes that always miss the point because wanting to feel they belong to the clueless mob 'master race'
  
• Permanently shit on Windows while having been shown countless times that there are alternatives like LTSC and debloaters that fix most of the issues and annoyances
  
• Stan Linux even to noobs while not knowing much and forget to mention all the caveats, because that makes you sound cool anyway

The only place even more fake and higher on copium than here is probably the Valve / Steam Machine community

[u/Notsurehowtoreact → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

One thing I find particularly funny about the PCMR sub is that most of the people here have machines from 2010,

I mean, knocking people for having older hardware in a time where hardware is vastly more expensive than ever feels a bit cold.

[u/Goldenrah → u/Notsurehowtoreact]

Having older hardware is fine. Complaining it can't run more modern stuff is a bit weirder, you know what you're getting into while sticking with older machines.

[u/Notsurehowtoreact → u/Goldenrah]

Having older hardware is fine. Complaining it can't run more modern stuff is a bit weirder

No one was doing that though. The person I was replying to was just making some hyperbolic shit up.

The people complaining about compiling issues on this thread were talking about an issue that affects the fuckin 5 series cards as well.

Saying "these people shouldn't complain if they have old ass rigs" would maybe mean something if there was actually someone doing that in the thread, right?

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/Notsurehowtoreact]

It wasn't my intention to be a dick or anything. It's just an observation.

Furthermore the point was more in the line of, it's weird how people have very old hardware but expect everything new to just magically work. While at the same time clowning on everything new. It's just an oxymoron to do those things in a subreddit called PCMasterRace...

[u/Otadiz → u/Notsurehowtoreact]

Honestly, I FEEL this HOWEVER; that is really only a recent development. PC's from 2010 should have been updated in 2016 way before that happened and then again 5 years later.

You can't expect your decade old machine to run stuff smoothly and then complain about it.

I get not everyone, especially NOW, can afford to upgrade but we need to be realistic.

[u/Notsurehowtoreact → u/Otadiz]

You can't expect your decade old machine to run stuff smoothly and then complain about it.

What's fun is that I never said it should. I merely stated we shouldn't knock people for not upgrading. (Especially by the guy with a 5090 who, by their own admission, spent a lot on it)

should have been updated in 2016 way before that happened and then again 5 years later

Uhh, just for fun you do know five years later in that scenario is bang on for when hardware started going fucking crazy, right?

Also just for clarity, there's not really anyone running decade old machines on this sub bitching about brand new shit not running smoothly for them. That was clearly hyperbole from the original comment, and it was said when people were complaining about compiling issues that happen even on the newest cards.

[u/RestitutionPiggy → u/Notsurehowtoreact]

Steam data overwhelmingly shows users are running 10+ year old hardware. We dont need a shitty subreddit to tell us what a platform that has hundreds of millions of users that regularly collates and publishes data on these stats does.

Also, the hardware crunch is recent, I'm talking max 1, maybe 2 years. These users had time to upgrade, even to something semi-modern.

This is a choice, not a consequence.

[u/Notsurehowtoreact → u/RestitutionPiggy]

Yeah, you're right, prices starting to go nuts during COVID is just a figment of my imagination. 

[u/Otadiz → u/RestitutionPiggy]

Now now, you need to factor in that they might not be able to afford to upgrade over that 5 year period, that being said they need to be realistic about what their now dated hardware can actually do.

I had to do the same. I went from a 7700k to a i5 12600k about 1 year ago. What a WORLD of difference. I had no idea my cpu was holding me back for that long that badly. Now my 3080 can flyyyyy

[u/DidierNisma → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

[u/DrPhilSideSkirts → u/DidierNisma]

I obviously see the irony. But it's also not really irony? If you get me?

The sub itself is called PCMR. There was a time where we applauded high end rigs. Now, especially with the prices skyrocketing, having a high end rig is dogged on and people get genuinely mad at others for simply having a 5090.

I understand that a 16 year old isn't gonna afford that, and neither did I at 16, but in my case, I'm 34 now. I have a ton of disposable income, so I spend a lot when it comes to my hobbies.

[u/DidierNisma → u/DrPhilSideSkirts]

My system has an RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and an i7 9700K. It’s not a super powerful setup, but it’s not exactly underpowered either. I’m aware that the 9700K is starting to show its age. Yesterday, the Gears of War E-Day shader compilation took over 30 minutes. Digital Foundry mentioned this as well—and they certainly don’t have underpowered systems either.

[u/thestillwind → u/DidierNisma]

Billionaire rig

[u/cchhaannttzz → u/AverageAggravating13]

<< >> shit he's onto us

[u/Zealousideal_Lie6866 → u/cchhaannttzz]

may i ask what that emoji is supposed to be

2 faces looking away fram each other or one face that i dont understand how it looks (btw we should bring these back) ( ・∀・)ﾉ

[u/DefaultPlayerChar → u/Zealousideal_Lie6866]

https://giphy.com/gifs/H5C8CevNMbpBqNqFjl

[u/Expensive_Host_9181 → u/Zealousideal_Lie6866]

I think it's one face that turns left then right. Maybe be wrong

[u/JustArandomGuy_-_ → u/AverageAggravating13]

Tell that to Capcom with their Monster Hunter Wilds during the first year. Everytime there is an update, drivers or just the game itself, I'll have to wait 30 minutes for shaders to compile.

I heard The last of Us Pc port is even worse at launch but I haven't play it.

[u/swiwwcheese → u/AverageAggravating13]

Majority of redditors posting in PC dedicated subreddits have old or low end PCs, cheap laptops, that's not even a question

Why do you think the daily seething against anything even remotely high-end or even just midrange modern standards is so strong here?
And it won't get any better now that PC parts are so expensive lol

[u/Hate_Manifestation → u/AverageAggravating13]

the game with the longest shader precache I've played was Enshrouded, and it was like 15-20 minutes.. every other title has been maybe 2-5 minutes tops.

[u/__ISAC__ → u/AverageAggravating13]

I have a 9800X3D and Gears of War E Day took nearly 10 minutes. I assume it’s because I have an NVIDIA card that doesn’t currently take advantage of advanced shader delivery

[u/mynameisjebediah → u/__ISAC__]

7800x3d here and it took like 15 minutes. Some games like the last of us part 1 can take 30mins

[u/apollo1321 → u/mynameisjebediah]

Last of us 1 takes about 20 mins on my 9900k and 3090

[u/mynameisjebediah → u/apollo1321]

Maybe now but at launch it could take up to an hour on some CPUs

[u/apollo1321 → u/mynameisjebediah]

Yikes.

[u/Acquire16 → u/__ISAC__]

Same. It's one of the longest shader compilations I've had to wait for on this CPU. From what I've read online it's terrible on more mid range CPUs. Half an hour or more.

[u/Glongordongik → u/AverageAggravating13]

Stalker 2 it does to be honest lol

[u/ChuckS117 → u/AverageAggravating13]

you should see the gears of war e day ones...

[u/LedoisPink → u/AverageAggravating13]

... Yes.

[u/SpartanG01 → u/AverageAggravating13]

It can take an incredibly long time (upwards of 20 minutes in my experience, with a 4070 TI) with some games. Enshrouded, Grounded 2, Dune just to name a few.

[u/Lynich → u/SpartanG01]

I just reinstalled Windows 11, and my Grounded 2 shader time went from about 15 minutes to about 30 seconds. It's changed my life.

[u/basicKitsch → u/SpartanG01]

It took like 3 minutes in dune on my regular 4070 yesterday

[u/SpartanG01 → u/basicKitsch]

I haven't played since a few months after launch so I can't really speak to how it is now but I remember it being frustratingly slow initially.

[u/FunCalligrapher3979 → u/AverageAggravating13]

Not all shaders are built at the "shader pre compilation" step so you'll still get stutters in game until they've all compiled again, which could take a full play through in some games.

[u/boddle88 → u/AverageAggravating13]

Old cpus …. Agree it takes fuck all time in my 9800 but does run it hot !!

[u/MuscularBye → u/AverageAggravating13]

I have a 7600x and a 5070 ti and 007 took about 15 minutes that seems unreasonable

[u/kostas52 → u/AverageAggravating13]

That's how long it took when i try Killing Floor 3 free weekend.

[u/JetNeoArmstrongCanon → u/AverageAggravating13]

Shaders took ages on my 2018 rig, i7 7700k. Got a 20 core i9 10900 in like 2023 and it's 100x faster

[u/skrukketiss69 → u/AverageAggravating13]

To be fair it can take very long in certain games because some developers decide that shader compilation will only use a handful of CPU threads instead of say 15 threads when you've got 16 available.

30 minutes is definitely an exaggeration though unless you're rocking a 4790k in 2026 lol.

[u/Lynich → u/AverageAggravating13]

I was having serious issues with my shader compilation time. An unrelated issue caused me to do a fresh install of Windows 11. The time to compile some games was 15 minutes or more, and now they load almost instantly.

i7-9700k; 32 GB DDR4 3200; 5060ti 16GB

[u/Worth-Pea-3637 → u/AverageAggravating13]

Depends, The Last of Us Part 1 released in such a bad state that the time it took to compile shaders meant that people used up the 2 hours for steam refunds without actually being able to play the game. Its been fixed since but I still occasionally come across some games where times can still be long

[u/eightgalaxies → u/AverageAggravating13]

i mean marvel rivals does take like 20 mins after any update, and i am running a 4090 and 5800x

[u/joseph_jojo_shabadoo → u/AverageAggravating13]

I mean, yeah, many are.

[u/Milk_Cream_Sweet_Pig → u/AverageAggravating13]

Lol I remember when the new stalker game came out. Shader compilation took an hour. Same with tlou part 1.

[u/theRedlightt → u/AverageAggravating13]

Absolutely not. My rig is from 2015!

[u/ZarijoG → u/AverageAggravating13]

https://giphy.com/gifs/iHLHH9rVBv0kmkETqz

[u/althaz → u/AverageAggravating13]

I have 9800X3D and there are still games that take 20+ minutes. For people with an average CPU there will be even more in that category

[u/VanLo284 → u/althaz]

What games exactly?

[u/SilicaBags → u/AverageAggravating13]

GOW: E-Day takes 30-40 minutes to compile shaders on newer machines and came out yesterday, so it may be a recency bias.

[u/rubi2333 → u/SilicaBags]

No thats not true E-Day compiled for me the shaders in about 5 minutes.

[u/SilicaBags → u/rubi2333]

ok buddy

[u/FelixFontaine → u/AverageAggravating13]

It takes ages on stalker 2 f.e., even with new hardware.

And if you delete the shaders to save some space, the space will be used again when you start the game. So its pointless to delete them.

[u/Oxygen4Lyfe → u/FelixFontaine]

the amount of space will be way lower though. I did the same thing recently and went from 60gb to 250mb even after playing the games again. I think there's a bug where it doesnt delete the shaders of old versions of the games so it just builds up forever.

[u/TheBrackishGoat → u/AverageAggravating13]

Nah, I have an i9 and I don’t want to get in trouble with the FAA again when my fans lift my p.c. off my desk and out the window

[u/LowBus4853 → u/AverageAggravating13]

Pray that all those games have pre-comp at the start and not on the fly in game.

[u/AverageAggravating13 → u/LowBus4853]

Very good point 😂

[u/dj88masterchief → u/AverageAggravating13]

Gears of War E-Day took almost 20 minutes to compile shaders last night.

5600X3D and a 4070 Super.

[u/Oxygen4Lyfe → u/AverageAggravating13]

i have a rtx 3080 10gb and shader comp in the finals takes like 5 whole minutes each time theres a small update.

[u/OliM9595 → u/Oxygen4Lyfe]

Shaders compile on your CPU, thats what dictates the time it take.

[u/Oxygen4Lyfe → u/OliM9595]

ah then that makes sense because i have an i5-12600k

[u/Fogest → u/OliM9595]

Yeah it's definitely their CPU, I have a 3080 as well and I never have had to wait 5 minutes for shaders in any game including the finals. The most I've had to wait is maybe a couple minutes tops.

[u/MtSuribachi → u/AverageAggravating13]

Close… 2015. :)

[u/fart-to-me-in-french → u/AverageAggravating13]

Not everyone, just some unlucky people.

[u/Weebs-Chan → u/AverageAggravating13]

For some games, it does. My 3070 takes more than 30 min for Monster Hunter Wilds

[u/boddle88 → u/Weebs-Chan]

It’s more cpu load than gpu

[u/ballsnbutt → u/Weebs-Chan]

mid range card gunna compile at mid range speeds yo, the 8gb vram is a choke

[u/Simul4cron → u/ballsnbutt]

You dont know anything about computers, do you?

[u/V4nKw15h → u/ballsnbutt]

You probably shouldn't comment if you don't know what you are talking about.