Yes, you can safely clear NVIDIA’s graphics shader cache when files are damaged, a game crashes during launch, or visual artifacts and unexplained performance problems appear. On Windows, NVIDIA’s supported sequence is to turn Shader Cache Size off in NVIDIA App, reboot, delete the contents of three cache folders, restore Shader Cache to Driver Default, apply the setting, and reboot again. The next time a game or application starts, the driver recreates the cache automatically.
Linux follows a different path. NVIDIA’s Linux driver documentation covers the OpenGL shader cache and says legacy .nv/GLCache/ directories can be removed safely, but current locations depend on XDG_CACHE_HOME. Do not apply Windows paths to Linux, and do not confuse graphics shader caches with CUDA’s separate ComputeCache.
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What the NVIDIA shader cache does
Games and graphics applications compile shader programs for your GPU. The driver stores those compiled results on disk so later launches can reuse them instead of compiling the same shaders repeatedly. NVIDIA describes this as a way to avoid shader compilation on subsequent runs of the same game.
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A cache is reusable working data, not the source code for the game. The driver can regenerate it from the installed driver, the application, and the GPU currently in use. That is why a reset is generally reversible: the cost is the time and disk activity needed to compile and store the shaders again.
When clearing the cache is worth trying
- A game began crashing on launch after a driver, game, or Windows update.
- Textures, lighting, shadows, or other graphics appear corrupted while the rest of the system behaves normally.
- Repeated shader-compilation errors occur, or a game rebuilds shaders on every launch.
- Stutter began after a driver change and other troubleshooting steps have not helped.
Cache deletion is not a universal fix. If a game has a broken installation, incompatible mod, faulty overclock, failing storage device, or a problem in its own application cache, clearing NVIDIA’s cache may not resolve it. Treat the reset as a low-risk diagnostic step, then continue troubleshooting if the symptom returns.
Before you delete anything
- Close games, launchers, video editors, benchmarks, and other GPU-using applications.
- Save work and use an administrator account if Windows refuses access to a folder.
- Expect the first launch after deletion to take longer or stutter temporarily while shaders are compiled again.
- Make sure the system drive has enough free space for the rebuilt cache. NVIDIA notes that games vary widely in cache requirements.
- Do not delete folders merely because they contain “NVIDIA” in the name. The procedure below targets graphics shader-cache locations only.
It is also useful to note the current driver and NVIDIA App versions before beginning. That gives you a reference if a setting is renamed or a path differs after a future update. Do not postpone the reset merely because the cache folders are large; their contents are disposable, but deleting unrelated NVIDIA data can create a different problem.
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NVIDIA Support’s current Windows instructions, updated May 25, 2026, use NVIDIA App. Follow the order exactly; the reboot before deletion is part of the procedure.
- Open the cache control. Launch NVIDIA App, select Graphics, and open Global Settings.
- Disable shader caching. Find Shader Cache Size, choose Off, and click Apply.
- Reboot Windows. Restart the PC before opening the cache folders. This helps ensure the driver and applications are no longer holding cache files open.
- Open the first cache location. In File Explorer’s address bar, enter
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIA. - Delete the contents of DXCache and GLCache. Open each folder and delete the files and subfolders inside it. Leave the folders themselves in place. If a folder is absent, do not create a replacement just for this procedure.
- Open the second NVIDIA location. Enter
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIA CorporationNV_Cachein File Explorer. - Delete the contents of NV_Cache. Remove the files and subfolders inside this directory, again leaving the directory itself in place.
- Restore normal caching. Reopen NVIDIA App, return to Graphics > Global Settings, set Shader Cache Size to Driver Default, and click Apply.
- Restart Windows a second time. This completes NVIDIA’s sequence and reloads the driver with the restored cache policy.
- Launch the affected application. The driver recreates cache files automatically when a game or application next runs.
The order matters. Turning caching off before the first restart prevents the driver from continuing to use the old files while you remove them. Restoring Driver Default before the final restart returns the normal policy instead of leaving caching disabled. Do not launch the game between deletion and the second restart, because that can begin a rebuild before the normal setting has been restored.
Which Windows folders are involved?
| Location | What to remove | Scope |
|---|---|---|
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIADXCache |
Contents only | DirectX-related NVIDIA shader cache files |
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIAGLCache |
Contents only | OpenGL-related NVIDIA shader cache files |
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalNVIDIA CorporationNV_Cache |
Contents only | NVIDIA driver cache data covered by the support procedure |
Deleting the contents rather than the parent directories preserves the expected folder structure. If Windows reports that a file is in use, close every GPU-using program and retry after the reboot. Do not disable security software or force-delete unrelated files to work around a lock. A folder may contain hidden files or nested directories, so select its contents rather than deleting the parent folder itself.
Why NVIDIA says to set Shader Cache Size to Off first
The setting prevents the driver from continuing to use or repopulate the cache while you remove its contents. After the files are deleted, setting Driver Default lets the current driver choose the normal policy again.
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NVIDIA’s May 25, 2026 support page reports the current Driver Default value as 16 GB. That value is date-specific and can change with a future NVIDIA App or driver release, so select the labeled Driver Default option instead of treating 16 GB as a permanent requirement. The number is a capacity setting, not a promise that the cache will immediately consume 16 GB.
What to expect on the first launch after clearing
Shader compilation happens again because the reusable compiled files are gone. The first run may show longer loading, brief pauses, or stutter while the game builds its cache. NVIDIA also warns that the first gameplay run after a driver installation can stutter for the same reason.
Let the game reach its menus and play long enough for its normal shader workload to compile before judging performance. A benchmark run made immediately after the reset may therefore look worse than a later run. Repeated stutter across every launch is different: it can indicate that the cache cannot be written, is being cleared by another utility, or is too small for the games you use.
Rebuilding is automatic; there is no separate “compile now” command in the Windows procedure. Start the affected application normally and allow it to exercise the areas that previously stuttered. After closing and launching it again, the driver should be able to reuse the newly generated data. Exact filenames, cache size, and rebuild time vary by driver, API, game, and the amount of content encountered.
Choosing a cache size after the rebuild
NVIDIA’s Control Panel guidance says games differ greatly in how much cache they need. Higher-end titles may require several hundred megabytes, and a limit that is too small can evict shaders that are still in use, contributing to stutter. The practical choice is to keep enough disk space available while avoiding an unnecessarily restrictive limit.
- Use Driver Default unless you have a specific storage-management reason to choose another limit.
- If you set a manual limit, monitor free space and whether the same game repeatedly recompiles shaders.
- Do not assume a larger limit fixes corrupted files; clear the cache first when corruption is suspected, then evaluate the rebuilt behavior.
- Do not interpret the current 16 GB Driver Default as a universal target for every driver release. NVIDIA can revise that value.
A cache that is too small can cause churn: older compiled shaders are evicted, then regenerated when the game needs them again. Conversely, increasing the limit cannot repair a bad driver, unstable hardware, or a damaged game installation. Capacity and integrity are separate troubleshooting questions.
Linux: clear the NVIDIA OpenGL shader cache
NVIDIA’s Linux driver README version 550.144.03 documents a persistent shader disk cache for its OpenGL driver. Its current documented locations are:
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| Condition | Current OpenGL cache path |
|---|---|
XDG_CACHE_HOME is set |
$XDG_CACHE_HOME/nvidia/GLCache/ |
XDG_CACHE_HOME is not set |
$HOME/.cache/nvidia/GLCache/ |
| Legacy driver location | $HOME/.nv/GLCache/ (or a corresponding .nv/GLCache/ directory) |
The README explicitly says it is safe to remove a legacy .nv/GLCache/ directory; the driver then creates a fresh cache in the newer location. The statement is specific to the NVIDIA OpenGL driver cache. It does not establish one universal path for every Vulkan game, compatibility layer, or application-managed cache.
Linux does not use NVIDIA App’s Windows toggle-and-reboot workflow. Close the affected graphical programs, identify the path used by the OpenGL driver, remove only the verified cache, and launch the application again. A logout or reboot is not presented as a universal requirement for this Linux removal, but applications that are still running should be closed so they do not recreate or hold files during deletion.
Check the configured Linux path
In a shell, inspect the variable before removing anything:
printf '%sn' "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/nvidia/GLCache"If you are dealing with an older installation and the legacy directory exists, verify the path carefully before removal:
ls -ld "$HOME/.nv/GLCache"After closing graphics applications, remove only the legacy OpenGL cache directory when that is the location you intend to reset:
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rm -rf -- "$HOME/.nv/GLCache"The rm -rf command is irreversible, so copy the path exactly and confirm it points to the cache directory. For a current cache under $XDG_CACHE_HOME or $HOME/.cache, remove the contents only after verifying the expanded path and understanding which applications use it. Log out or restart the affected application, then launch it so the driver can repopulate the cache.
Do not substitute a guessed path when XDG_CACHE_HOME points to a nonstandard location. Environment variables can differ between a desktop session, a terminal, and a launcher, so verify the value in the context where the application actually runs. If the cache is not recreated after launch, that does not prove the application is broken; it may be using Vulkan, a compatibility layer, or an application-owned cache instead of the OpenGL location.
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Do not confuse shader caches with CUDA ComputeCache
CUDA’s compute cache is separate from the graphics shader-cache folders. NVIDIA identifies these locations as %APPDATA%NVIDIAComputeCache on Windows and ~/.nv/ComputeCache on Linux. A graphics troubleshooting reset does not require deleting ComputeCache.
| Cache | Typical purpose | Delete during this procedure? |
|---|---|---|
Windows DXCache, GLCache, NV_Cache |
NVIDIA graphics-driver shader/cache data | Yes, contents only, following the Windows sequence |
Linux .nv/GLCache or documented nvidia/GLCache |
NVIDIA OpenGL driver shader cache | Yes, when the verified path matches the issue |
ComputeCache |
CUDA compiled-kernel cache | No, unless a separate CUDA issue calls for it |
| Game or application cache | Data maintained by the individual program | No; use that application’s own documented reset |
The API distinction is important. A game can use more than one API, and a launcher or compatibility tool can maintain its own compiled data. Deleting the NVIDIA OpenGL cache will not necessarily reset Vulkan pipeline data, Proton data, or a game’s own cache. Reset only the layer connected to the symptom.
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Windows troubleshooting if the reset does not work
The folders are missing
Some directories are created only after a compatible application has run. Confirm that hidden items are visible if necessary, but do not create arbitrary folders or delete neighboring directories. Launching a graphics application once may create the expected location. An absent folder is not, by itself, evidence that the driver is damaged.
Files cannot be deleted
- Close the game, launcher, overlay, browser video tabs, recording software, and GPU utilities.
- Restart Windows and attempt the deletion before launching those programs.
- Check that you are deleting the contents of the three specified folders, not a protected system directory.
- If access is still denied, use an administrator account or consult your organization’s Windows permissions policy rather than changing ownership of broad NVIDIA directories.
The game stutters after the reset
Some first-run stutter is expected during recompilation. Allow the game to complete its initial shader-building activity. If stutter persists on every run, check whether a disk-cleaning tool is deleting the cache, whether the drive is nearly full, and whether Shader Cache Size was restored to Driver Default.
The game still crashes at launch
Clearing the NVIDIA cache cannot repair every launch failure. Test the game’s own file-integrity repair, remove incompatible mods, return GPU and memory settings to stock, and check the game’s support documentation. If only one title fails while other GPU applications work, its application-specific cache or installation is a more likely cause.
Visual artifacts remain
Persistent artifacts after a clean rebuild can indicate a game bug, driver regression, unstable overclock, overheating, or hardware trouble. Record whether the issue occurs in multiple applications and whether it appears before the game loads; that distinction helps separate application problems from system-wide graphics faults.
Linux troubleshooting boundaries
Linux distributions, driver versions, display servers, Vulkan layers, Proton or other compatibility tools, and individual games can maintain additional caches. NVIDIA’s README guidance does not prove that deleting the OpenGL cache resets those other layers. Identify the API and application involved before removing any path.
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- If only an OpenGL application is affected, verify the NVIDIA OpenGL cache path and rebuild it.
- If a Vulkan or compatibility-layer game is affected, consult that game’s or layer’s documented cache location instead of assuming it is under
nvidia/GLCache. - If a CUDA workload is affected, investigate ComputeCache separately.
- After deletion, launch one affected application and watch whether a new cache directory and files appear.
Safety checklist
- Use NVIDIA App’s Off setting and the required reboot sequence on Windows.
- Delete cache contents, not unrelated NVIDIA folders.
- Restore Driver Default and restart Windows after the deletion.
- Expect temporary first-run compilation time and stutter.
- Keep enough free disk space for normal cache growth.
- On Linux, verify
XDG_CACHE_HOMEand distinguish current paths from the legacy.nv/GLCachepath. - Leave CUDA ComputeCache and application-specific caches alone unless a separate issue requires them.
How to confirm the rebuild succeeded
- Start with the affected game or application closed while you complete the reset.
- After the reset, launch it and allow the initial loading or shader-compilation phase to finish.
- Close and relaunch the application once. A normal second launch should reuse newly generated cache data and avoid repeating the entire first-run compilation process.
- Recheck the relevant cache directory to confirm that files have been recreated. The exact filenames and amount of data vary by driver, API, and application.
If the original crash, artifacts, or abnormal behavior has disappeared after the rebuild, no further cache action is needed. If it returns, treat the cache reset as a diagnostic step and investigate the game, driver, system stability, or application-specific cache next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to delete NVIDIA DXCache and GLCache?
Yes. NVIDIA’s Windows procedure tells you to delete the contents of DXCache and GLCache, along with the contents of NV_Cache, after turning Shader Cache Size off and rebooting. The driver recreates needed files when an application launches.
Will clearing the cache delete my games or save files?
No. These folders contain compiled driver cache data. Game installations, saves, and settings are stored elsewhere.
Why does a game stutter after I clear the cache?
The compiled shaders must be generated again. NVIDIA warns that shader compilation can cause temporary first-run stutter; later runs can reuse the rebuilt cache.
Can I use the Windows NVIDIA folders on Linux?
No. Linux uses environment-variable-dependent paths for NVIDIA’s documented OpenGL cache, and applications may maintain additional caches.
Should I delete NVIDIA ComputeCache when fixing game graphics?
No. ComputeCache is a separate CUDA cache. The graphics shader-cache reset does not require removing it.
Do I need to delete the parent cache folders?
No. NVIDIA’s Windows instructions say to delete the contents of DXCache, GLCache, and NV_Cache. Leave the parent directories in place so the driver can use them normally.
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Is the 16 GB Driver Default setting permanent?
No. NVIDIA reported 16 GB on its May 25, 2026 support page, but the value is version-sensitive. Select the Driver Default label rather than relying on that number indefinitely.
Will clearing the cache fix every game crash?
No. It can help when cached files are damaged, but launch failures can also come from a broken installation, mods, driver regressions, unstable hardware settings, or an application-specific cache.
The Bottom Line
On Windows, turn Shader Cache Size off, reboot, clear the contents of DXCache, GLCache, and NV_Cache, restore Driver Default, and reboot again. Expect temporary first-run compilation. On Linux, verify the NVIDIA OpenGL cache path—especially XDG_CACHE_HOME—and keep CUDA and application-specific caches separate.
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