Performance Regression After a Graphics Driver Update
New drivers occasionally break specific games. Rolling back works, and there is a right way to do it.
The short answer
Graphics driver updates occasionally cause performance regressions in specific titles, typically because optimisation work for new releases changes behaviour that older games depended on. Rolling back to a previous driver version resolves this, and a clean uninstall using a removal tool is more reliable than Windows Device Manager's rollback function. Disabling automatic driver updates prevents Windows reinstalling the problematic version afterwards.
Verified and last updated August 12, 2026.
- Time needed
- 14 min
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Read time
- 3 min
Driver updates are usually improvements and occasionally break one specific game. When that happens the fix is a rollback, and the standard advice for doing it is incomplete.
Device Manager rollback often does not work
It frequently leaves components of the newer driver behind, so the problem persists and people conclude the driver was not the cause. A clean uninstall is what actually works.
Step 1: Confirm the driver is actually the cause
Driver updates, game patches and Windows updates all land around the same time, and attributing the regression to the wrong one wastes an afternoon.
Searching for the game name with the driver version usually settles it in a minute. Regressions affect many people at once and get reported quickly.
Step 2: Clean uninstall rather than rolling back in Device Manager
Full clean driver removal 15 minutes
Download the older driver version first, from the vendor's site, so you have it before removing anything. Then run a dedicated driver removal utility in safe mode to strip out every component of the current driver. Reboot, then install the older version you downloaded. Windows will install a basic display driver in the interim, so expect low resolution between steps.
Downloading the older driver before removing the current one matters. Doing it afterwards means finding a download page on a machine running a basic display driver, which is unpleasant.
Step 3: Stop Windows reinstalling it
This is the step that gets skipped, and it is why rollbacks appear to work for a few days and then stop.
Windows Update installs graphics drivers automatically. Unless you prevent it, the version you just removed returns.
Disable automatic driver updates through group policy, or use the vendor's own control panel settings where those offer it. Then verify after the next Windows update that your chosen version is still installed.
Choosing which version to roll back to
Go to the last version you know was working rather than the immediately previous one. If you updated twice since things were fine, the intermediate version may share the problem.
Vendors keep an archive of previous releases. Note the version number that works, because you will want it again if this recurs.
The wider policy
Updating drivers reflexively is a habit worth reconsidering.
Update when: a new game you play has just released, a specific bug fix affects you, or a feature you want has arrived.
Do not update when: everything works, your library is established, and nothing has changed.
A stable system running a slightly older driver outperforms a current one that regressed on the game you actually play. The NVIDIA settings guide and the AMD guide cover the settings worth configuring once you have a version you are happy with.
What works
What doesn't
Key takeaways
Frequently asked questions
Why would a newer driver be slower?
Because driver optimisation is per-title work, and changes made to improve new releases occasionally alter behaviour that older titles relied on. Regressions are usually specific to individual games rather than general, which is why one title can lose performance while everything else improves. Vendors typically fix reported regressions in subsequent releases.
Is Device Manager rollback good enough?
Sometimes, but it frequently leaves components from the newer driver in place, which is why people roll back and find the problem persists. A clean uninstall using a dedicated removal tool in safe mode removes everything before the older version is installed. It takes longer and works considerably more reliably.
How do I stop Windows reinstalling the new driver?
Windows Update will reinstall graphics drivers automatically unless told otherwise, which undoes your rollback within days. Disabling automatic driver updates through group policy or the vendor's own settings prevents it. This step is skipped often and is why rollbacks appear to stop working after a week.
Should I always use the newest driver?
For new game releases yes, since day-one optimisations are genuinely significant. For an older library that is running well, there is little benefit and some regression risk. Updating when you have a reason rather than reflexively is the more sensible policy for a stable system.
About the author
PC Hardware & Performance Editor
Marcus has been building, breaking and repairing gaming PCs since 2011, first as a weekend favour for friends and then for eight years as a bench technician at an independent repair shop in Portland, where roughly a third of the job was diagnosing machines that "ran fine yesterday".
Found something wrong? Games patch and fixes go stale. If a step here no longer works, tell us at hello@spyld.com and we will retest it. Read how we test and our editorial policy.