NVCleanstall is a software utility developed by TechPowerUp, designed to enhance user control over the installation of NVIDIA graphics card drivers.
Launched in October 2019, it addresses the common complaint among users about the bloat and unwanted components often included in standard NVIDIA driver installations.
By allowing users to select and deselect specific components, NVCleanstall aims to streamline the installation process, potentially improving system performance and stability by eliminating unnecessary software.
The tool is notable for its user-friendly interface, which provides explanations for each component, aiding users in making informed decisions tailored to their specific needs and system requirements.
NVCleanstall stands out due to its customization capabilities, offering presets for different levels of installation depth, from a minimal setup that includes only the essential drivers, to a full installation with all components.
This customization not only caters to advanced users looking to optimize their systems but also to average users seeking a clutter-free driver installation. The software supports a wide range of NVIDIA hardware and is compatible with various Windows operating systems, making it accessible to a broad audience.
Since its release, NVCleanstall has been positively received by the NVIDIA user community, particularly for providing an alternative to NVIDIA’s standard installation process, which is often criticized for its bloat.
The ability to bypass the GeForce Experience requirement and directly install drivers has been a significant advantage, especially for users of older NVIDIA models.
The tool’s regular updates and support for the latest driver releases further contribute to its value, ensuring compatibility and offering new features to enhance user experience.
However, NVCleanstall’s approach has sparked discussions and some controversies regarding the necessity of such a tool, reflecting on NVIDIA’s software distribution practices.
Critics argue that the existence of NVCleanstall underscores the bloat in NVIDIA’s drivers and highlights a broader industry trend towards overly cumbersome software updates.
Despite these criticisms, NVCleanstall remains a popular solution for users seeking more autonomy over their driver installations, symbolizing a step towards more user-centric software management in the realm of graphics drivers.
Overview
NVCleanstall is a software tool designed to give users more control over the installation process of NVIDIA drivers by allowing them to select which components to install. One of the key features of NVCleanstall is its ability to provide explanations for each component directly within its interface.
When users click on a component, a helpful snippet appears on the right side of the window, offering insights into what the component does and aiding users in making informed decisions about what to keep or remove from the installation[1].
To streamline the selection process, NVCleanstall introduces three presets that cater to different user needs.
These presets include “All,” which installs every available component in the drivers; “Recommended,” which omits components that most people would not notice if missing; and “Minimum,” which retains only the essential elements required for the GPU to be operational, primarily the display driver itself.
History
Nvcleanstall, a third-party tool designed to assist users in managing NVIDIA graphics card drivers, was first introduced to the public in October 2019[2].
This innovative software, developed by TechPowerUp, was created to provide a streamlined and efficient way of installing NVIDIA drivers, offering users more control over the installation process[1].
Since its initial release, Nvcleanstall has seen several updates, with the latest version being made available just yesterday from the time of the referenced information[2].
Upon its release, Nvcleanstall was quickly recognized for its utility and the benefits it offers to NVIDIA graphics card users.
Initial release and development
The journey of NVCleanstall began with its beta version, which was actively developed between 2018 and 2019[4].
This period was crucial for gathering user feedback and refining the software to meet the needs of a broad audience.
The official release of NVCleanstall was announced in October 2019, marking the beginning of its availability to the general public[2].
Compatibility and support
The wide range of NVIDIA hardware and software configurations supported by NVCleanstall underscores its versatility.
Compared to other methods that might require specific versions or have limited compatibility, NVCleanstall aims to cater to a broad audience by facilitating the installation of drivers across various devices and systems.
This inclusivity, combined with the tool’s ability to identify and load the best drivers for the user’s hardware, positions NVCleanstall as a valuable alternative for users seeking a tailored installation experience.
Features
NVCleanstall, a utility designed to streamline the NVIDIA GeForce Driver installation process, offers a range of features aimed at enhancing user control, performance, and system stability.
By providing options to remove unnecessary components and optimize driver configurations, NVCleanstall stands out as a valuable tool for NVIDIA graphics card users.
This section outlines the key features of NVCleanstall, highlighting how it improves the installation process of NVIDIA drivers.
Customization
This customization extends to offering explanations for each component, aiding users in making informed decisions about what to include in their driver setup.
Performance optimization
NVCleanstall not only focuses on removing unnecessary components but also adds advanced tweaks to improve input-lag, potentially enhancing gaming and graphics performance.
By tailoring the driver installation to the system’s requirements, users can achieve an optimized performance that suits their specific needs.
Stability and compatibility
The removal of unwanted components through NVCleanstall can lead to greater system stability. Additionally, the utility supports a wide range of NVIDIA hardware and software configurations, ensuring broad compatibility.
This feature is particularly beneficial for users aiming to maintain a balance between performance and stability in their systems.
Enhanced control over driver versions
By enabling the “Show all versions” option, users gain access to a comprehensive list of available drivers, including those that may not be officially recommended for their hardware.
This feature allows for greater flexibility in choosing driver versions, offering the opportunity to use older drivers if they better suit the user’s needs or to experiment with newer releases ahead of official compatibility updates.
Presets for easy configuration
NVCleanstall introduces three presets (All, Recommended, Minimum) to simplify the selection process for users. These presets range from enabling all available components for a complete installation to keeping only the bare essentials for GPU functionality[1].
Despite the seeming convenience, users are advised to be aware that many driver components are interdependent, which may affect their decisions on what to deselect.
Direct driver file utilization
Users have the option to use driver files already downloaded to their disk, providing flexibility for those who prefer to download drivers directly from NVIDIA or other sources.
This feature is particularly useful for reinstalling drivers or applying custom configurations without needing to redownload the entire package.
The Nvcleanstall Solution
Nvcleanstall differentiates itself from the standard NVIDIA driver installation process by offering users a streamlined and customizable experience.
It enables you to tailor your driver installation to your specific needs, granting you full control over the components you want to install.
Advantages of Using Nvcleanstall
By utilizing Nvcleanstall, users can experience several advantages:
- Precise Control: Customize the installation by selecting only the necessary driver components, eliminating unnecessary bloatware.
- Optimized Performance: Tailor drivers to your system’s requirements, potentially enhancing gaming and graphics performance.
- Stability Enhancement: Remove unwanted components to potentially achieve greater system stability.
- Compatibility: Nvcleanstall supports a wide range of NVIDIA hardware and software configurations.
How to use NVCleanstall
Download NVCleaninstall
Launch NVCleanstall
Click Next to proceed to the next step
(Using optimized GPU drivers will not only limit the amount of telemetry sent back to NVIDIA but will also remove the need to create an account for future updates.)
Driver components
Click Next, the application will now prepare the driver installation without unnecessary bloatware.
(Our recommendation is to select only the Display Driver unless you rely on ShadowPlay to record your gameplay.)
Installation tweaks
Click Next.
(“Disable NVIDIA HD Audio device sleep timer” will throw an error during installation due to the HDMI Audio driver not being installed – You can simply ignore this.)
Finish installation
Wait for the installation to finish
Restart the PC
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NVCleanstall?
This is useful if you are having issues with your current drivers, or if you want to install a fresh copy of the drivers with best performance.
Can it enhance my gaming experience?
Using optimized GPU drivers will not only limit the amount of telemetry sent back to Nvidia but will also remove the need to log in using an Nvidia account.
Where to download NVCleanstall?
What is Multiplane Overlay (MPO?)
This can reduce the workload of the GPU and CPU, as well as the latency of displaying the content.
MPO can also allow for independent page flips of different planes, which can improve the performance and responsiveness of Windows applications.
However, MPO can also cause some issues with certain graphics drivers, such as AMD, and may require disabling for optimal stability.
What is Message Signaled Interrupts?
This method has some advantages over pin-based interrupts, such as reducing the number of pins, increasing the number of possible interrupts, and avoiding race conditions with memory writes.
MSI is supported by PCI bus since version 2.2 and by PCI Express bus.
What is NVIDIA HD Audio Device Sleep Timer?
The sleep timer is a setting that lets you specify how long the audio device should remain active before going into power-saving mode.
You can adjust the sleep timer in the Nvidia Control Panel under Manage 3D Settings > Power Management Mode.
What is HDCP?
HDCP is used by devices such as Blu-ray players, game consoles, streaming services and HDMI cables to ensure that only authorized devices can receive and display the content.
What is NVENC Video Encoding Session Limit?
The session limit depends on the model and generation of the graphics card, and it can range from 2 to 32 sessions per card.
If the session limit is reached, any additional encoding requests will fail with an error code.
Is Nvcleanstall safe?
Reception and impact
Users have appreciated the ability to bypass the cumbersome process of signing into GeForce Experience and directly install only the components they need, leading to improved system performance and reduced resource consumption.
The customization options available in NVCleanstall have been praised for providing an unprecedented level of control over graphics driver installations.
Gamers and professionals, who demand peak performance from their hardware, have found the tool’s ability to select individual components for installation especially useful.
This granularity not only helps in avoiding unnecessary bloat but also in resolving driver conflicts and compatibility issues, thereby enhancing the overall user experience.
Conclusion
While NVCleanstall has been praised for providing NVIDIA users with the ability to streamline their driver installations and reduce system bloat, its introduction and use have not been without controversy and criticism.
One primary concern among users is the potential for NVCleanstall to inadvertently remove critical components necessary for specific functionalities, leading to driver conflicts, graphical glitches, and compatibility issues.
The program aims to mitigate these risks by offering explanations for each component that can be removed, but the effectiveness of these descriptions and the user’s understanding can vary, sometimes resulting in unintended consequences.
Furthermore, some critics argue that the need for a third-party tool like NVCleanstall highlights deficiencies within NVIDIA’s own software distribution model.
Critics point out that NVIDIA’s drivers have become bloated with unnecessary features that consume significant system resources, prompting the need for tools to customize the installation process.
This criticism suggests a broader issue within the industry, where software and driver updates are increasingly seen as overly intrusive and burdensome by users. Another point of contention is the reliance on third-party tools for what some believe should be built-in features.
The fact that users must seek out and trust software like NVCleanstall to manage their driver installations reflects a potential gap in customer service and software design on NVIDIA’s part.
This has sparked discussions within the community about user autonomy and the right to control the software installed on personal devices. Lastly, concerns have been raised about the security implications of using third-party tools to modify driver installations.
While NVCleanstall itself is widely regarded as safe, the general practice of downloading and using software to alter system drivers carries inherent risks, including the possibility of introducing malware or other vulnerabilities.
Users are advised to exercise caution and conduct thorough research before downloading and using any third-party software.