2 Hidden Nvidia GPU Features You Need To Start Using
Modern NVIDIA graphics cards come with a host of features designed to allow users to get the most out of their fancy new video card. It can oftentimes feel like there are too many settings, potentially leaving casual users feeling overwhelmed and unable to take advantage of features that could enhance their overall experience. A few underrated features that many users overlook — but can offer big benefits on newer NVIDIA cards — include RTX HDR and DLSS Override.
High Dynamic Range (HDR) is a technology that comes in several flavors, but essentially allows a video card to take advantage of a higher range of color and contrast, allowing for improved graphics on compatible monitors. The issue is that many games simply don't support any HDR features. RTX HDR is a feature inside the NVIDIA App and supported on RTX series cards. It's meant to address this lack of support through the use of AI to take SDR content and upscale it into HDR content. The feature does not create true HDR content, but it's about as close as you can get for older games that were never designed for HDR.
The NVIDIA App is where it's at
DLSS Override is a feature that has been requested by users for some time. NVIDIA seemed to finally understand this, implementing the option earlier this summer for their lines of RTX video cards. The company has a lot of Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) options, and the technology is always advancing. DLSS Override allows card owners to globally apply their preferred DLSS settings to all supported titles. With DLSS Override, users can also make use of advanced DLSS AI models before developers officially enable them in titles. Users can also force DLSS Multi Frame Generation in graphics cards that support it, as well as being able to turn on NVIDIA's Deep Learning Anti-Aliasing (DLAA) in games that don't feature it.
The NVIDIA App has been improving ever since it launched in late 2024. Having a single dedicated app to download new drivers, record content, tweak performance settings, implement filters, and override DLSS is great for users. It's also the place where most of NVIDIA's hidden features reside, making it an essential tool for those with NVIDIA cards – as long as you don't happen to reside in China. And for those running older non-NVIDIA cards, there's a free GPU tuning tool that's designed to get the most out of your aging video card.