Most of us use the Nvidia app to update the graphics drivers, but you can do a lot more with it than you probably realize. When Nvidia first rolled it out as a replacement for GeForce Experience, I assumed it was nothing more than a fresh coat of paint with the same functionality underneath. But after using it for a few months, I realized that it not only brings features from the Nvidia Control Panel and GeForce Experience, but also includes tools you'd typically expect to find in MSI Afterburner.

This combination makes it the only app you'll need to manage your GPU. Yes, I still use MSI Afterburner when I want more manual control, but I don't rely on it nearly as much as I used to. From quick game optimization to GPU performance tweaks and fan adjustments, the Nvidia app covers almost everything I need without needing to open multiple apps. Nowadays, I think of it as a central hub for GPU-related tasks rather than just a driver updater. Here are some of the coolest features I use regularly.

Automatic game optimization

I use it when I don't have time to fiddle with graphics settings manually

I always tweak graphics settings depending on the game I'm playing. For instance, when I play AAA single-player games, I prioritize visual quality since I don't need over 100FPS to enjoy the story. However, when I play competitive first-person shooters, I dial down the settings to maximize the frame rate and get the best possible motion clarity on my OLED monitor. The problem is, I don't always have the time to fine-tune the best settings for my GPU, and that's when the Nvidia app comes in clutch.

The Nvidia app analyzes my GPU and lets me optimize the graphics settings at the press of a button. Sure, it's not perfect because it prioritizes visual quality most of the time, regardless of the game, especially if you have a high-end GPU like I do. However, you can simply move the slider all the way to the left when you want the best frame rates. I used it recently when I tried out the Battlefield 6 open beta, and it probably saved me at least an hour of trial-and-error tweaking with shadows, anti-aliasing, texture quality, and other effects. Yes, I made further adjustments, but Nvidia's optimized settings served as a solid baseline. The time I saved went into actually playing the game.

Easy performance tuning

It's no MSI Afterburner, but it gets the job done quickly

Even though I sometimes rely on MSI Afterburner to manually overclock my GPU and push its performance for slightly better frame rates, I don't have the time to sit and fine-tune voltage curves or experiment with stability tests for every game I play. That's where the Nvidia app's built-in performance tuning feature comes in. All I need to do is head to System > Performance in the app and toggle on Automatic Tuning to let the app scan my hardware for a few minutes and do all the guesswork.

Sure, you don't get the most aggressive overclock settings, but you still get a small boost without having to worry about stability issues. Besides tuning, I also use the temperature target and power sliders when I want lower peak GPU temperatures during the hotter months of the year. I can even manually set the maximum fan speed when I don't want my GPU to be too loud while gaming. Overall, the Nvidia app covers the basics enough that I rarely even launch MSI Afterburner these days. It strikes the perfect balance between convenience and control.

In-game overlay for recording and monitoring

It lets me save the best clips and view hardware stats while gaming

Many of you may already be aware of Nvidia's in-game overlay, which you can access by pressing Alt+Z on your keyboard, but it's not just for manually recording your gameplay. My favorite feature in the overlay is Instant Replay, which automatically records the last few minutes of your screen in the background. When you have an interesting moment in a game, like clutching a round in Valorant, you can press Alt+F10 to save the footage and share it with your friends later. In supported titles, you can also use the Highlights feature to automatically capture key moments like kills and wins without even lifting your finger.

Besides automatic gameplay recording, you can also use the Statistics feature in the Nvidia app to keep track of metrics such as FPS, GPU usage, GPU temperature, CPU usage, PC latency, and more. You can even choose which metrics appear on your screen, much like MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner Statistics Server. I'll admit that it leaves some important metrics like CPU temperature and RAM usage, but for quick monitoring, it does the job well. Not having to launch another app while I game is a nice bonus that I simply cannot overlook, and it's one of the reasons I keep the overlay enabled all the time.

The Nvidia app is worth keeping around

If you were using the Nvidia app just for driver updates, you could just uninstall it and download the drivers for your GPU directly from Nvidia's website. This way, you'd have a cleaner PC without another app running in the background all the time. But after spending time with it, I've realized the app offers enough quality-of-life features to make it worth keeping installed. Automatic game optimization, performance tuning, and in-game overlay not only save me a lot of time but also cut down the need for additional third-party software. It may not be perfect in its current state, but it's definitely more than just a driver updater.