NVIDIA GeForce 580.97 WHQL Driver: DLSS 4 Gains & Display Fixes, Plus Open Issues

NVIDIA’s latest Game Ready release, the GeForce 580.97 WHQL driver, is now available and — beyond performance tweaks for two DLSS 4-enabled titles — brings several targeted display fixes while leaving a handful of high‑visibility problems unresolved for now. Gamers running Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced or Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced will see the headline optimizations, and owners of the Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9 should notice improved idle‑desktop stability and reduced flicker; however, issues like Cyberpunk 2077 Photo Mode crashes when path tracing is enabled, slight text distortion in Counter‑Strike 2 at non‑native resolutions, and possible export freezes in Adobe Premiere Pro using hardware encoding remain listed as open items. (guru3d.com)

Background / Overview​

NVIDIA’s GeForce 580.97 WHQL driver is published from the r580_92 branch and distributed as a ~805 MB package for Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. The release is positioned as a Game Ready driver: its primary focus is day‑one and near‑term optimizations for games that have recently adopted or updated to DLSS 4 models. The two games called out in the release notes are Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced and Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, where users should expect improved frame rates without large image‑quality tradeoffs when DLSS 4 is used. (guru3d.com)
This driver also includes a small but important set of general fixes that target display stability — notably a fix that addresses flicker/underflow when idle on desktop for the Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9, and an issue where some notebook screens could appear dim when an external HDR monitor is connected and the Windows display mode is set to “NVIDIA GPU only.” These fixes aim at real‑world pain points reported by users of cutting‑edge ultrawide hardware and HDR laptop setups. (guru3d.com)
At the same time, the release lists several open issues — items NVIDIA has acknowledged but not yet resolved. Those open items include a crash in Cyberpunk 2077 when taking Photo Mode screenshots with path tracing enabled, slight text distortion in Counter‑Strike 2 when the in‑game resolution is below the display’s native resolution, and potential freezes in Adobe Premiere Pro during export when hardware encoding is selected on certain system configurations. These remain on NVIDIA’s “to‑fix” list for future driver updates. (guru3d.com)

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What’s new in 580.97 — headline changes​

Game support and DLSS 4 optimizations​

• DLSS 4 support and tuning for:
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced
• Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced
  These are the main gaming wins for this release; where DLSS 4 can be used, expect better framerate headroom at high quality settings. (guru3d.com)

Display fixes​

• Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9: resolves flicker or underflow when the desktop is idle. This is a targeted fix that should improve day‑to‑day reliability for users of that large ultrawide panel. (guru3d.com)
• Notebook + external HDR displays: fixes cases where the laptop panel could appear dim if the system was running in “NVIDIA GPU only” mode with an HDR external monitor connected. This should help laptop owners who use docking stations or external HDR displays. (guru3d.com)

Branch and package​

• Branch: r580_92
• File size: ~805 MB (desktop package)
• Installer: available as standard download and via GeForce Experience. (guru3d.com)

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Known issues and real‑world impact​

NVIDIA explicitly lists three high‑profile items as open in this release. These are not theoretical — multiple user reports and community threads have corroborated the behaviour in real systems.

• Cyberpunk 2077 — Photo Mode crash with path tracing
  Users report consistent crashes when attempting to take a Photo Mode screenshot while path tracing is active. The behaviour is reproducible enough that it appears in multiple threads and in NVIDIA’s open‑issues list for this driver. Workarounds reported by users include disabling path tracing in Photo Mode or using in‑OS or overlay screenshot tools as a temporary measure. Note that the problem affects users across RTX 40/50 series cards in some reports, and NVIDIA has marked it as an open issue for further investigation. (guru3d.com, pcguide.com, steamcommunity.com)
• Counter‑Strike 2 — slight text distortion at non‑native resolutions
  Competitive players who run CS2 at lower resolutions (e.g., 1280×960 or 1024×768 stretched to ultrawide displays) may observe slightly distorted or “wonky” UI text when the in‑game resolution does not match the monitor’s native output. The distortion is subtle but visible to players who rely on ultra‑clean overlays and readable text. Community reports point to driver scaling and pixel‑format handling as the likely culprits; NVIDIA lists the issue as open. (guru3d.com, reddit.com)
• Adobe Premiere Pro — potential freeze during hardware‑accelerated export
  Some system configurations — particularly with newer RTX 50 series hardware — have reported complete application freezes (where Premiere/Media Encoder becomes unresponsive during export and cannot be terminated without a reboot) when hardware encoding (CUDA/AV‑hardware encoders) is used. Adobe’s own community threads and workarounds indicate this is a known compatibility area, and several users have reverted to software (CPU) encoding or switched renderers as temporary mitigation. NVIDIA lists this as an open issue. (guru3d.com, community.adobe.com)

Because these items affect different user groups — gamers, esports competitors, and content creators — the release is a classic example of targeted fixes plus outstanding regressions that may change upgrade decisions depending on how you use your PC.

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Should you install 580.97? A practical decision guide​

Use the following to decide whether to update now, wait, or take precautions.

• You play Senua’s Saga or GTA V Enhanced and want the best DLSS 4 experience: Install. The driver explicitly targets those titles and is the most likely way to get top performance and compatibility. (guru3d.com)
• You own a Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9 and have seen flicker/underflow while idle: Install, but test thoroughly after installing and rebooting. The release lists that specific fix. (guru3d.com)
• You are a competitive CS2 player who runs at lower-than-native resolutions: Wait or test carefully. If you need pristine UI text and rely on stretched lower resolutions, hold off until NVIDIA ships a hotfix or confirms a workaround. Community reports show the distortion is noticeable for some players. (guru3d.com, reddit.com)
• You rely on Adobe Premiere Pro for production: Evaluate first. If you export using hardware encoding, consider delaying until Adobe and NVIDIA verify the fix, or use software encoding / an older driver while working around the issue; several users have reported full application freezes in real workflows. (community.adobe.com)
• You run Cyberpunk 2077 and use Photo Mode path tracing: Do not rely on this driver to fix the problem — it’s listed as unresolved. Disable path tracing in Photo Mode before taking screenshots or use external screenshot tools until a later driver fixes the crash. (guru3d.com, steamcommunity.com)

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Practical installation and safety steps​

If you choose to install 580.97, follow these recommended steps to minimize disruption:

• Create a System Restore point and ensure critical projects are backed up.
• Option A — Clean install via DCH/dedicated package: Download the desktop or notebook package and perform a Custom install, selecting “Perform a clean installation” if you want default settings reset. This reduces leftover profile conflicts.
• Option B — GeForce Experience: Use the NVIDIA app for convenience, but be prepared to download the full package manually if the app’s installer causes problems. Recent driver installs have occasionally had GeForce Experience‑specific installation hiccups; some users prefer manual installers.
• If you experience problems after installation, use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in safe mode to fully remove drivers and then reinstall a previous stable version. This is the most consistent recovery path for driver regressions.
• Verify display settings after install: HDR state, color space (RGB vs YCbCr), and scaling mode (Display vs GPU vs Aspect) — these influence perceived sharpness and text rendering.

Note: historical verification shows NVIDIA maintains multiple driver branches and WHQL families over time; if you’re tracking support lifecycles or legacy compatibility, consult NVIDIA’s driver release cadence and archived branches before changing platform‑critical systems.

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Workarounds and mitigation for open issues​

Here are practical, field‑tested mitigations for the release’s open items.

• Cyberpunk 2077 Photo Mode crash (path tracing):
• Disable Path Tracing or use non‑path‑traced Ray Tracing when taking Photo Mode screenshots.
• Use the NVIDIA overlay or Windows’ screenshot tools instead of in‑game Photo Mode to capture stills.
• If you want path‑traced imagery, render frames from a captured video or use an older GPU/driver combination until a fix arrives. Community reports show disabling path tracing is the most reliable short‑term workaround. (steamcommunity.com, pcguide.com)
• Counter‑Strike 2 text distortion at non‑native resolutions:
• Set the desktop and in‑game resolutions to the same native mode where possible.
• Experiment with the NVIDIA Control Panel scaling options (Display versus GPU scaling) and anti‑aliasing overrides; some players reported toggling FXAA or forcing application‑controlled AA as temporary fixes.
• Avoid driver upgrades immediately before a tournament or competitive session if you rely on stretched low resolutions; wait for a hotfix. (reddit.com)
• Premiere Pro freezes during hardware encoding:
• Use Software Encoding (CPU) as a temporary fallback for production exports.
• Switch Premiere’s Renderer from CUDA to Mercury Software Only if you encounter freeze issues, then re‑evaluate after a driver or application patch.
• Check Adobe’s community threads for reported workarounds and patches; Adobe staff have suggested trying OpenCL or software rendering for certain driver/codec combinations. (community.adobe.com)

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Risk analysis — what to watch for post‑install​

• Regression risk: New drivers can introduce secondary regressions (black screens, fragmentary tearing, VPN/Display driver interactions). If you depend on a stable workstation or tournament‑ready gaming rig, bias toward conservative updates.
• Application incompatibility: Apps that use GPU hardware encoders or deep codec integration (Adobe suite, OBS, Blender) might behave differently after a driver update; test a sample export/encode before starting large jobs. (helpx.adobe.com)
• Display handshake edge cases: High‑bandwidth monitors (DP 2.1/2.0 UHBR) like the Neo G9 may still require firmware, cable, or OSD adjustments to behave flawlessly even with driver fixes; a driver can mitigate the symptom but not always replace monitor firmware or cable quality. Community troubleshooting indicates cables, OSD DP version settings and monitor firmware often interact with driver behaviour. (reddit.com)

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Verification and cross‑checking​

The core claims in this feature have been verified across multiple independent sources:

• The 580.97 release summary, supported hardware list, and open‑issue entries are published on an independent driver‑download and news site that publishes NVIDIA release notes and artifacts (driver package details and explicit open‑issue IDs). This is the principal reference used for the release overview. (guru3d.com)
• Multiple outlets and community threads corroborate the Cyberpunk Photo Mode crash and the status of this issue in NVIDIA’s open items. Community reports on Reddit and Steam show reproducible crashes across several RTX 40/50 series cards and link back to NVIDIA’s bug list as the reference for “open” status. (steamcommunity.com, pcguide.com)
• Adobe’s user community and help resources independently document freezing and hardware‑encoding incompatibilities with certain NVIDIA drivers and modern RTX hardware; Adobe staff responses and community workarounds reinforce the cautionary guidance for creators. (community.adobe.com)
• Independent driver mirrors and regional download pages that republish release notes also carry the same lineup of fixes and open items, which cross‑confirms the public release contents reported by third‑party tech news sites. Because NVIDIA’s official release notes are the canonical source, community and news summaries were compared to ensure they reflect the same open‑issue IDs and wording. If direct NVIDIA release‑notes PDF links are desired for archival or compliance reasons, check NVIDIA’s official download portal for the r580 branch release notes (release PDFs are typically posted alongside download executables). (guru3d.com, comss.ru)

Caveat: some community‑reported behaviours (e.g., precise hit rates for the Cyberpunk crash across different RTX SKUs) are anecdotal and vary by system configuration, driver history, and installed mods. Where such claims could not be independently reproduced from vendor PDFs, the article labels them as community observations and flags them for cautious interpretation. (steamcommunity.com, forums.nexusmods.com)

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Best practices — maintain your system while upgrading drivers​

• Keep a driver rollback plan: know where to download the previous stable driver (or have a local copy) and test upgrades outside critical work windows.
• Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) when moving between major driver families or when encountering persistent issues after an update. DDU in safe mode + clean reinstall is the most reliable recovery method.
• For creators: prefer Studio drivers when stability with creative apps is a priority; for gamers, Game Ready drivers are ideal for day‑one support. If you use both workflows on the same machine, test the specific workloads you run before committing to the new driver on production systems.
• Monitor vendor channels and community feedback for hotfix releases — vendors frequently follow a Game Ready roll with a small hotfix to address regressions that appear after wide deployment. (guru3d.com, community.adobe.com)

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Conclusion​

GeForce 580.97 WHQL is a focused Game Ready release: it brings DLSS 4 optimizations for two recently updated titles and fixes several practical display problems — notably for the Samsung 57" Odyssey Neo G9 and certain laptop‑to‑HDR monitor workflows. At the same time, NVIDIA publicly lists a small set of unresolved but impactful issues (Cyberpunk Photo Mode path‑tracing crashes, Counter‑Strike 2 lower‑resolution text distortion, and Premiere Pro hardware‑encoder freezes) that should temper a blanket “install now” recommendation for everyone.
Gamers who play the specific DLSS 4 titles or who have experienced the Neo G9 flicker will find immediate value. Competitive players and professionals whose workflows rely on pristine UI text or stable hardware encoding should either delay updating or install with caution and a rollback plan. Community reports and Adobe’s own forum activity make it clear that these issues are real for many users; NVIDIA has acknowledged them and they remain on the open‑issues list pending fixes in a future driver. (guru3d.com, pcguide.com, community.adobe.com)
Install only after backing up important work, create a restore point, and test your primary applications or games in a controlled way before accepting the update onto production machines.

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Source: www.guru3d.com NVIDIA GeForce 580.97 WHQL driver download