NVIDIA has released its GeForce 596.36 WHQL drivers for Windows 11 and Windows 10, part of the Release 595 branch. This version primarily focuses on fixing numerous AI-generated errors within its code. The release notes indicate that this update incorporates changes made since driver 596.21, making it an incremental, largely correction-focused release. Direct comparison reveals 3 fixes in games, 2 general fixes, and an “N/A” entry for Open Issues, highlighting NVIDIA’s recent software challenges with their gaming GPUs.
Since NVIDIA integrated AI into its development workflows, the company has gone through various phases. The initial phase was evidently problematic, but it now appears they are finding a balance. Regardless, there have been demonstrable advancements, as evidenced in this release.
NVIDIA GeForce 596.36 WHQL: Solution to Flickering and Artifact Issues in Many Games
Several games are included in this driver’s Whitepaper. The first change impacts God of War: Ragnarok. In driver 596.21, NVIDIA still listed an open issue where certain textures could intermittently appear with a white flash during gameplay. In this 596.36 update, that same bug has been moved to the Fixed Gaming Bugs section after a period of being unaddressed.
Corrections are also present for Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Crew Motorfest. For the former, NVIDIA fixes a flickering issue with the character model’s clothing, which users had reported as a significant annoyance. In The Crew Motorfest, the fix targets grass and vegetation flickering, again addressing visual anomalies. These are two specific visual defects, related to on-screen rendering rather than overall performance, but they are undeniably disruptive to the visual experience.
Important New General Fixes
Beyond games, driver 596.36 introduces 2 quite relevant general fixes. The first addresses H.264 content playback with DXVA 2.0, where blocky artifacts could appear—another highly annoying visual issue. For those unfamiliar, DXVA 2.0 is Microsoft’s video acceleration API, so this change pertains to GPU-accelerated H.264 video playback, not an isolated problem.
The second general fix concerns Blender 5.0.1 EEVEE. NVIDIA reports that non-shader nodes connected to the material output could render as black, with a value of zero. This bug has now been corrected. While a minor issue in practice, it’s significant for users of this software.
The final notable change, a significant novelty after months without similar developments, is that NVIDIA is not listing any specific open issues for this 596.36 version. This means they haven’t detected any further bugs in games or software for this particular release. This does not, of course, imply that no issues exist; it simply means they haven’t been identified. The relevant forum threads for NVIDIA users will likely be closely watched to see if these drivers prove to be as stable and effective as they appear.
