Nvidia drops Linux 590 driver support for GTX 900 and 10-series, signaling the end of Game Ready updates for older GPUs

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Nvidia drops Linux 590 driver support for GTX 900 and 10-series, signaling the end of Game Ready updates for older GPUs News By Efosa Udinmwen published 4 December 2025

Pascal and Maxwell GPUs lose Game Ready performance optimizations on Linux

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• Linux 590 driver no longer recognizes several GTX 900 and 10-series GPUs
• Windows update timeline remains unclear, causing Nvidia graphics card uncertainty
• Nvidia will only provide quarterly security updates for older architectures

Nvidia has released the first driver in the 590 branch for Linux, signaling an important shift in support for older GPUs.

Reports from community members indicate that several Pascal-era and Maxwell GPUs no longer register with the new driver.

Cards such as the GTX 1050 Ti fail to function even though the release notes still list legacy support.

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Windows support timeline remains uncertain

The discrepancy between official documentation and user experience shows that these architectures are effectively being dropped, at least for Game Ready updates on Linux.

While the 590 driver is currently available only on Linux, Nvidia has not yet released a corresponding Windows version.

Previous support for Maxwell and Pascal cards extended until the 581.80 Windows driver in late November, which delayed deprecation for a short time.

Users who rely on driver updater tools should expect a similar Windows update soon.

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The Linux release now leads Windows, which hints that Game Ready optimizations for these GPUs may be ending, although confirmation depends on upcoming Windows drivers.

Nvidia has clarified that these older architectures, which have served users for over a decade, will still receive quarterly security updates.

This maintains protection against critical vulnerabilities, even though performance tuning for new titles will end.

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Gamers using GTX 900 and GTX 10-series Nvidia graphics cards can expect reduced support for cutting-edge features and optimizations.

The focus of the 590 driver branch centers on new game enhancements rather than ongoing maintenance for older GPUs.

In addition to Maxwell and Pascal, Nvidia has scaled back discrete Volta support.

Since Volta appeared only in limited consumer discrete GPUs, the practical impact remains small.

Users of mainstream consumer GPUs are primarily affected by the changes to Game Ready support for older architectures.

The move reinforces Nvidia’s strategy to prioritize support and optimization for current-generation hardware, while still keeping essential driver functionality for legacy GPUs through security-focused updates.

The deprecation highlights the challenges of maintaining driver support across multiple GPU generations.

Users who depend on older Nvidia graphics cards may need to consider hardware upgrades to continue receiving full Game Ready performance.

Via Videocardz

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TOPICS Nvidia Efosa UdinmwenFreelance Journalist

Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.

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