Windows 11 KB5074109 update nukes Nvidia gaming performance and stability

Microsoft’s January 2026 Windows 11 KB5074109 security update is starting to look like bad news for some PC gamers, especially those with Nvidia GeForce GPUs. While the patch delivers 114 security fixes and other improvements, independent reports and forum threads now link it to noticeable FPS drops and instability in games on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 systems.

KB5074109 causes FPS drops and instability on some GeForce gaming PCs

User reports point to 15–20 FPS losses in certain titles after installing KB5074109, along with extra microstutter, brief black-screen freezes, and occasional driver crashes under load. In many cases, performance returns to normal only after rolling back the update or restoring a pre-patch system image. Multiple outlets and community threads... including coverage from MundoWin, Daily Game, and an Nvidia GeForce Windows thread – all describe the same pattern: the update installs cleanly, but previously smooth games suddenly feel slower or less responsive on GeForce hardware.

For now, Microsoft’s official KB5074109 documentation does not list gaming performance as a known issue, and there is no dedicated hotfix aimed specifically at GeForce users. Nvidia has pushed a new Game Ready / hotfix driver that some players say helps, but the most reliable workaround in user reports remains uninstalling KB5074109 or reverting to a restore point, then pausing Windows Update until Microsoft ships a corrected build. That leaves gamers on affected rigs having to choose between keeping January’s security fixes and restoring full gaming performance.