The NVIDIA Overlay in GeForce Experience or the NVIDIA App (formerly known as ShadowPlay) is a popular tool for gamers who want to track performance while playing. But there are some things that may cause the overlay to display the wrong FPS count or even report the wrong GPU (Laptops). This is a fairly common problem, usually caused by software conflicts, outdated drivers, or misconfigured settings. Fortunately, it is not difficult to fix, and there are several troubleshooting steps you can try.

Takeaways:

  1. Learn how to fix the NVIDIA App showing the wrong FPS info
  2. Learn how to fix the NVIDIA App showing the wrong GPU information
  3. Can other software make the NVIDIA App show incorrect information?

How to Fix the NVIDIA Overlay showing incorrect FPS and GPU information

Other monitoring applications like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, HWMonitor, or similar tools can conflict with NVIDIA Overlay. Since these programs use similar methods to hook into the game and display performance data, they can disrupt the accuracy of the NVIDIA overlay. If you suspect interference, disable these tools temporarily and see if the overlay works correctly again. While it shouldn't be an issue, keep an eye on Lossless Scaling if you are using it as well.

Restart NVIDIA services

Sometimes, background services related to NVIDIA may glitch, causing the overlay to show incorrect information. Restarting these services often clears up the issue.

  • Press Windows + R to open the Run dialogue.
  • Type services.msc and press Enter.
  • Locate NVIDIA Display Container LS in the list.
  • Right-click on it and select Restart.
  • If Restart is unavailable, stop the service and then start it again.

Toggle the overlay off and on

Disabling and re-enabling the overlay can refresh its functionality.

  • Open GeForce Experience or the NVIDIA App.
  • Go to Settings and look for In-Game Overlay.
  • Turn it off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

How to Fix the NVIDIA Overlay showing incorrect FPS and GPU information

Check if the correct GPU is selected

If your system uses both integrated graphics and an NVIDIA GPU, the overlay may mistakenly pull FPS data from the integrated GPU instead of the dedicated graphics card.

  • Open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
  • Go to Manage 3D Settings.
  • Under Preferred graphics processor, choose High-performance NVIDIA GPU.

Update graphics drivers and the NVIDIA app

Outdated drivers and software are among the most common causes of overlay issues. Installing the latest versions usually fixes the problem.

  • Visit the official NVIDIA website and download the latest drivers for your GPU.
  • Download the newest version of GeForce Experience or the NVIDIA App.
  • Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
  • Uninstall your existing NVIDIA drivers one by one.
  • Restart your PC.
  • Install the freshly downloaded drivers and software, then check if the overlay now displays correctly.

Why does NVIDIA Overlay only show FPS in some games?

The overlay may not work in all games because different rendering modes, such as DirectX 12 or Vulkan, can affect how FPS data is captured. In some cases, games launched through certain clients behave differently, or the overlay may be blocked by anti-cheat systems to prevent unfair advantages. Running the game in borderless windowed mode can help. It is also a good idea to check that no other overlays are interfering. There are a lot of them so there is plenty of room for problems.

Use the Steam Overlay or In-Game Overlays

If nothing here has worked, of if you just want to get a second opinion on that data being shown, you can use the Steam Overlay or if the game supports it, the in-game overlay.