NVIDIA Declares Phasing Out of Multiple GTX Graphics Cards, Yet Offers Some Encouraging Developments
NVIDIA has announced an extension to the Windows 10 Game Ready Driver support for its GeForce RTX GPUs, offering users an additional year of driver optimizations beyond the official end-of-life date for Windows 10.
The technology giant will continue to provide full Game Ready Driver support for RTX GPUs until October 2026, a year beyond the end-of-life date for Windows 10 (October 14, 2025). This extension ensures that users can continue to enjoy the latest optimizations for new games and applications on Windows 10.
In contrast, GPUs based on the Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta architectures (e.g., GTX 7xxx, 9xx, 10xx series and TITAN V) will receive a final Game Ready Driver update in October 2025. After this, these GPUs will only receive quarterly security updates until October 2028, but no further game optimizations.
The Turing architecture, the first with ray tracing acceleration, was introduced in 2018 with the RTX 20-series GPUs. NVIDIA plans to release one more major driver update for these architectures in October 2025.
The popular GTX 1060, a Pascal GPU, is still in use by 2.15% of PCs in June 2025, according to Steam's hardware survey. Despite a potential lack of feature updates, the GTX 1060 should still be usable for gaming without much hassle.
The Volta architecture was introduced in 2017 and was confined to Titan, Quadro, and Tesla workstation GPUs. The RTX 50-series Blackwell cards, which mark an evolution from the Turing architecture, were released in 2025.
NVIDIA's decision to extend Windows 10 Game Ready Driver support for its RTX GPUs acknowledges the large installed base still using Windows 10 and these GPUs. This move allows RTX GPU users to benefit from driver optimizations for another year after Windows 10's end-of-life, while older generation cards enter a maintenance-only update phase for three more years.
The usual "Game Ready" updates containing new features and optimizations will no longer apply after October 2025 for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta generation GPUs. However, these GPUs will still receive quarterly security updates until October 2028 to ensure continued protection against potential threats.
For those who decide to hold on to Windows 10, there is a grace period to figure out a plan forward, as NVIDIA is being generous with its updates. Thousands of gamers are still working with a Pascal card, but the lack of feature updates might not significantly affect gaming performance.
[1] NVIDIA Support
[2] NVIDIA Announces Extended Support for RTX GPUs on Windows 10
[3] NVIDIA Extends Driver Support for RTX GPUs on Windows 10
[4] Steam Hardware Survey
[5] NVIDIA Ends Game Ready Driver Support for Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta GPUs
[1] Users can enjoy an additional year of driver optimizations for their RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro, as NVIDIA has announced extended support until October 2026.
[2] In a bid to cater to its large user base still relying on Windows 10, NVIDIA has extended Game Ready Driver support for RTX GPUs, offering updates until October 2026.
[3] NVIDIA's decision to extend driver support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro allows Gaming enthusiasts to continue to benefit from optimizations even after Windows 10 reaches its end-of-life.
[4] With the steady popularity of Surface Laptop and other gadgets powered by Windows 11, NVIDIA's decision to extend driver support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 could be a significant advantage for Microsoft's hardware and software suite.
[5] The extended support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro means that games optimized for these graphics cards will continue to run smoothly, enhancing the gaming experience for users.
[6] For those planning to upgrade to Windows 11, the extended support for RTX GPUs could be a deciding factor, as it means continued optimal performance for gaming and other graphic-intensive applications.
[7] The extended support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro offers a reprieve for those who are yet to adopt the updated Microsoft 365 suite, as they can continue to rely on their existing RTX GPUs for their work and play.
[8] As artificial-intelligence applications continue to gain traction, the extended support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro ensures that these cards remain relevant in the evolving technology landscape.
[9] For gamers, the decision to stick with Windows 10 might seem less daunting now, given NVIDIA's extended support for RTX GPUs on Windows 11 and Surface Pro, offering them an additional year of optimizations for their favorite games.
