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NVLite

A portable, open-source, zero-telemetry alternative to the official NVIDIA App. Monitor your GPU and CPU in real time, manage drivers, and tweak key NVIDIA driver settings — no installer, no background services, no account required.

Status: Beta (v0.8.x) — core features working, actively developed.

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Features

Dashboard

  • Real-time GPU monitoring: temperature, clock speed, usage, power draw, VRAM, fan speed
  • Expandable details: hot spot temp, memory junction temp, voltage, power limit, memory controller load, video engine load
  • CPU monitoring: package temp, per-core temps/clocks/loads, voltage, power draw, core/thread count
  • Display info: connected monitors with resolution, refresh rate, and color depth
  • GPU Settings: view and change key global driver settings (Power Management, VSync, Frame Rate Limiter, Low Latency, Threaded Optimization) with one-click restore to defaults
  • Quick Actions: launch NVIDIA Control Panel, clear shader cache
  • Fahrenheit / Celsius toggle
  • Temperature alerts with configurable threshold
  • CSV sensor logging for benchmarking and diagnostics
  • WMI fallback for CPU temperature when kernel driver access is restricted

Driver Management

  • One-click check for latest Game Ready drivers via NVIDIA's API
  • Download with progress tracking and cancel support
  • Minimal Install — silent, driver-only install tracked in-app (no NVIDIA UI)
  • Express Install — launches NVIDIA's full installer for component selection
  • Optional clean install and shader cache clearing
  • Driver version history with release notes links
  • One-click rollback to previous driver version
  • Automatic driver check on startup (configurable)

System

  • System tray with minimize-to-tray support
  • Start with Windows option
  • Light / Dark / System theme
  • Configurable polling interval
  • Maximized window state persisted across sessions
  • Requires administrator privileges for full sensor access

Download

See Releases for the latest build.

Note: NVLite requires Windows 10 1809+ and an NVIDIA GPU. Run as administrator for full functionality.

Build from Source

Prerequisites

  • .NET 10 SDK
  • Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later
  • Windows App SDK 1.8+

Build & Run

dotnet build
# Run as administrator for hardware sensor access:
# Start-Process -Verb RunAs "src\NVLite.App\bin\Debug\net10.0-windows10.0.26100.0\win-x64\NVLite.App.exe"

Run Tests

dotnet test

Publish Portable EXE

dotnet publish src/NVLite.App -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained -p:PublishSingleFile=true -o publish

How It Compares

Feature NVLite NVIDIA App NVCleanstall
GPU/CPU monitoring ✅ (overlay)
Driver updates ✅ (download only)
Global driver settings
Game optimization ✅ (cloud-based)
ShadowPlay / recording
Telemetry None Yes None
Account required No No No
Open source ✅ MIT
Portable

Tech Stack

  • C# / .NET 10 — Modern, high-performance runtime
  • WinUI 3 (Windows App SDK 1.8) — Native Windows 11 UI framework
  • LibreHardwareMonitorLib — Hardware sensor monitoring
  • NVAPI DRS — NVIDIA driver settings via P/Invoke
  • CommunityToolkit.Mvvm — MVVM architecture
  • H.NotifyIcon.WinUI — System tray integration

License

MIT

Credits & Acknowledgments

NVLite is built on the shoulders of these excellent open-source projects:

Special thanks to the NVIDIA developer community and the contributors to the open-source hardware monitoring ecosystem.

Disclaimer

  • Not affiliated with NVIDIA. NVLite is an independent, open-source project. NVIDIA, GeForce, and related trademarks are property of NVIDIA Corporation.
  • Use at your own risk. Driver installation modifies system-level components. While NVLite uses NVIDIA's own installer under the hood, incorrect driver versions or interrupted installs can cause display issues. The clean install option will reset your NVIDIA settings.
  • Administrator privileges required. NVLite needs admin access to read hardware sensors (via LibreHardwareMonitor's kernel driver) and to install drivers. The app does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data.
  • Beta software. This is pre-release software under active development. Expect bugs. Please report issues to help improve the project.
  • Hardware monitoring accuracy. Sensor readings depend on LibreHardwareMonitor's kernel driver, which may not load on all systems (e.g., Secure Boot configurations). A WMI fallback is used for CPU temperature when the kernel driver is unavailable.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or pull request. For community profiles, see the community-profiles/ directory and the profile schema.

License

MIT

About

Lightweight open-source NVIDIA App alternative. Driver updates, GPU monitoring, advanced profiles — no bloat, no telemetry, portable single-file EXE.

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