Warframe Shader Cache (2026): DirectX 12 Hitches, Where It Lives and When to Clear It
Last Updated on September 30, 2026
DirectX 12 turns Warframe’s shaders into versions for your GPU as you play, so the first visit to a tileset can hitch and later visits run smooth. The launcher has a Shader Cache setting for this, and your GPU driver keeps its own cache, so leave both alone unless a stutter started right after an update.
Reviewed September 29, 2026, against the current Settings menu (Update 44) and the official support articles; this page is re-checked after every major patch.
| Cache | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Warframe launcher Shader Cache | Launcher gear icon; DirectX 12 only | On by default since Update 33.5; DirectX 11 is not affected |
| NVIDIA driver cache | %LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCache (and GLCache) | Size is set by Shader Cache Size in NVIDIA Control Panel |
| AMD driver cache | %LOCALAPPDATA%\AMD\DxCache | AMD Software, Gaming, Graphics, Advanced, Reset Shader Cache |
| Windows DirectX cache | %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache | Disk Cleanup lists it as DirectX Shader Cache |
| NVIDIA Shader Cache Size options | NVIDIA Control Panel, Manage 3D Settings | Disabled, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB, 100 GB, Unlimited |
| What resets the cache | A new GPU driver, a large Warframe update, or clearing it by hand | Expect one hitchier session while it rebuilds |
Table of Contents
If you do want to clear it
- Close Warframe and the launcher first.
- NVIDIA: in NVIDIA Control Panel, Manage 3D Settings, set Shader Cache Size to Disabled, then restart Windows.
- NVIDIA: delete the contents of %LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCache and GLCache, then set Shader Cache Size back to Driver Default.
- AMD: open AMD Software, Gaming, Graphics, Advanced, and click Reset Shader Cache.
- Any GPU: run Disk Cleanup and tick DirectX Shader Cache to clear the Windows cache.
- Start Warframe and play a mission in each tileset you use. A hitch on the first entry to each is expected.
- Still hitching every visit, not only the first? The cache is not the cause; try DirectX 11 in the launcher.
CPUCores: Maximize Your FPS
If you’ve worked through the settings above and still get stutter, the bottleneck is often background processes stealing CPU time from the game. CPUCores isolates Windows and background tasks onto separate cores so your game gets the rest. It launches straight from Steam and detects your library automatically.
Tips that save runs
- Leave Shader Cache Size on Driver Default. NVIDIA warns a limit that is too small makes the driver drop shaders you still use.
- DirectX 11 has a driver cache too. DE staff describe the high CPU after an update as a one-time compile while it fills.
- DE's launcher Shader Cache arrived in Update 33.5 and DE fixed crashes with it turned off as late as Update 39, so leave it on.
Mistakes that waste runs
- Clearing the cache every session. It forces the first-visit hitches to come back each time.
- Turning off the launcher Shader Cache on DirectX 12. DE fixed crashes in that state in 38.0.7 and again in 39.0.0.
- Setting Shader Cache Size to a tiny limit to save disk space, then wondering why old areas hitch again.