The NVIDIA AwayMode driver is a feature provided by NVIDIA, primarily designed for GeForce and Quadro graphics cards. It allows the GPU to go into a low-power state while your PC is idle or in sleep mode, without fully shutting down. This helps save power while ensuring that your system can quickly wake up and resume normal operation, particularly in media-centric or home theater PCs (HTPCs) where rapid startup is important. AwayMode is typically used in conjunction with Windows power management settings to optimize power usage without disrupting background tasks like media streaming or gaming.