m17 R3, RTX 2060 issues from Windows Update?

Hi all, hoping someone can point me in the right direction for troubleshooting...

Have an alienware m17 r3, a few years old, pretty good condition outside of needing an initial GPU/mobo replacement from Dell ~1-2 months after purchase. Ran great the past year or two since.

Early last month (6/22), there was some windows update that caused a cascade of other updates (including the series of nvidia driver updates recently) which has got my GPU going haywire. For games, youtube videos, adobe suite, and even on Word docs, I was experiencing black screens with sound still on (sound is frozen on last note), with lights on keyboard still on. Have to shut it off with the main button, when it happens. Anything that is graphic intensive, it'll black screen crash within ~30 seconds. Lighter loads, it's hit and miss. Occasional BSOD with the directx kernel note.

The latest memory dump files also point to nvidia drivers, with module nvlddmkm, 10.0.19041.1 being highlighted. What's strange is I think that's related to the OS version of MS windows home (10.0.19044)? But maybe I'm seeing patterns now where there aren't any.

I've tried a dozen reinstalls of nvidia drivers, from the recommended 512.98, the latest 516.59, and step-wise back to the OEM suggested 466.18. Driver-only, and also with all the attachments. Usually clean-installs on the settings. From current driver re-uploads and testing, I'm on Dell's suggested 512.98 for my RTX2060. nVidia's GeForce Experience program pushes the 516.59, if I install the application. 

Up-to-date on checks from Intel's Driver Support Assistant, and from Dell's SupportAssist (also from Alienware Updates v4.5.0, and Alienware Command Center, up to date). Windows updates, also up to date. Intel Graphic Command Center says it's up to date. Device manager has no unknown devices or anything like that. Recent re-install of Windows (keeping-files version) did not change anything. 

At this point, test programs like 3Dmark just fail to start the test entirely. Other programs I've been testing with, like Minecraft, load up but fail out with error codes for Java environment, directX BSOD, or a generic 1073740791 (seems tied to graphics driver from what I can see).

Aside from asking for advice on how to proceed, I also wanted to ask if anyone has noticed or could comment on the below:

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000200573/dsa-2022-151

Dell support docs vs the backend of dell's 'my drivers' is showing this same download as a July 8 2022 driver update... not Aug 2022... so have I gotten caught up in early updates that aren't ready for primetime, that basically bricked my system until nvidia-intel-dell teams work out the kinks??